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A playlist of cool things for cool kids! Kids rock! There's no question about it. They are simply much cooler than you and I. Posterband is for those of us just trying to keep up with these mod toddlers and hip preschoolers. It's about promoting children's books, music, and other media that rock just as much as our kids do.
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Hey! I'm at the SCBWI Winter Conference this weekend. If you see me, say hello.
SMALL TALK: I'm a Kentuckian living in Brooklyn. I've written lots of books for children including over a dozen books for Scholastic Education. REAL TALK: I'm currently seeking an agent. I've got two projects on offer.
The Haunted Crayon [Chapter Book: 17,000 words, Ages 6-9] Who’s afraid of the third grade? Not Mark! He has a Haunted Crayon that can bring his drawings to life beyond the page! But is he about to be “drawn” into ridiculous danger by a buck-toothed vampire and a werewolf princess?
Scribble & Beep [Picture Book: 32 pages, Ages 2-5] Scribble and Beep are best friends, but that may be the only thing on which they agree in this quirky tale of a fastidious robot and a carefree doodle sharing a play date.
Who’s afraid of the third grade? Not Mark! He has a Haunted Crayon that can bring his drawings to life BEYOND THE PAGE! But is he about to be “drawn” into ridiculous danger?
Mark and his best friend Luna didn’t know what to think of the new kid. Walter had problems. For one thing, he was a buck-toothed vampire. He couldn’t draw blood. And he couldn’t draw either. He needed an artist like Mark who could handle the power of the Haunted Crayon. But the crayon was cursed. It turns Mark into a ghost!
An evil skull named Sligo has plans for the Haunted Crayon. Sligo has an army of messed-up monsters and a terrible sense of humor that is almost as scary. When Sligo turns their favorite teacher into a horrible Werebot, the friends share a crazy adventure that takes them from the dungeons of the school library to the dunes of the moon and back. Along the way, Luna proves to be more than a rad scientist and dodgeball champion. She’s a werewolf princess!
Can Mark, Luna and Walter protect the Haunted Crayon? Can they turn their teacher back to normal? Can they possibly survive Sligo’s awful jokes? Together maybe they stand a ghost of a chance.
The Haunted Crayon is a hilarious and spooky chapter book that is sure to appeal to boys and girls ages 6-9. The manuscript is complete at just over 17,000 words. It is packed with puzzles, mazes and drawing pages, and loaded with science facts about the moon. It is the first book in a proposed series of Haunted Crayon chapter books that mix silly monsters and serious non-fiction.
THE HAUNTED CRAYON by David Martin Stack [500 WORD SAMPLE/FIRST CHAPTER]
Chapter 1: Disappearing Ink
I’m not scared of school if that’s what you think. It’s not like a math book ever said boo to me. Today was the first day of third grade at Sküll Elementary. And I was excited. I swear I was!
So maybe my backpack was heavier this year than last year. But that was okay. Because it was full of new school supplies. I had a cool new mechanical pencil. I had brand new folders that I got to pick out all the colors. And better than that, I had a bunch of new notebooks with lots and lots of blank paper. And even better than all those things? I had new magic markers in just about every color. The magic part was that they were permanent markers! My mom finally let me have some. Everyone knows magic markers are what real artists use. No more little kid crayons for me.
On the bus ride I couldn’t resist taking the markers out to show Luna. She wasn’t exactly impressed, but she was my best friend so she had to pretend to be. I could tell Luna was more interested in trying out the new magnifying glass her parents got her for Science class. That gave me an idea. I pulled out some of the monster trading cards I had made with my new magic markers to show her. I called them trading cards, but really they were just post-it notes that I drew my monsters on. So they were really small. Perfect for her magnifying glass. Now we were both excited.
The trading cards were of all the monsters I’ve ever met at Sküll Elementary. They weren’t real monsters obviously. There is no such thing as real monsters. But sometimes they were just as scary.
There was the school bully who always broke my pencil tips on purpose. And there was the really loud computer teacher who didn’t like paper at all. And there was the recess monitor who wouldn’t let me draw on the playground and made me run instead.
“I like the Ms. Gorgon one,” Luna said. Ms. Gorgon was the one with the strict rule about NO DOODLES on any schoolwork. “But I think she had more tentacles.”
We both busted out laughing.
