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Archive for the ‘Sara Hickman’ Category

Maxwell Eaton III–The Flying Beaver Brothers: Birds vs. Bunnies (2013)

Posted in "Weird Al" Yankovic, Adventure, Allan Sherman, Children's Books, Dan Zanes, Funny (ha ha), Graphic Novel, Kids Corner, Maxwell Eaton III, Ratboy Jr., Sara Hickman, Short Books, The Board of Education, The Doubleclicks, The Plants, Trout Fishing in America on January 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

bbbSOUNDTRACK: KIDS CORNER Top Ten of 2013 (2014).

kidsEvery year I’m curious to see what the kids who vote for Kids Corner music will pick as their top ten.  It is usually reliably silly.  But this year I have to say I was a bit disappointed in their selections.  Here’s the Top um, Eleven (two were tied of tenth) from 11 to 1.

  • Allan Sherman – You Went The Wrong Way Old King Louie
  • Dan Zanes – Turn Turn Turn
  • The Plants – Aziphrale
  • Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band – Thingamajig
  • Shine And The Moonbeams – Bully Bully
  • Trout Fishing In America – My Sister Kissed Her Boyfriend
  • Weird Al Yankovic – The Saga Begins
  • The Doubleclicks – Worst Superpower Ever
  • Ratboy Jr. – Champion Of The Universe
  • Sara Hickman – Radiation Man
  • The Board Of Education – Why Is Dad So Mad?

I am especially surprised by Allan Sherman as I can’t imagine that too many kids would enjoy that song (which is funny if you know your history, but not really otherwise) and while I love Dan Zanes, “Turn Turn Turn” is not exactly a rollicking fun Top Ten song.  I actually dislike “Bully Bully” and while I love Trout Fishing in America and like “My Sister,” it’s certainly not their best song (and this list isn’t just new songs obviously).  The rest of the list is quite good, though.

And it’s a great choice for number one.  But next year, kids, more silliness!

[READ: January 1, 2014] The Flying Beaver Brothers: Birds vs. Bunnies

We were unreasonably excited to see that there was a new Flying Beaver Brothers book out!  We loved the first two quite a lot, so any return of Ace and Bub is a good thing.  But to also have the return of a nasty villain is quite nice too.

Yet it’s not all the same faces, because this time there are birds and bunnies causing havoc with our heroes.

Bob and Bob (the penguins who get a brief cameo) are rebuilding Beaver Island and Bub and Ace are heading there in a boat.  But a storm rages and makes them crash.  They walk around an island where they are quickly captured by an angry bunch of bunnies who accuse them of being bird spies (those are real?).  Indeed, the birds have been playing a  very loud sound that hurts the bunnies ears and makes them go underground.  So the bunnies are fighting back with a wind machine that makes the birds leave the sky.  Both of these machines were funded by a mysterious fellow named Wally (unbeknownst to the others). (more…)

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Dav Pilkey–Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (And the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds) (1999)

Posted in Children's Books, Dav Pilkey, Funny (ha ha), Sara Hickman, Yuck! on January 30, 2013| 1 Comment »

capn3SOUNDTRACK: SARA HICKMAN-Radiation Man (1997).

Tmisfitshis is a bouncy song from Sara Hickman  a folkie who I saw open for Natalie Griffith many years ago.  I liked her enough to get a couple of her CDs back in the 90s (Her song “500X (The Train Song)” blew me away.  And one of those CDs was Misfits, from which this song comes.  It’s a collection of oddities which is why a silly song like this is on it.  Interestingly, I know Hickman more recently as a children’s music maker. W e have her CDs Newborn and Toddler.

So this song is about Radiation Man. He’s having a bad day.  He landed his spaceship on the planet and when he waved to everyone he radiated everything in sight.  Oops.  There’s no real redemption for Radiation Man, but the song does try to mak e you feel better about your mistakes.  It’s also got some fun backing vocals and comments from the other musicians.  It’s a bit of fun.

The end of the song encourages everyone to  take off their clothes and mingle naked.  And to send your clothes to her so she knows you bought the CD.    It’s not too late to still do so.

[READ: January 22, 2013] Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (And the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds)

I admit that one of the things that I really like about Captain Underpants is the really absurdly long titles that Pilkey gives the books.  And it is quite accurate as well.  Like the previous book, this one opens with a summary of the life of Captain Underpants so far.  We see all of the details and learn that a snap of a finger turns Principal Krupp back into Captain Underpants.

The book opens with George and Harold learning about adding vinegar to baking soda and making a volcano.  They decide to play a great prank by creating a recipe for Principal Krupp’s birthday  cupcakes that contain baking soda and vinegar.  The lunch ladies make a batch that is ten times the size and it floods the halls with the fizzy lava.  And then the lunch ladies quit.

As it turns out, three aliens named Zorx, Klax and Jennifer landed on the roof of George and Harold’s school.  They intend to take over the world, and with the lunch ladies having left, they apply for the jobs.  That day they serve  a hilariously awful menu to the kids (a menu that George and Harold marvel at because it sounds like something they would change the menu board to say).  The highlight is Zombie Nerd Milkshakes.

George and Harold did not have the milkshakes and are thus unaffected.  When they see that the lunch ladies are really aliens, they investigate.  They discover the evil growth serum and pour it out a window.  Right on a dandelion (uh oh). (more…)

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