13under13 - 27Feb2009

Robbie hosted this week. He started with a "Things we like to do" theme. (And I think Robbie didn't have last week's countdown, since none of what he said matched what I had.)

I'm so glad that John Carlin's Tag Song is the new entry! This 13 under 13 is pretty awesome!

1. Randy Kaplan - No Nothing (8 weeks)
2. Billy Jonas - What Kind of Dog Are You? (9 weeks)
3. Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly (11 weeks)
4. Lunch Money - It Only Takes One Night To Make a Balloon Your Friend (5 weeks)
5. Jenny Lewis - Barking at the Moon (13 weeks)
6. Brady Rymer - Road Trip (7 weeks)
7. SteveSongs - Giant (17 weeks)
8. Robbert Bobbert - We Are Superheros (3 weeks)
9. Medeski, Martin and Wood - On An Airplane (6 weeks)
10. The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family (15 weeks)
11. ScribbleMonster - The Song of LIFE (20 weeks)
12. Star Wars Cantina (2 weeks)
13. John Carlin - Tag Song (debut)


Past Freshness Date
Madagascar Escape 2 Africa - I Like To Move It (15 weeks)

Game Time - Lynn Brunelle

Today Mindy interviewed Lynn Brunelle, creator of the World Almanac for Kids Puzzler Decks.
They are fun and amusing, and you even learn lots of new things while you play them. There are 20 puzzler decks now, for many age groups and contents. There are science, math, reading, vocabulary, geography, and lots of other topics.

Mindy and Lynn did some quizzers with listeners; lots of fun!

Learn more at Chronicle Books.

Book Hour - Neil DeGrassi Tyson

Danny joined Mindy in interviewing Neil deGrasse Tyson, author of The Pluto Files. They started out talking about Danny's superhero Scrap Metal. Neil asked about Scrap Metal's planet, and told Danny about some of the planets that have been discovered recently.

The celebrates how people reacted to the "demotion" of Pluto. Neil talked about gravity, the spinning of the earth and so much more. Quite an interesting interview!

Scrap Metal

If you've been tuning in this week, you'll have heard the story of Danny and his creation, Scrap Metal, a superhero in space that has a pet lizard named Light Speed and who fights Mr. Dark. Danny's uncle drew Danny's superhero, shown here.

Listeners have been calling in nonstop with suggestions for the name of this superhero's planet.

You can visit Scrap Metal's website, too.

Book Hour - Jeff Foxworthy

Mindy played a couple Lunch Money tunes as we drove through Columbia, SC, then, as we drove through rural Georgia, she interviewed Jeff Foxworthy about his new book. While I enjoyed the interview, I didn't take any notes as we drove down the highway.

Jeff read some excerpts from his book Silly Street by Jeff Foxworthy. She talked to him about how he came up with the ideas for the book and about how he got into comedy.

IT was a fun interview that kept us entertained as we watched the miles roll past!

13under13 Poll for 23Feb2009

Visit the KiDS Place LiVE Fans blog and vote in the poll!

What's your favorite song this week?
1. Billy Jonas - What Kind of Dog Are You?
2. Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly
3. Randy Kaplan - No Nothing
4. Jenny Lewis - Barking at the Moon
5. Lunch Money - It Only Takes One Night To Make a Balloon
6. SteveSongs - Giant
7. Medeski, Martin and Wood - On An Airplane
8. Robbert Bobbert - We Are Superheroes
9. Brady Rymer - Road Trip
10. The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family
11. ScribbleMonster - The Song of LIFE
12. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa - I Like To Move It
13. Star Wars Cantina

Last week's results:
0% 1. Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly
4% 2. Billy Jonas - What Kind of Dog Are You?
4% 3. Jenny Lewis - Barking at the Moon
4% 4. Randy Kaplan - No Nothing
0% 5. SteveSongs - Giant
9% 6. Lunch Money - It Only Takes One Night To Make a Balloon
4% 7. Brady Rymer - Road Trip
4% 8. The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family
45% 9. ScribbleMonster - The Song of LIFE
9% 10. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa - I Like To Move It
0% 11. Medeski, Martin and Wood - On An Airplane
9% 12. Kat Vellos - 5 on 5
4% 13. Robbert Bobbert - We Are Superheroes

robbie, robbie schaefer

yesterday, we were so lucky! We got to see Robbie, and so close to home! Instead of being ten hours away, he was only ten minutes away, performing some of his kids' music live on stage. It was wonderful to see him again and we all had a blast. We hope he'll return to Atlanta again soon.

