Fun Freetime: The Story Pirates

Gimlet Media’s The Story Pirates Podcast, consistently voted as one of the top podcasts for kids, will launch a season of 20 new episodes on January 31 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever podcasts are streaming. Each week, the crew aboard the Story Pirates’ ship — including world-class actors, comedians, improvisers and musicians — takes original stories from real kids around the country and turns them into a wildly funny comedy podcast for kids of all ages. This season, which runs every week through June, will feature young authors, podcast hosts Lee Overtree, Peter McNerney, Meghan O’Neill, Rachel Wenitsky, and Rolo Vincent, the illustrious captain of the ship. Special guests this season include John Oliver, Claire Danes, Franchesca Ramsey and George Salazar. When we last heard from the Pirates, they had crash-landed on a deserted island where they encountered an old Viking named Siegfried the Orange, who promised to help repair the broken ship. Now, the ship is finally rebuilt, and the Story Pirates can head off into the sky. The first episode will also feature new original stories “A Hamster's Workday,” by 11-year-old Nina in New York, and “The Boy Who Hated Kisses,” by 6-year-old Victoria in Missouri.The season’s overarching theme is “quests,” where characters go on journeys in search of something they really, really want, according to Overtree, who co-founded the Story Pirates with CEO Benjamin Salka in 2004. The Story Pirates’ second chapter book for kids will also be published this month. Based on an idea created by a NYC-based kid, Digging Up Danger (written by New York Times best-selling author Jacqueline West; available from Random House on January 15, 2019) is a mystery/ghost story with a botanical bent and a young sleuth as the hero. Like Stuck in the Stone Age, the critically acclaimed first book in the Story Pirates Present series, this spine-tingling mystery doubles as an introduction to the basics of creative writing. With the help of Story Pirate Captain Rolo and the Mystery Creation Zone at the end of the book, young readers can find inspiration to create their own great mysteries. Last fall, The Story Pirates released their first album, Nothing Is Impossible, featuring originally written and recorded tunes based on story ideas submitted by children. The album has won national critical praise, awards and radio play. The Story Pirates have garnered accolades from educators, parents, and more than 500,000 young people around the nation. To learn about their educational programs, visit Story Pirates Changemakers at www.storypirates.org.  Catch the Story Pirates live this winter and spring; their performances in New York and California are detailed at storypirates.com.

More about Gimlet Media Gimlet Media is the award-winning media company where everything begins in audio. Gimlet was founded in 2014 and is behind hit series like StartUp, Reply All, Homecoming, Crimetown and more. Gimlet Creative, the company’s in-house advertising agency, helps brands find their voice in audio and produces official podcasts for brands like eBay, Tinder, Gatorade, Mastercard and more. Gimlet Pictures, the company’s film and television development and production arm, was formalized in 2018 and focuses on bringing Gimlet franchises to the small and big screens. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Gimlet podcasts are listened to in nearly 190 countries worldwide. Follow us @GimletMedia.

Live in New York This Winter! The Story Pirates Family Flagship Shows Sundays, January 19th and February 16th, at 12 noon A full-cast performance of sketch comedy and song, including the Story Pirates podcast hosts Lee, Peter, Meghan and Rachel, taking ideas from the audience!  Enjoy "sparkling tales of fun and adventure." (New York Times).   UCB Theater 555 W. 42nd Street, New York, NY Tickets are $35: (347) 878-6798  or info@storypirates.com

More about The Story Pirates The Story Pirates believe that every child has a story to tell. This critically acclaimed media organization, founded in 2004, has headquarters in New York and Los Angeles, and produces an array of original projects based on collaborations between kids and world-class artists. The group is made up of renowned comedians, musicians, authors, designers and teachers who use kids’ own words, and ideas as the source material for everything they do. Adding professional polish, the Pirates bring to life on stage, on screen, in books, and through their popular podcast, what young minds scribble down on paper. By inviting kids into the creative process, the Story Pirates offer a participatory new approach to kids’ media that’s fresh and engaging, not to mention hilarious. Story Pirates is also proud to be a leading advocate for arts education. Through Story Pirates Changemakers, their partner non-profit, the Pirates provide life-changing literacy and creative writing programs to thousands of kids around the country, including those in Title I schools and homeless shelters. Kids everywhere are invited to submit their own story ideas. Learn more at storypirates.com, storypirates.org, and via Twitter @storypirates, Instagram @storypirates, and Facebook.com/storypirates.