The bus driver glared at us in her big mirror. She shouted, “Quiet back there!” We stopped giggling as best we could. I was going to have do a bus driver monster trading card. She would have really scary eyes in the back of her head. But first things first. Luna was right. I needed to give Ms. Gorgon more tentacles.I uncapped one of my new permanent magic markers. It was bright green like a lollipop. But it smelled like shoe polish. I started to draw the extra tentacles when suddenly the bus jerked to a stop. My hand slipped.
Next thing I know, the bus driver stomped down the aisle to our seats.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” the bus driver yelled. “Are you vandalizing the bus seat?”
I didn't even know what “vandalizing” meant. But I felt really bad about the green line — the permanent green line — I had accidentally drawn on the back of the seat.
Scribble and Beep are best friends, but that may be the only thing on which they agree in this quirky tale of a fastidious robot and a carefree doodle sharing a play date.
In the tradition of beloved odd couples like Elephant and Piggie, Frog and Toad, or George and Martha, Scribble & Beep is sure to delight preschoolers ages 2-5 who are just learning to negotiate the ups and downs of their first friendships. Scribble & Beep promotes healthy self-assertion in children while celebrating the beauty of friendship and individuality.
SCRIBBLE & BEEP by David Martin Stack
Scribble and Beep were best friends.
That is how it’s always been.
Ever since Scribble was a little doodle, and Beep was just a microchip.
And today was a very special day.
“We’re having a play date!” they both cheered happily.
“I’ve got a million ideas about what we could do!” Scribble giggled.
“I can always count on you,” Beep beeped.
So what would they choose?
***
They could play games.
Scribble wanted to play checkers. “That’s the one with lots of jumping, right?”
But Beep wanted to play chess. “I know all the rules.”
***
They couldn’t agree. So they looked in the toy box instead.
Beep wanted to play trains.
“I like to connect the tracks. Did you know all the trains have names?”
Scribble liked trains too, but she wanted to play puzzles.
“I like to dump out the whole box! Look at all the shapes and squiggles! Every piece is different.”
***
They couldn’t agree. So they tried to make some music instead.
Scribble wanted to play her sax.
“This is a little song called Peanut Butter Pizza. It goes like this! 1, 2, 3…hit it!”
But Beep didn't know her song so he couldn’t play his drums.
“Is this song hip hop? Is it jazz? Does it rock?”
***
They couldn’t agree. So they made some art instead.
Beep wanted to take pictures of each other with his camera.
“You get to press this button. It clicks! And then you have a perfect picture.”
But Scribble wanted to paint a princess or a pirate or a scientist. She couldn’t decide.
“She’ll be blue. That’s my favorite color! And pink, and green! And yellow, and orange! Purple too!”
***
They couldn’t agree. So they went to the playground instead.
Scribble wanted to kick her legs high on the swings.
“It feels like flying! Watch my skirt float in the air.”
But Beep wanted to go down the big slide.
“It’s shiny and metal. And you get to take turns!”
***
They couldn’t agree. So they headed to the park instead.
Beep wanted to collect leaves.
“This red leaf has five points. This leaf only has one. Now you find some. We could keep score!”
But Scribble just wanted to climb trees.
“It’s more fun to look at the leaves while they’re still on the branches.”
***
They couldn’t agree. So they went to the zoo instead.
Scribble wanted to see the monkeys.
“They sound like laughing. Everything is their swing-set.
I could watch them be silly all day.”
But Beep wanted to visit the aquarium.
“It’s so quiet. And I like to count the fish.”
***
They couldn’t agree. So they hit the beach instead.
Beep wanted to build sandcastles.
“I can make towers and tunnels with my shovel and pail. I have a castle all planned out.”
But Scribble wanted to run and play in the waves.
“I have a bright beach ball. And I can make a big splash.”
***
They couldn’t agree. So they went to the amusement park instead.
Scribble wanted to ride the roller coasters.
“I love the loops and dips and dips and loops.”
But Beep was afraid.
“Roller coasters make me dizzy.”
***
They couldn’t agree. So they went to the circus instead.
Beep wanted to see the clowns. He liked clowns for some reason. He couldn’t say why.
But Scribble did not want to see the clowns. She was afraid of clowns. She just was.
They couldn’t agree. So they ended up at the library.
Scribble could not pick a book.
“Stories are so exciting! Does this one have a pirate? A princess? What about a monkey? I want a story about a monkey pirate princess! And I want a happy ending.”
