Way back in ancient times…in TV world that is…there was a family focused sitcom called “Father Knows Best.” It starred Robert Young as the father, and his wife was played by Jane Wyatt. This fictional couple had 3 kids, two daughters and one son. The situations (the “sit” part of sitcom) most times were problems a family member would have, and almost all of the … The rest of the story…
I know at least one children’s writer who challenges my notions about myself. I work with him everyday. And he challenges me to write engaging, relevant stories for kids and families. When I think I don’t have anything to say, he tells me I’m trying too hard to SAY something…when I should be diligently writing to TELL something. “But you don’t understand,” I respond. … The rest of the story…
Here’s a music history challenge for you. I’ll bet you can’t tell me the 5 songs I’m including in this fairy tale and why they’re grouped together. If you need a hint, leave me a comment. Once upon a time there were two bridges. One bridge went over water, and the other went over clouds. It was important to choose the right bridge because … The rest of the story…
What’s this obsession with the dark side of music? I remember when I was growing up how music was so much about fun and storytelling and sharing reasons to be glad to be alive. Now, there’s just so much darkness to it all. Well, maybe not all…but so much of it that it seems that way sometimes. For instance…I get Google email alerts for … The rest of the story…
I made a coloring video because I had a little kid ask me how I draw into my computer… I made the coloring video to show part of the process. The art of making art using only a digital pen and tablet is almost magical to me. So I can only imagine what it must seem like to a young, inquisitive, spongy little mind. … The rest of the story…
If you can see a Green Monkey in the video below, you either had too much lime Kool-Aid, or you’re tuned into my wacky imagination and music. A few years back I had CD’s of my personalized music for kids in several Denver, Colorado area kids’ stores. I sold thousands of them and decided to become my own distributor here on the TF website. … The rest of the story…
Kiddin’ Around. It’s one of the CD’s in my children’s songs collections… …and a lot of people have gotten it for their kids. Thank you all for that, by the way. But I remembered, this afternoon, that I had some videos of kids dancing (with the choreography help of their teacher) to 2 of the 10 songs on the CD. I haven’t shared these … The rest of the story…
I’m working on some animation to add to my ebooks for kids… Don’t get me wrong…I doubt I’ll be giving Pixar a run for their money. But I’m having a very good time learning these new animation skills. In case you hadn’t noticed…kids love animation. And they also love cartoons. And there’s more and more research showing how ebooks for kids with animation or … The rest of the story…
Kids Need Music And Imagination OK…I’m not tryin’ to say your kid’s life will be completely better because of music. And I’m not sayin’ your kid won’t have trials and tribulations in this life if he only listens to music. But I am sayin’ your kid will have access to the ultimate imagination machine if he or she’s exposed to a good variety of … The rest of the story…
Imagine if you couldn’t hear your heartbeat… …and that’s the predicament young Henry Hippo found himself in. He couldn’t hear his heartbeat, and he was pretty sure it was pretty important to have a heartbeat. So, he decided to do something about it. Back when I was attending the Institute of Children’s Literature, I had an assignment to write a story using an … The rest of the story…
