poison apples

Almost a year ago, I posted about a new threat in the drug culture of marketing drugs to children. At the time, it was not a mainstream problem here in Florida. Unfortunately, I received an email alert today from the Florida Attorney General. This trend is growing around the country and drug dealers are actively trying to package and market methamphetamines, marijuana, and herione to children by making it more like candy. You can read the entire report here. It's is so important to remind your children not to take candy from anyone, even a friend at school. You never know where that friend may have gotten it from.

***The Harmonica Pocket***

As soon as I saw the Matthew Porter painting on the cover of this CD, I knew it was gonna be a winner! Ladybug One, the second collection of kids' songs from Washington State's The Harmonica Pocket, will win you over with its laid-back originals and quiet reworkings of traditional tunes. Meditative, atmospheric, gentle, inventive ... you won't hear arrangements like this on any other album for children.

The Harmonica Pocket is primarily singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Keeth Monta Apgar, and a musical cast o' plenty. He's showcased his considerable pop songwriting talents on albums like Birds Falling from the Sky and Underneath Your Umbrella, which contains the original version of "Spiders in My Breakfast". Much like Matt Pryor's The New Amsterdams and The Terrible Twos, if you like Apgar's grownup albums, yer gonna like the kids' stuff, and vice versa.

This cool little concept album revolves primarily around the idea of insects and bugs, with songs like "Firefly", "Spiders in My Breakfast", "Ladybug 123", and "Bumblebee Lullabye". But then check out these tasty tidbits: "O Susanna" in 5/4 time with sitar and tabla accompaniment; the Hindi lullaby "Mere Bacche Ke Liye Lori"; and the 55-second brilliance of "Four Spaces".

One of my favorite parts of opening a new album is reading the credits, and I love some of the instrument descriptions listed in Ladybug One: waterphone, wind wand, dixieland kazoo ... but these and other exotic instruments aren't just thrown in on a whim. Everything is woven into each song in a way that doesn't bring attention to it, and songs are made stronger by their inclusion.

Apgar closes the album with five naptime songs: the previously mentioned "Mere Bacche", the ridiculously sweet "Bumblebee Lullabye", the bilingual "La Luna", Monica Schley's pedal harp instrumental "Lucid Dream #3", and Apgar's own mbira solo called "Mbira Dreaming" ... hey!

Wonderful little songs about acceptance and love, appreciation of and respect for nature and the environment, the beauty of our world, and, of course, ABCs and 123s. A perfect present for new parents or indie music fans, Ladybug One is a great representation of Apgar's gift of melody and lyric, and hopefully this won't be his last offering to the kids' music world.

Parts

We read this book a while back , and it is definately on my list of must reads for preschool age children. It's a zany way to explore all those phrases we use that don't always make sense to children. For example, my daughter asked me the other day if I knew what "loose feet and fancy free" meant. After I got done laughing hysterically, I told her it was "foot loose and fancy free" and it meant carefree. Can your feet really be loosened? Find out the answer to this and many other questions in these great books, Parts and More Parts by Tedd Arnold!

An Update from Ambassador Scieszka

Here's what Jon Scieszka has been up to in his first few weeks as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, via Publishers Weekly's "Children's Bookshelf":

"Dear Bookshelf Readers,

It has been a weirdly wild month. The whole combination of touring for Trucktown with Dave Gordon, Loren Long and Dave Shannon, and simultaneous Ambassador touring, has combined into a perfect storm of kid mania. I've been received by my people with small open arms.

Here, for instance, is a partial list of suggestions from Ambassador fans big and small of what I should receive as Ambassador:

cape
sash
laurel wreath/crown
bejewelled goblet
those little flags for my car
guards for my embassy
an Apache attack helicopter (my idea)
jetpack
Popemobile
jetpack-Popemobile
instant restaurant reservations anywhere, anytime
a fancy uniform
medals
epaulets
a Captain Crunch style admiral's hat (Dave Shannon's suggestion)
Secret Service Franking privileges (mine also)
lifetime diplomatic immunity, for anything (ditto)
a million dollars (surprisingly not mine, but very nice)
official seal diplomatic pouch rank above TSA officials
Ambassador underwear
championship wrestling style belt
require everyone to address me as "Your Excellency" or "Your Eminence"
A butt of Malmsey (traditional payment for England's Poet Laureate)

I'm thinking we should implement ALL of the ideas.

