Studio City's Pirate Santa Wins Moonbeam Award

Longtime Studio City resident and owner of the Clay Clement and his co-author Mark Summers and illustrator Juan Alvarado were honored with a Silver Award from the 2012 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards for their Pirate Santa: A Pirate Adventure.

"It's an amazing honor, this book has already received five awards, and we're all delighted," Clements said.

A total of 144 medalists were picked from nearly 1,000 entries. This year's winners are a very geographically diverse group: medals went to books from 35 states in the United States, seven Canadian provinces, and three countries overseas.

Clement said he wants to emphasize buying locally and helping out local shops this Christmas, and his book is an example of that kind of inspiration. "Let’s buy Christmas presents from small local businesses and self-employed people. For example, from your neighbor who sells on-line. The local crafts person who makes jewelry, the girl who has a stunning florist, the local gift store, your friends who runs a shop, the local bakers that do handmade cakes, or the new  author of a children’s book like Pirate Santa."

The book won a silver Mom’s Choice Award and a gold Mr. Dad Award and it was a finalist in the prestigious International Book Award competition.

For the Moonbeam Awards, it won the silver in best  Book with Music and Theatrical. The pirate book has a series of songs that come with it.  Lil’ Chucky Charley & His Country Bug Friends, by Chris and Ron Surrey; illustrated by Mike Litwin  took the Gold Award in that category.

Since the book came out, his pirate team made many public appearances. They battled Star Wars storm troopers for a very worthy cause, to fight neurofibromatosis (NF). They walked for the Children’s Tumor Foundation's Los Angeles, and they performed at the Studio City Farmers Market to help charities. Clement teamed up with the Studio City Chamber of Commerce to support Kim Robinson, a California mother of a young boy with neurofibromatosis (NF), and she and her son, 11-year-old Blake, participated in the 2012 Children’s Tumor Foundation LA Walk at the CBS Studio Center and became honorary buccaneers themselves.

Clement said, “We are so grateful for the recognition of our peers and the community. The Pirate Santa crew is committed to continuing to support charities that benefit kids and families. This has been an amazing experience for me as a first time author and a dad. So, there will always be a place in my heart for causes that benefit parents and kids directly.”

You can buy the book and find out more at www.piratesanta.com