The Monster in the Bubble

The Monster in the Bubble is the 3rd and finest installment in the WorryWoo Monster series of books by New Jersey author and illustrator Andi Green.

The series is centered around emotions - Nola is lonely, Rue is insecure and Squeek, the pink hero of The Monster in the Bubble, well, he's locked himself inside a comfort zone.  He (that's right, a boy who's pink - gasp!) shares tendencies with many of us - whether it's something huge like being afraid to chase down a dream or something everyday-ish like frequenting chain restaurants to avoid the risk of the unknown and a potential bad meal (instead, we settle for a mediocre one we're familiar with).  Sometimes, we all need a push to try new things and strive for greatness - Squeek is no different.

The beauty of Ms. Green's writing is the simplicity in which the message is delivered.  Never feeling preachy or even remotely coming off as high and mighty, she conveys some basic humanity through her adorable Worrywoo Monsters and their engaging stories.  Monster in the Bubble, like the two previous books in the series, features breathtaking watercolor illustrations that my young girls simply fawn over, the books (and the plush dolls) are certainly easy on the eyes, and text that sounds great read aloud.

What sets this new book apart is the bubble itself, the additional character that is capable of moving the plot in a fascinating direction.  It's the bubble that realizes Squeek's self-imposed limitations and, as a result, it's the bubble that makes the difficult decision that forces Squeek to confront his fears of a new life lived with risk but also one filled with adventure and new experiences.  It's a clever trick - giving life to the bubble - one that pays huge dividends in the heart-tugging department. 



With the holidays coming up, I really cannot recommend The Monster in the Bubble enough for families with kids in the 3-7 age range.  Buy the book and the doll and expose a child to a lovely read and introduce them to an awesome collection of friendly, cute monsters who help make sense of the emotions we sometimes struggle to understand.



*California/Nevada readers take note: WorryWoo author/illustrator Andi Green is doing a series of readings, in numerous cities in those 2 states.  The readings began yesterday (11/6) and continue through November 15th.  Check out her schedule here and then go hear The Monster in the Bubble and pick up a signed 1st edition copy of the book.


"The Monster in the Bubble" was provided to OWTK for review. The opinions expressed above are unbiased and true - no arm twisting took place in the review process.

The Jimmies - Trying Funny Stuff DVD Review

The Jimmies are HUGE in my house.  They're probably the Bear's fave band.  Nary a day goes by without her belting out "Everyday's a holiday with you!", rustling her hair along with "Bedhead", or crooning to "Taddy" while the Mouse strums her air guitar and bounces around the living room like she's on stage at the Warped Tour (circle '95, you know, when it was cool).

When "Trying Funny Stuff", the new DVD from The Jimmies, arrived a couple weeks back, my girls suddenly figured out how to work the DVD player without adult supervision.  My kids quickly began rocking out with the Brooklyn band and they only stop for school and sleep.

If you've never seen or heard The Jimmies, know 2 things: they rock and they make incredible videos. Theirs is kid's music with a pulse and a backbeat that is undeniably cool.

Yes, the videos included here (which are also available on the band's website) and the live concert (included on both DVD and CD) are ab fab, without question.  What makes this offering so different, and frankly better, than almost any other I've seen though is the "Behind the Scenes" footage.  Singer Ashley Albert and director Mike Slavens pull back the curtain as they walk you and your kids through the music video making process with a level of humor that's never been seen in a kid's show or DVD.  The script is dry, quick witted and absolutely laugh out loud funny for the whole family.  My kids don't get all the jokes but they love to see all the camera trickeration (green screen, etc) exposed...especially all the handmade sugary edifices used to create an on-screen, larger than life candy carnival.


Barnes & Noble has an exclusive with "Trying Funny Stuff"...which means that while you read this, the thing is actually sitting on store shelves 'round the country.  I'm old enough to remember when you just didn't see CDs from indie/smaller bands on the shelf at Best Buy, Target or Barnes and Noble so it's still a novelty for me and something that is genuinely exciting for both band and fan.  Accessibility is good, despite what purest detractors may say.

Whether this DVD serves as your introduction to The Jimmies or not, "Trying Funny Stuff" is 100% fun for kids and parents.  The Jimmies, and their new DVD, are just about perfect.  

Buy it today from Barnes & Noble.

"Trying Funny Stuff" was provided to OWTK for review. The opinions expressed above are unbiased and true - no arm twisting took place in the review process.