I can't remember when we first met him. Perhaps it was at The Hipwaders' Rumpus Room. We've seen him a handful of time since then, and as always, he was just the niceset, sweetest guy. If he ever comes to perform in your town, go see him. You'll be happy you did. Hey, if he even comes close, make the drive, like the family from Birmingham did yesterday!

More photos and recap here.

Superhero Special

Overall, I think it was pretty good.

I missed part of it, so I don't know if these were included, but how about Ralph's World "Kid Astro" and Justin Robert's "The Backyard Super Kid."

13under13 - 20Feb2009

Mindy hosted this week. She played a couple "counting songs" to start.

Kat Vellos's 5 on 5 had a great run, but now it is time to make room for something new. Unfortunately, the new song is not new at all. It was on the 13under13 not so very long ago, I think.

1. Billy Jonas - What Kind of Dog Are You? (8 weeks)
2. Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly (10 weeks)
3. Randy Kaplan - No Nothing (7 weeks)
4. Jenny Lewis - Barking at the Moon (12 weeks)
5. Lunch Money - It Only Takes One Night To Make a Balloon Your Friend (4 weeks)
6. SteveSongs - Giant (16 weeks)
7. Brady Rymer - Road Trip (6 weeks)
8. Medeski, Martin and Wood - On An Airplane (5 weeks)
9. Robbert Bobbert - We Are Superheros (2 weeks)
10. The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family (14 weeks)
11. ScribbleMonster - The Song of LIFE (19 weeks)
12. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa - I Like To Move It (15 weeks)
13. Star Wars Cantina (debut - well, again)

Past Freshness Date:
12 Kat Vellos - 5 on 5 (17 weeks)

Book Hour - Jenny Ryan

On today's show, Mindy's guest was Jenny Ryan author of Sew Darn Cute: 30 Sweet & Simple Projects to Sew & Embellish. Mindy said that the projects look really fun and the photos are amazing. The projects tend to focus on recycled materials, including old clothes. One idea is to make a soft snake or draft stopper out of layers of old sweaters. Others include using colorful patches on sweaters and making button embellishments. Fun projects also include dainty doll quilts.

For many of the projects, it does help to know how to sew with a sewing machine, but some you can do by hand sewing.

Kids can be involved in various ways such as picking out the fabrics for the embellishments. Another place where kids can help is by drawing the patterns to be used on cafe curtains. Or they can iron on a "monogram" on a baby shirt and then stitch it on with embroidery stitches.

Hand sewing is a good place for kids to start to sew. Making pet toys can also be a great way to introduce kids to projects involving fabric.

Jenny stated that every house should have a button jar. I strongly agree. I love our button jar.

I am so sad that I missed part of the interview and Camille missed most of it. I know she would have loved it. She could probably do a lot of the projects on her own, so I'm sending her over to Jenny's website at sewdarncute.com.

Robbie Schaefer in the News

The article Singer-songwriter Robbie Schaefer to visit in The News Reader is an interesting read for anyone who wants to know more about that guy in "The Real Tall Tree."

The project did so well that Schaefer was asked to be musical director with a Sirius-XM satellite radio show, "Kids Place Live."

"They had started playing one of my songs, 'There's a Carp In the Tub' on their channel and invited me in the studio for a live performance," he said. "After it was done, I was chatting with the program director, and she mentioned they were looking for someone to do a show on the kids' channel. The timing was perfect, and three weeks later I was working there. It's been a wonderful experience."

Toy Time - Claire Green

Claire Green, president og the Parents' Choice Foundation talked to Mindy today about the Toy Fair and reported to Mindy about what she saw there. Football fields full of the newest toys.

Spider Trap is the noisest toy -- I thought she was in a fire drill!

