Here is a little bit of silliness, a sketch from my song Chocolate Chimpanzees. It is part of a series of tunes based on letter blends, and this one is chock full of chuckles. Two chimps join a chicken on a quest for a treasure chest. They meet a chili eating chinchilla, a checkers-playing chihuahua,… Continue reading Chocolate Chimpanzees
Tag: poetry & songs
Knock Knock Moo!
Ever since I wrote my first graphic novel, Matthew Henson, Arctic Explorer, I have been fascinated with the format. Sure, some of that has to do with me reading Spider-Man and Batman comics as a youngster. And part of it is that I wish I was better a better artist because I’ve always wanted to… Continue reading Knock Knock Moo!
Math Saves the Day!
Only once before, for the book War in Afghanistan, have I co-written with someone. That project was easy, as I worked with a long-time friend and we were able to divide up the writing by chapters. All went smoothly. I was a little more worried, though, about a recent batch of songs I had pitched.… Continue reading Math Saves the Day!
Do You Know The Muffin Man
Starting to see artwork for my Tangled Tunes—adaptations I wrote of classic songs. Here is an interior spread for The Muffin Man, which follows the Muffin Man as he opens up his shop on Drury Lane and bakes some tasty treats. Luke Flowers is the illustrator, and his take on my story in amazingly fun.… Continue reading Do You Know The Muffin Man
Tangled Tunes—She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain
When working on my adaptation of “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain,” I wanted to do something similar to my version of “On Top of Old Smoky.” I wanted to turn it into a fun, silly, and hopefully rememberable song. One kids will have fun singing. Now sometimes I don’t know where my inspiration comes.… Continue reading Tangled Tunes—She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain
Tangled Tunes—On Top of Old Smoky
Growing up, and given the choice, I’d sing “On Top of Spaghetti” before the traditional “On Top of Old Smoky.” The made-up lyrics were funny and silly and all about my favorite food—I could eat spaghetti and meatballs for every meal, including breakfast. Plus, the original version was all about courtin’ and losing a true… Continue reading Tangled Tunes—On Top of Old Smoky
Tangled Tunes—Oh, My Darling, Clementine
So the song Oh, My Darling, Clementine is about a miner who’s daughter drowns, and he sings about the tragedy. It’s a pretty morbid tale. In a cavern, In a canyon, Excavating for a mine, Dwelt a miner forty-niner, And his daughter Clementine. Oh my darling, Oh my darling, Oh my darling Clementine, You are… Continue reading Tangled Tunes—Oh, My Darling, Clementine
Tangle Tunes—The Chores We Do
This Tangled Tune is based off of Here We Go ’round the Mulberry Bush, a song in which children hold hands and go around in a circle. And it’s a pretty simple tune with one basic verse. Here we go round the mulberry bush, The mulberry bush, The mulberry bush. Here we go round the… Continue reading Tangle Tunes—The Chores We Do
Tangled Tunes—Three Blind Mice
So my first Tangled Tunes adaptation was Three Blind Mice. The original song is pretty simple, with one verse. Three blind mice, Three blind mice, See how they run, See how they run! They all ran after The farmer’s wife. She cut off their tails With a carving knife. Did you ever see Such a… Continue reading Tangled Tunes—Three Blind Mice
Tangled Tunes
Ever since I first strummed a guitar way back in middle school, I’ve been writing songs. The lyrics always came easier for me than the music, which could explain why I became a poet instead of a rock star, but that hasn’t stopped me from continuing to pluck away on my 6 string. Today I… Continue reading Tangled Tunes