It's not often I wish I was in Hollywood but...

Peter Himmelman + Awesome Record Store + A chance to win a trip to NYC for a live Yo Gabba Gabba! show = one fantastic way to spend an afternoon in Tinseltown.

This Sunday, November 8th, Amoeba Music is playing host to Kid's Day, an event comprised of a free Peter Himmelman (hey, someone I know just interviewed him) family concert @ 1pm and a Yo Gabba Gabba "Music is Awesome" listening party @ 2pm.  If you're near L.A., you should really go...seriously.  

Oh, and while there, enter to win this (insane!):

Yo Gabba Gabba-Music Is Awesome! - Flyaway Sweepstakes Celebrating the Party In My City Tour!
One lucky winner will receive:
- Tickets for 4 to see YGG's sold out show in NY on November 21st!
- Flights for 4 on Virgin America  (SF or LA to NY)!
- 2 night stay at Ace Hotel in NY!
- And - chances to win ADDITIONAL prizes from YGG (YGG toys, LA show tix, DVDs and more!)
Full sweepstakes rules available on www.amoeba.com
Enter to win at all 3 Amoeba locations or: www.amoeba.com/content/kids-day.html

OWTK Interview: Peter Himmelman

Peter Himmelman is a fascinating man.  He's an accomplished musician, having released countless albums, scored numerous TV shows and commercials, and is the host of a long running webcast called "Furious World".  He's also a Grammy nominated children's musician (for his 2007 album "My Green Kite") and recently launched a kid's webcast, aptly titled "Curious World".  

Early this year Himmelman released the follow up to "My Green Kite", the new album, "My Trampoline" (read the OWTK review here), is a stunning work by a man who knows that kids are smarter than most adults give them credit for.  There is nothing 'dumbed-down' in Himmelman's work for kids, a fact that delights me.  In speaking with Mr. Himmelman it quickly becomes clear that he has no interest in making banal music, for anyone, let along the single digit crowd.  It's also quite clear that Himmelman is one thoughtful dude.  Below are his unedited responses to my handful of questions.

OWTK: I recently described some of your new kid’s tunes as “epic”, “grand”, and “far reaching”.  Tell me about your approach to writing all-ages tunes?  How does this differ from writing music for adult ears?

Peter Himmelman: Jeff, thanks for the mighty props. It makes me feel really good on a Monday morning. The only difference I can see is that just as I wouldn’t (probably wouldn’t) write an adult album in Aramaic, I wouldn’t make a kid’s record about themes that kids will have no context for. This goes for the harmony as well but to a lesser extent. I other words, the only difference is, will kids be able to relate to it. As far as I’ve seen, I do consider that my work for kids has a pretty broad take on what kids will and can appreciate. My thinking is that a kid is just as smart in “kid form” as he will be when he gets to “adult form”. He’s bright and intuitive and able to make all sorts of connections… just bearing in mind that he needs a context from his experience for what he’s listening to.

OWTK: Which artists/bands inspired you to begin recording albums for the whole family?

PH: Assuming the truth is “almost” always best, let me go with this: As every artist (and blogger) knows, the harsh truth is that nothing inspires like a paycheck and a due date. Mine came in 1996 when the now defunct Baby Music Boom company gave me a few bucks and a release date for a children’s record. I’d never made one but since I’d had four kids at the time…three of them in diapers and not much in the bank account, it was easy for me to come up with what I think is still a really enduring piece of work –My Best Friend is a Salamander. As far as artists and bands…writers too- that have inspired me and continue to do so here are a few: Roald Dahl, Barney Saltzberg, Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein, William Steig (probably my favorite), The Beatles, The Monkees, The Rolling Stones, John Lee Hooker, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, The Isley Brothers, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Prince, Bob Marley, Debussy, Igor Stravinsky… and last but not least: Jonathan Edwards with my all time favorite song, Sunshine

OWTK: What is your perception of the family/kid’s music world in 2009?

PH: You know, I’ve always been a bit of a hermit, cocooned away with my friends and family with my head into whatever I’m doing so I’m probably not the most articulate voice on this subject but one thing I can see is that there are so many players in this kids’ music game than when I started in 1995-96. It’s almost like people saying, “There’s gold in them thar hills!” Everyone’s rushing to it, some doing it brilliantly and some less so.