Beep smiled. That sounded like a great book. But he liked books about facts.
“Facts make me happy. So all my books have happy endings.”
***
They couldn’t agree. So they each picked their own book.
(Scribble picked a whole stack of books.)
Scribble curled up with her pile of books on the floor. Beep found a nice firm chair.
At least, they found something they could do together. Sort of.
***
Then before they knew it, the play date was over. It was time to go home.
“Wow. We didn’t agree on much today,” Scribble giggled.
“That is a fact,” Beep beeped.
Then Scribble and Beep shared a big grin.
And together they both said,
***
“Want to do it again tomorrow?”
###
0 Comments on SCRIBBLE & BEEP as of 2/5/2015 2:11:00 PM
"I can't believe this book didn't already exist. How old is the toe game? Nobody was like 'What about the other little piggies?'" - Tim via Village Voice
Les Savy Fav's Tim Harrington has rectified this obvious oversight in children's publishing with a really special twist of this little piggy's tail/tale. Be sure to download the song!
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An early Halloween treat for your little ones! Preschoolers will be delighted with this charming tale of a haunted crayon that has lost its color and sets out to find it. Along the way, the little ghost crayon meets a colorful cast of spooky friends. This enhanced ebook includes an interactive coloring book feature. Available now for your iPads and iPhones on iTunes. Just 99 pennies! All proceeds this year will benefit children's literacy programs. Boo!
Science Fair is a rocking kids album supporting a great cause. The record benefits science and engineering education for girls. A portion of proceeds goes to Girls Inc. Awesome.
And there's lots for your little scientist to explore at this fair. Maybe they're interested in biology? Plenty of earworms to check out! Physics? There are definitely some high-energy tracks! Chemistry? There's a great mix of bands here including Babe the Blue Ox, Elizabeth Mitchell, Mates of State (covering GBV's I Am a Scientist), The Deedle Deedle Dees, Moona Luna, and many more!
There was a science-themed musical extravaganza at the 92Y Tribeca this past Sunday. Babe the Blue Ox,The Deedle Deedle Dees, and Moona Luna dropped some mad science for the kiddos. MC'ed by Ashley Albert from the Jimmies. Check out photos below.
The Deedle Deedle Dees performing Time Machine (with Ashley Albert & Moona Luna's Sandra Velasquez)
This is a beautiful book from one of my favorite songwriters, Tobin Sprout. Tobin's paintings perform a kind of gothic comic sleight-of-hand that feels just like circus magic. Elliott the rabbit is cute and spooky. It's a neat trick. And the story has all the melody and melancholy you would expect from an artist who wrote a song as perfect as "14 Cheerleader Coldfront."
I'm excited that Guided By Voices is back to rock. Hey-hey - the club is open! But let's hope Tobin continues to publish such wonderful stories for children. Carnival Boy, anyone?
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This may be the coolest children's ebook yet. A special tribute to Steve Jobs, this psychedelic undersea adventure lets your cool kid dive deep into a classic Beatles creation. Magical animations, videos and music bubble up from nearly every page.
I'll be at SCBWI Winter Conference this weekend. Figured now is a good time for some blatant self-promotion here at Posterband. I've got a supernatural YA thriller called The Pretty Dead that I'm looking to get out there. Lots of great interest from agents so far. Wish me luck.
A mysterious virus threatens to turn the world into mindless zombies. The infected exhibit early symptoms of extreme conformity. When the virus outbreak hits a small Catholic high school in Louisville, KY, naturally nobody notices.
Blake always dreamed of being in a rock and roll band. His twin sister M. dreamed of saving the world. It looks like they’ll both have their chance. On their sixteenth birthday, the twins’ father disappears, accused of embezzling millions of dollars to cover gambling debts. In the months of shame and change that follow their father’s disappearance, the twins struggle to deal with the ordinary evils of high school - like cliques, detention, and driver’s exams - while an extraordinary evil gathers around them. It turns out it’s not just their imaginations - the cool kids really are trying to destroy them. Not to mention Blake’s feelings for his ex-girlfriend - which he thought had long since died and were buried - are coming back big time. But she’s into one of his jerk friends, and it’s eating him alive. Nevertheless, with three friends and three chords, the siblings form a ga
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This really is a shame. But maybe some of you indie-types can pick up the slack? I know so many talented writers and artists who have so much to share with children. Get your books out there. Seriously.