But the best, the absolute best tribute so far was my reception at the La Jolla Country Day School. The room was packed with 200 pre-K through first graders. As I entered, they presented me with a red satin Ambassador sash, and the fifth/sixth grade music class played an original composition, "Ambassador Fanfare," on kettle drums, trombone, trumpet, and xylophone.

I liked it so much that I went out and came in three more times. And Dave Shannon was with me, so I had them play it for him as Vice-Ambassador—
only half of it, and twice as fast.

It's been very cool to actually get the attention of the ever-fickle media to get across the message that we can and should let our kids read for pleasure. And that there are all kinds of good books out there that kids will want to read.

I have gotten an avalanche of requests. Some of them weird, but most of them heartfelt. The CBC is fielding more every day, looking for events important on a national scale.

I'm also working on a plan to promote the best of every publisher's list for Reluctant Readers, deputizing teachers, librarians, booksellers, parents, kids, and anybody who's found a book that works. Details to be released soon.

Oh, and Dave Shannon also taught a library full of 250 K and first graders the "traditional" way to say goodbye to the Ambassador: both arms straight up overhead, bowing/salaaming farewell. Priceless. Though my wife is not too crazy about doing it every time (or humming the Fanfare, now that I think of it).

Bum bum-bum Baaaahh!

Salaam,

Ambassador Jon"

This guy has things under control. Long live the Ambassador!

What in the world? the sequel

If you know me very well, then this one shouldn't be too hard. Don't forget to post your guesses as a response here.

***The Sippy Cups*** DVD

If you're lamenting the fact that you never got to take your kids to see the Dead, or if you don't think your little ones are ready for a Flaming Lips show, don't get bummed, man, check out the Sippy Cups! In their first live DVD, Electric Storyland! Live at the Great American Music Hall, the band feature songs from their 2006 CD Electric Storyland!, an album that came in at #6 on the 2006 Fids and Kamily Poll.

The Cups also include on the DVD a new song, "Ladybug Beat", and a Ramones tribute from their first full-length album Kids Rock for Peas!, more or less a snapshot of their live show at the time, full of cover songs by the likes of Elton John, the Velvet Underground, War, the Beatles, the Monkees, and early Pink Floyd. In fact, the Sippy Cups cultivated their audience by putting on shows (but with a real live band) much like the Baby Loves Disco parties, where groovy oldies are played for family dancing fun.

And this ain't one of them one-camera, homemade deals, people: The whole thing was professionally and expertly directed and produced by Lou Weinert and Jim Iacona, and edited by Bob Sarles, filmed at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall, under Jeffrey Bihr's stage direction. The cynical might say nay to the Sippy Cups' over-the-top approach to kids' music, but hey, it looks like everybody is having a hell of a time! This is an incredibly interactive presentation, visually and performance-wise ... the band include members whose duties include juggling, unicycling, character portrayal (with lots of costume changes), and dancing, just dancing.

Equal parts carnival, magic show, vaudeville presentation, and musical happening, the Sippy Cups' concert dazzles the live audience and the viewers at home: Oversized puppets punctuate lyrics from several songs, a giant jellyfish glides gracefully across the stage, superheroes and robots make special appearances. Susan Verlander's illustrations fly superimposed across the screen while her husband Mark plays guitar and sings ... playfully trippy and impressively staged.

NOW, having said all that, the most important thing to remember about kids' music is ... TAKE YOUR CHILDREN TO SEE A LIVE SHOW! Nothing, not even the most mindblowing film of a concert, can beat hanging out with your kids while you listen to real music and watch musicians actually play their instruments. If it's a rainy afternoon, check out the Electric Storyland! DVD. Otherwise, take a walk to the nearest cafe, gazebo, park, or concert hall that features music for the whole family and rock out with your loved ones! I'm sure the Sippy Cups would agree.