OWTK: Music was once a communal affair, a shared experience where traditions and stories were passed on to younger generations. What role do you see music playing in a modern home, one ripe with electronic devices, countless media outlets and more technological diversions than we know what to do with?

PH: A beautiful and meaningful question. I’ve wrestled and continue to wrestle with what impact all this technology has on us and on kids in particular. Here are a few thoughts:

We never had a TV in our home as our kids were growing up. Still don’t have cable. The reason I elected to do this (and you’ll have to ask my wife her reasons) was to sustain –to prolong the period of childhood whereby kids are allowed their innocence; and not only from sexual or violent images but from advertising as well. Those images which come through the electronic sewer to tell us all that we’re not enough, that we don’t own enough, that to define ourselves and our self worth, we need to buy. Always to need and to buy, to consider our sense of lack, our paucity –and then to buy some more. It’s a horrible form of commercial – dare I use the word? – pornography that I wanted to shelter my children from. And today, my 19 year old son can reflect back on that “sheltering” and say that not only does he now appreciate it, he admires it.

Having said that, technology is simply neutral. Like the as-yet-unsurpassed technology of the human voice or human hands clapping to the beat of an ancient folk song, technology is what you make it. I love Facebook (if you become my “friend” you’ll know that in an instant). Like Twitter, like FriendFeed… all these different access points are really just neutral forums for communication. Now, the fact that they are often used for the most banal conversations in the world – or worse - really isn’t the issue. Just like the human voice or the human hand, these technologies can be used for good or evil, to inspire or to anesthetize. On another note, as observers of the Jewish Sabbath, a day which precludes the use of all electronic devices (along with a host of other regulations), My family is able to completely disconnect from the deleterious aspects of technology almost 70 days a year (including other holidays). Imagine divorcing oneself from TV, Twitter, the radio, Facebook, the cell phone, the pager, the automobile, the computer, the toaster, etc., etc., for nearly 700 days over a 10-year period. I’m not advocating this, it’s just interesting to note that perhaps one of the reasons I love the new technology so much and feel excited about its possibilities is that I know for a fact that I’ll never be controlled by it

And finally, in answer to your question, music when it’s good (an impossible distinction, and yet, I’ve made it), is necessary for a family to function well. Like a sense of humor (another lacking quality in many homes) music lubricates the tensions of the day, inspires imagination, and increases intelligence and good looks – I made that up.

OWTK: What are you and your kids, as a family, listening to these days?

PH: My kids are older now, 19 –13, so we’re pretty much enjoying the same things. My eldest son, whom I mentioned earlier, supplies us all with mix CDs of the hippest new stuff from Kings of Leon, the Ting Tings, Andre 3000, Bright Eyes, Nas, Snoop Dogg, even some old Cat Stevens, and all sorts of things I’ve never heard. He’s just got an amazingly broad range of tastes and he really knows what’s cool.

OWTK: What’s your favorite track on “My Trampoline”? Why?

PH: You know you’re never gonna get a straight answer on that don’t you?

They’re like my chidren each one of these gems… blah blah blah.

Ok, I’d have to say my favorites are:
“Imagination” –cuz it skanks and it rocks,

“Are There Any Kids Named Steve Anymore” – cuz it’s funny and true,

“My Trampoline” –cuz it’s swampy and sounds like lazy jumpin’,

and maybe most of all

“Ten Billion Blades of Grass” –because it made me cry a bit when I wrote it, made me think of my own family and how it feels to be safe and together, and feel apart of something.

*Photo credit to Liz Linder

Sorry Elmo, She’s Just Not That Into You

My girls don’t go bonkers for TV these days, but when they do it’s not because of Big Bird or Oscar the Grouch. They never ask to watch Sesame Street nor do they turn it on themselves. Sesame Street may have been the one of the most popular children’s television shows, but sadly it’s not the sparkling series it once was anymore.

Even though my daughters have three stuffed Elmo dolls, a Cookie Monster and a Bert doll, Sesame Street is an after-thought in our house. Instead, Word Girl, Caillou, Curious George and Jane and the Dragon are saved on my DVR.

Sesame Street is no longer culturally relevant and the show, with its familiar brand of edutainment, no longer resonates with my kids.  Other than Elmo’s World, the format of Sesame Street is unappealing and slow. The cut-and-paste transitions between segments are clunky, offering kids 15-30 seconds of confusing randomness sandwiched between scenes where the characters are often immobile.  Sesame Street is boring - there I’ve said it.  My girls wander away from the couch if it comes on the tube - and they don’t have short attentions spans!