What more do you need to know about this? Shel Silverstein wrote A Boy Named Sue. He is THE MAN! Or in this case, the Twistable Turnable Man. This tribute album has Andrew Bird, My Morning Jacket, Dr. Dog and Black Francis/Joey Santiago (of THE PIXIES!) and lots of other great artists. Kris Kristofferson...John Prine...I could go on....
How is this for a rocking all ages show? THIS in Los Angeles is presenting a super-cool celebration of children's books this month featuring a lineup of some of Posterband's favorite authors and illustrators. Oh yeah...my books are part of the show too. And let me just say it's kind of blowing my mind.
The show opens this weekend May 28th with an action-packed schedule of all kinds of awesomeness for the whole family and runs through the month of June. Check out the details below or at: http://thislosangeles.com/
I'm going to be donating my proceeds from sales at the gallery or posterband.com to www.826national.org kids literacy organization all month. So maybe buy some books or some art or something. kids of all ages A celebration of children’s books and the artists behind them.
5.28.10 – 6.25.10.
Opening night – Friday 5.28.10 7-10PM. With a special reading of “An Awesome Book” by Dallas Clayton.
Also, a weekend full of awesome events for the kids!
Saturday 5.29.10 11AM-2PM. Special readings, a musical performance by Aska Matsumiya w/ her daughter Babel, make art on free pairs of kid sized Van�
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Any future rocker needs a cool role model to look up to and learn how it's done. You know, like a hip older sister with an awesome record collection, or maybe a favorite Uncle Rock who just happened to play bass with the legendary Fleshtones! Uncle Rock (alter ego: Robert Burke Warren) has a whole bunch of killer tunes for the kids on his latest record The Big Picture. Check it out: www.unclerock.com.
So I'm the kind of parent that reads the New York Times to his kids. But ONLY when it is about Legos. For example: Christoph Niemann's totally awesome "I Lego NY" blog posts! And now they're available as a board book for all your budding brickmasters!
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Some rocking ABC books for back to (pre) school...
The Love Police keep kicking out the jams with their latest alphabet books for Punk and Country Western. Future discerning rock critics take note: "G" is not for G.G. Allin, but it is for Gram Parsons.
Once your kids have mastered the classics, they might be ready to get hip to the new sounds of An Indie Rock Alphabet Book from the folks at Paste Magazine.
"A" is for Animal Collective, do you need to hear any more?
0 Comments on Rocking Alphabet Books as of 9/21/2009 8:42:00 AM
A murder mystery for the kids! It should come as no surprise that the diabolical Lemony Snicket is involved. The Composer Is Dead, but the inspector is on the case, interrogating the entire orchestra to get to the bottom of this hideous crime. For all its wicked humor (the composer is "decomposing"), this book has a lot to teach children about the workings of the orchestra. It comes with a wonderful narrated symphony recording of the story with music by Nathaniel Stookey. The old-timey illustrations by Carson Ellis are pitch-perfect as always (Carson Ellis is responsible for so much of the amazing artwork for The Decemberists).
It would be a crime not to share this with your kids.
For more on the book and to hear some of the music, check out the video below:
0 Comments on The Composer Is Dead as of 5/12/2009 12:15:00 PM
I posted a couple of weeks ago about Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine's amazing new record for kids. Robbert (aka: Robert Schneider of the Apples in Stereo) was kind enough to take time out from recording to answer a few questions from Posterband. Bubble Machine had no comment.
So when I first heard you were making a record for kids, I was really excited, but equally curious: what inspired you to bring your pure pop jams to the young people?
Little kids need good music more than anyone. Their developing ears cannot defend themselves against music of poor quality. I feel it's very important to do something special for kids. I put as much into the Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine CD as I do with any project. Music for kids is the ultimate form of psychedelic pop... You can include all of the fun and colorful and odd sounds as you want. In fact, it is your duty to put them in there. It's like making a colorful little clock or music box where all of the parts work together in a musical system. I tried to make each song a self-contained little box of toys and sound effects that kids will find fun to play with.
Are you a cool dad? Or a cooler uncle? An eternal child?