***Gustafer Yellowgold***

How do you top a masterpiece? Well, you produce another masterpiece that explores even more deeply the title character's background and personality, via dreamy and intelligent pop music. We found out about the Wide Wild World of Gustafer Yellowgold earlier last year, and now we're asked Have You Never Been Yellow? in Morgan Taylor's second installment of our hero's adventures.

From the lighter-hoisting anthem "Pinecone Lovely" to the deeply introspective "The Bluebird Tree" to the hilarious "The Mustard Slugs", Morgan lays upon us more soooperpop tunes full of thoughtful, witty, and psychedelically descriptive lyrics. Trust, death, the desire for one's unique comfort zone in the universe, family, and mathematics are dealt with on Yellow, always through the eyes and imagination of a child.

In this second CD/DVD of all things Yellowgold, we find that Gustafer loves pine cones ... as food, as clothing, as messages sent through the mail. And that birds would dearly love to trade their singing skills for mankind's secret to longevity, and their ability to trust one another. The shuffling "Beard for All Seasons" promotes the virtues of quarterly beard ownership, while Gustafer battles bugs for his scrumptious maize in "Aye, Aphid". The spacious, dusty "The Cactus Calls" disarms a sheriff with a big kiss on the mouth, and "The Mustard Slugs" is the funniest song about digit placement you will ever hear, hands down.

On Wide Wild World, we learned about Gustafer's love of jumping on cakes, and this time around we find that he's mad about "Punching Cheese", another hobby on the verge of an obsessive compulsive fetish. And when you only "Dream in Green", it changes your perception of your surroundings: The moon is a Granny Smith apple, stars are limes. By the way, this song was originally the title tune on Taylor's 2003 album for grownups, which also included the original version of Wide Wild World's "I'm From the Sun".

Taylor is fast becoming a highly admired superstar in the children's music world, not only because of his animation and musical talents, but also because he completely respects his young audiences, to the point where the tunes and words you hear on his albums are more imaginative and well-constructed than most "adult" songs. Check out this line from "Punching Cheese": "Holey Swiss, How art thou hangin'?, With gloves I'm clangin', A lovely wedge of thee". And the choruses of, well, pretty much every song on the CD are well worth the price of admission. This album will have you singing along with your little one, I promise (and to yourself on the way to work!).

And those are only the CD highlights! The DVD is a treasure on its own, full of iconographic animations of every song on the CD. Taylor experimented with layering the artwork on this project, giving the pictures a more three dimensional look. A very cool bonus feature is Taylor's audio comments, detailing his storyline and musical ideas, and describing the visuals that accompany each song.

This is a must-have, people. Buy three copies of Yellow: One for your own family, one for a friend, and one for your local public library. Soon, everyone in the world will be singing, "Piiiine Cone Looooovely, To Thee I Siiiiiiiing!!

Meet our new Ambassador, Jon Scieszka!

Jon Scieszka, he of Stinky Cheese fame, was named America’s first Ambassador for Young People’s Literature on January 3, 2008. Basically, Scieszka will be a high-profile PR person for kids’ books, and I can’t think of a better person to do the job. He’s silly, verbally quick on his feet, entertaining, and will give great interviews on mainstream morning programs and popular late night talk shows to people and for people who are largely unfamiliar with the best that Children’s Literature has to offer.

I was fortunate enough to see his, um, knighting, appointment, election … (how is an ambassador placed into power anyhow?) at the newly minted Mulberry Street Branch in SoHo. Man, this guy must have been a hoot to have as a teacher! He had the kids and the adults rolling in the aisles the whole time, but knew exactly when to give a serious answer when a student or grown up needed straight info from their Ambassador.

During his presentation, Scieszka admitted he was most excited about two things:

1. Having access to the Presidential helicopter during his two-year reign as Ambassador, and
2. Telling kids and their grownups about all the cool "weird" children's books that are out there.
Check out this link on the Library of Congress website to get the full story, and this article from the New York Times. Long live our new Ambassador!!!