I wanted my the Bear and Mouse to love Sesame Street just as I did, but now I don’t care. There are plenty of better TV choices - Clifford, Jane and the Dragon and the aforementioned Word Girl - with engaging, linear storylines and devoid of stale, recycled video clips from decades past.

The instructive segments aren’t Sesame Street’s only issue.  If I want my girls to listen to music on a TV show, a staple of the Sesame Street formula, I’m better off turning on Yo Gabba Gabba’s hip selection of alternative rock or old On Demand episodes of Jack’s Big Music Show for the best modern kid’s music out there.  Or better yet, we’ll slip in a live DVD from The Jimmies of Dan Zanes to satisfy their musical hunger.

Maybe someday we’ll visit 123 Sesame Street again, but right we’re having a blast exploring new neighborhoods.

Sarah Lee Guthrie & Family - Go Waggaloo Kid's CD Review

SARAH LEE GUTHRIE & FAMILY "GO WAGGALOO"

The Sound: Traditional American Folk from the Guthries, Pete Seeger and Johnny Irion.

In the Cafeteria, They Sit With: Randy Kaplan, Elizabeth Mitchell, Dan Zanes, Dreyer Family Band

Best Moments:  "Take Me to Show-and-Tell" is the favorite of my girls, laughing every time they hear about a turtle and spider being brought into school.  My fave comes next, in the form of "Bright Clear Day".  The tune is bathed in sunlight - I'm helpless to the song's power to sooth and make happy.  I find myself singing the chorus uncontrollably throughout the day. 


"If Momma Had Four Hands" is an awesome, more upbeat rock-n-roll song, one that reminds me of the vintage-A.M. radio stylings of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel's project She and Him.  Around my house, it's sung as Daddy's Four Hands since I'm the multi-tasking washer of dishes, laundry-doer, chef, vacuum-er, and compulsive email checker.

Bonus Thoughts: "Go Waggaloo" features 3 songs written by Woody Guthrie, including the title track and the aforementioned "Bright Clear Day".  Recorded anew ala the Mermaid Avenue discs, Woody's words once again come alive with a modern (yet classic) folk style.  Bonus Bonus Thought: Friend of OWTK and all-around great dude Stefan Shepard of Zooglobble wrote a huge chunk of the liner notes for "Go Waggaloo" - how cool is that?
Double Bonus Bonus Thought: Stream the entire "Go Waggaloo" album for free - hurry this ends today!


Okay, Time to Wrap it Up with a Nice Little Bow: "Go Waggaloo" is a fantastic collection of family songs ideal for fans of Guthrie/Seeger folk as well as for parents who 1st think of the movie Toy Story when hearing the name Woody.  If you dig Raffi and the Jack Johnson Curious George discs and you're looking for something new to add to your kid's music rotation, you'll positively adore "Go Waggaloo".



"Go Waggaloo" was provided to OWTK for review. The opinions expressed above are unbiased and true - no arm twisting took place in the review process.

OWTK Introduces You to DALA

“Everyone is Someone” is the 4^th album from Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther, a pair of effervescent Canadians known as Dala, and it’s gaining traction here in the States.  This is in large part due to a game changing Sunday brunch performance at the 2009 Newport Folk Festival (the historic Festival’s 50^th)  

Shortly after their small stage set ended, Dala performed their pop-masterpiece “Levi Blues” on the massive main stage, sandwiched between sets by Neko Case and Arlo Guthrie.  It was the only unscheduled “tweener” of the weekend. 

I spoke with Ms. Carabine briefly after their Folk Fest performance and then again a couple weeks later.  She admitted the pair arrived in Rhode Island with “no expectations” and went on to add “…we were kind of worried that nobody would come to our show!  Those feelings quickly transformed into elation, as we looked out onto a sea of new fans. It all unfolded like a fairy tale.”

That sea included fans of all ages.  While the band’s new album is not a kid’s recording per se, Dala is seeing more and more families in the crowd (including my 5 and 2-year old, both of whom were singing along), and according to Ms. Carabine, the feedback from the moms has been overwhelmingly positive. After just one look and listen, the reasons for that become clear.