All of the above! I really do try to be a cool big brother to my little brothers, and a cool uncle to my nieces and nephew, and a good dad to my son Max, who is 8. I am not so much worried with being a cool dad, as just a good dad. I think being cool is both not really part of the "dad" job description, and also, there is no way my son is going to think I am cool as he grows up, no matter how hip I am. I recorded some of the tracks for my Robbert Bobbert album about 15 years ago when I was 21, and my brothers were little. I would give them cassettes of children's songs for their birthdays. Lately, I've written songs inspired by my son. The song "Gravity" was written for the science fair at my son's school. I did a physics presentation for 1st and 2nd graders, and had the kids sing and clap along.
My four year old loves the new Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine record, but he's also been known to rock out to his dad's Apples in Stereo records on occasion. There's a lot of great "grown-up" music out there for kids to explore. I'm curious what records (for kids or grown-ups) were important to you when you were a little one?
That is awesome that your kid loves pop music! I loved the Beach Boys and listened to Endless Summer over and over again when I was a kid. I also loved those little vinyl 45s for children, that came with storybooks, and always loved old kids records from the 1950's through the '70s. Their used to be so many great, creative, fun records for kids in the old days, before I was born. Those records for children had all sorts of fun sound effects, characteers and storytelling. I collect old vinyl children's LP's, and really wanted my Robbert Bobbert to have the same timeless, crazy, good-time feeling as those records.
By the way, the Beach Boys are still my favorite band. Also I love the Beatles, who are Max's favorite band. Actually, lately he has been really into "The Final Countdown" by Europe-- I bought him a 7" single of the song, for him to play on his turntable, so it is sort of the soundtrack around our house right now.
Thanks, Robbert!
Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine is out now from super-hip indie kid's label Little Monster Records.
You can check out more on Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine at www.robbertbobbert.com.
Pirate rock! Avast! Captain Bogg & Salty's Emphatical Piratical is a real treasure for the kids. There's lots to enjoy here - from silly sailor jigs like "Don't Drink the Sea Water" to surf-rock rave-ups like "The Plank-Walker." A couple tracks - like "Waltz of the Waves" and "Who's at Captain's Table" - even call to mind fellow nautically-disposed Portlanders, the Decemberists.
Check out this rocking clip of "Never Smile at a Crocodile."
These guys get the kids dancing! See for yourself - Captain Bogg & Salty set sail for Symphony Space this Saturday, March 28th, at 11:00am. For more information visit: www.symphonyspace.org/series/77 or visit the crew at www.eatalime.com.
There's not much to say about these board books. They are exactly what you would think. And they are hilarious. From those lovable, daffy folks at McSweeney's. Personally, I would love to see McSweeney's seriously explore its preschool tendencies. They could do some brilliant kids publishing if they set their mind to it.
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Robert Schneider, the mad scientist behind the beloved Apples in Stereo, has released an amazing new record for kids under his cartoon alter ego: Robbert Bobbert. It's just good science, kids. Like the Apples in Stereo records, this one is jam-packed with hooks, harmony, and kaleidoscopic sound design. There are songs about clocks, physics, superheroes and a bunch of animals. Oh, and there is a mouse who raps which is reason enough to own this record. Awesome fun.
Check it out:
Robbert Bobbert and his Bubble Machine rocked Brooklyn's Bell House this weekend. Robbert brought the high-energy song and dance as well as some exceedingly curious (and hilarious) science. Bubble Machine brought the bubbles. The kids had a total blast and so did the parents. Check out photos below.
Thanks for great show, Dr. Bobbert!
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Andrew Bird performs a little music and magic with the puppets in this clip from Jack's Big Music Show.
Andrew has a great new record out. File this one under: "music for parents that kids will like too." Noble Beast has lots of whistling and looping violins. And it will do wonders for your child's vocabulary. Nomenclature! As a chorus!
Also, you should check out the earlier records if you haven't already. Armchair Apocrypha and The Mysterious Production of Eggs are both shiny gems and good places to start.
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It should come as no surprise that I think librarians totally rock. I mean, did you see the FOOT show at the Windsor Terrace library? And I'm happy to see that folks like the New York Times are finally taking notice.
Anyway, this week's picture book suggestions come courtesy of the librarians. The ALA announced the 2009 Caldecott winners. You won't need any further recommendation from me. The House in the Dark, a beautiful book, took top honors, but congratulations to all! Shiny stickers all around.
Check them out:
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So I'm the kind of parent that reads the New York Times to his kids. But ONLY when it is about Legos. For example: Christoph Niemann's totally awesome 
