The Riddle in a Bottle

A Finalist for the Children's Choice Category of the 2008 Wildscreen Panda Awards!

The Riddle in a Bottle is a half-hour movie for children, which shares how life on earth is connected through moving water.  It is also the movie that inspired the children's book A Pirate's Quest.

With a generous grant from the Save Our Seas Foundation, Sisbro Studios was able to purchase underwater camera equipment, and they spent a total of two years capturing beautiful aquatic footage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans (and lakes and rivers in-between).

What is the movie about?  Laura and Robert, a.k.a. “The Riddle Solvers,” are two siblings who run a riddle-solving stand, where they solve riddles for 5¢ a piece.  We follow them as they solve a mysterious riddle from the ocean that reaches them on an inland lake... in a message in a magic bottle.

As Laura and Robert try to solve the riddle, they receive three clues (via message in a bottle) from underwater creatures who each offer a different solution to the riddle . . . currents, tides or weather. The first story sweeps you into a vivid blue ocean where baby loggerhead sea turtles drift along the ocean currents under floating mats of sargassum algae. The second story takes you to the coastline, where daily life is based around the rhythm of the tides. The third story plunges you into a freshwater vernal pond, whose occupants depend on the heavy spring rains for survival.

Finally, The Riddle Solvers meet a one-legged pirate, who sings a song that helps pave the way to the riddle's answer. This lively mix of mystery, music, humor and vivid animal footage is a perfect way for young children to understand how they are connected with water far away.  If you would like to know more about why Laura and Robert made this movie, along with their goals and strategies when creating the film, read their Directors' Note.

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Special Features on the DVD are:

• The Making of the book A Pirate's Quest, perfect for educators!
• The Making of The Riddle in a Bottle, which shares over 10 minutes of outtakes, challenges and methods for making the movie
• A printable packet of classroom activities for teachers!