The relaxed beauty and grounded, humorous attitude of the twenty-something ladies undoubtedly aids their commercial appeal but Sheila Carabine remarked bluntly that the duo “have no interest in compromising [themselves] for short-term gain. It would be meaningless.” Dala, with their angelic voices, songwriting chops and grace as individuals, appear ready to stake claim to being the conscience-clearing alternative to the shiny, sexy, relatively hollow pop music world.  They offer poetry over perversion, and parents need not cringe when their kids view Google Image results for this duo.  The same cannot be said of some other female pop stars today.

Dala’s sound doesn’t resemble American tween pop music and that’s not surprising. They (with a big hat tip to producer and co-songwriter Mike Roth) craft classic pop music, where melody takes precedence over midriff. That theirs is an intoxicating mix of classic acoustic folk, ethereal pop and sweeping balladry is no accident.  Sheila and Amanda were raised on a healthy musical diet consisting of “lots of Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan…Neil Young and Led Zeppelin”.  Ms. Carabine admits she “fell in love with Paul McCartney when I was 13, and suddenly I saw music as an integral part of my identity. All I wanted to do was go online and learn the guitar tabs for every Beatles song ever written.”  The web searches paid off.  McCartney’s influence is undeniable. Listen to Dala harmonize on “Stand in Awe” and you will do just that.

While they honor legends, Dala also draws inspiration from 21^st century sounds. I asked Ms. Carabine to play record store employee and planogram the CD rack around “Everyone is Someone”.  Amidst fears that she’d “sound conceited,” she imagined Dala’s latest disc surrounded by “Simon and Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, Fleet Foxes, Sarah McLachlan, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Tegan and Sara and The Barenaked Ladies.” That desired peer group gives clues as to why Dala’s music is proving so multi-generational. 

The acoustic pop gem “Levi Blues”, the 1^st single from “Everyone is Someone”, proves the perfect showcase for their alto/soprano harmonies, with ornamental tickling of the ivories added for good measure.  This travelogue love song is the type of tune capable of making, and defining, a career.  According to Ms. Carabine “[Levi Blues] was one of those gifts you dream of as a songwriter. We came up with the first line "I've been waiting for a guy like you" almost immediately, and we wrote the whole thing in less than an hour. We knew that it was special, if only because we couldn't get it out of our heads for weeks.”

On “Horses”, the pair prove they’re able to tackle weightier subjects with as much fervor.  The song was written for a young man who had so much of his life stripped away after an accident.  “Horses” frames his sadness and stands as a stunning portrait of internalized grief.  The track should come with a 3-tissue alert.  Ms. Carabine believes “[they] captured some pretty intense emotions in the words and melody.” She goes on to say, “it is incredible to look out and see people in the audience crying when we sing that song.”

Behind a strong new album, an impressive foundation and an unwavering commitment to their craft, Dala is poised for greatness at home and in the U.S.

Visit Dala online.

Photo: Dala's tweener 1-song set on the main stage at The Newport Folk Festival 50.  Photo credit to Wiqan Ang.

Blah Blah Blah - Billy Kelly Live in Philly

Billy Kelly, sans the Blah Blah Blahs, played upstairs at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia yesterday.  Thanks to the flu and other illnesses, Kelly's backing band was left behind in Lewisburg, PA.  Fortunately, the funny, talented kindie rocker came prepared with a Macbook, flip charts and a beatbox.  While the accouterments didn't totally make up for absent musicians, it certainly made for a curious and inventive fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of stage show.

The special Halloween performance saw numerous kids in costume - Hermione Granger, Luke Skywalker, a couple Power Rangers, Evil Spiderman, an alligator and a very cute lil' girl as a bumble bee - a handful of 'em took home prizes for their dress-up efforts.  Everyone took away official Happy Club membership certificates.

Billy Kelly's set comprised of a 7 tunes off his debut album along with the holiday appropriate "Monster Mash" (sung in a spot-on Jimmy Stewart voice), and "Family Garden" and "Dance from Outer Space" - a couple of impressive new tunes.

On "Family Garden", Kelly imports some of his more country crooner/Johnny Cash influences with stellar results.  It's got a different vibe then the "Happy Club" songs, warmer and more rootsy in nature.  "Dance from Outer Space" is the story of the earth being invading by a dance that melts your brain - awesome!  Can't wait to hear a recorded version of that upbeat number with all the bells and whistles.  Check out videos of both below (posted with Billy Kelly's permission).

"Family Garden"

"Dance from Outer Space"

New York readers take note: Catch Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs on November 15th at the 92Y in Tribeca and then later in the year at the Long Island Children's Museum.