She saw another toy that seems to be able to read your mind and some night goggles.

Legos - the NEWS is great! A contest YES! (Then my web connection dropped.) New Star Wars Legos are out.

A new trend is cupcakes. I knew that. There are cupcakes stores cropping up all over.

Hot Wheels that can change color are all the rage. Zero Gravity helicopter that takes off like a helicopter and flies like an airplane (sounds like something the gbk dad would love).

The fair is loud and crazy (not a place I would like). No one under 18 is allowed in.

Book Hour - Muriel Harris Weinstein

This afternoon, Mindy interviewed Muriel Harris Weinstein author of When Louis Armstrong Taught Me Scat.

Mindy loves the story and the illustrations. Muriel said that the book was very fun to write. It is a secret, but she is 85 (shhh). She came from a family that loved to sing and dance. When Muriel went to school, they had a listening section, where they put kids that were not allowed to sing (and pulled them by their ears to put them there). The teachers thought they were improving the singing of the assembly by separating the people out. She loves to sing now, but she says she wishes she could sing the way Louis Armstrong does.

She was a teenager when she started to love Louis Armstrong's music; all his songs were romantic and made you feel like you had a special someone. He was The Jonas Brothers of her day. He played the trumpet like nobody else. She is surprised to hear that some of the bands now don't know how to play instruments (some do play guitars or drums).

Louis Armstrong allowed all the musicians to come up to the microphone. The jazz band used to play without anyone singing. He encouraged the "birdie" or girl to come up and sing. He inspired everyone to be free to sing and write as they wished. Louis Armstrong created scat - which is "nonsensical syllables" that make no sense. He did it first when he forgot the words, such as when he dropped the sheet music and didn't have time to pick up the sheets. It can be called "Doodling with your voice" or "Using your voice as an instrument."

Muriel got into writing books for kids recently, after writing text books and more. She used to teach school, where they did a lot of creative writing. She has another book coming out, a chapter book, that she is working on now.

Muriel read her book When Louis Armstrong Taught Me Scat live on Mindy's show.

13under13 Poll for 16Feb2009

Visit the KiDS Place LiVE Fans blog and vote in the poll!

What's your favorite song this week?
1. Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly
2. Billy Jonas - What Kind of Dog Are You?
3. Jenny Lewis - Barking at the Moon
4. Randy Kaplan - No Nothing
5. SteveSongs - Giant
6. Lunch Money - It Only Takes One Night To Make a Balloon
7. Brady Rymer - Road Trip
8. The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family
9. ScribbleMonster - The Song of LIFE
10. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa - I Like To Move It
11. Medeski, Martin and Wood - On An Airplane
12. Kat Vellos - 5 on 5
13. Robbert Bobbert - We Are Superheroes

Last week's results:
0% 1. Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly
0% 2. Jenny Lewis - Barking at the Moon
5% 3. Billy Jonas - What Kind of Dog Are You?
11% 4. SteveSongs - Giant
5% 5. The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family
11% 6. Randy Kaplan - No Nothing
5% 7. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa - I Like To Move It
52% 8. ScribbleMonster - The Song of LIFE
5% 9. Brady Rymer - Road Trip
0% 10. Lunch Money - It Only Takes One Night To Make a Balloon
0% 11. Robbie Schaefer - The Resolutions Song
0% 12. Medeski, Martin and Wood - On An Airplane
0% 13. Kat Vellos - 5 on 5

13under13 - 13Feb2009

Kenny hosted this week. He played a couple songs from the Grammy winners to start.

Robbie's New Year song left the countdown. Much as we love Robbie, the song had stayed on a little past its time. I'm guessing that it might re-enter the chart again in December.

Glad to see a new entry. Robbert Bobbert has not yet grown on me, but I'm going to give it a chance. Chloe says she likes it a little, but not a lot.

1. Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly (9 weeks)
2. Billy Jonas - What Kind of Dog Are You? (7 weeks)
3. Jenny Lewis - Barking at the Moon (11 weeks)
4. Randy Kaplan - No Nothing (6 weeks)
5. SteveSongs - Giant (15 weeks)
6. Lunch Money - It Only Takes One Night To Make a Balloon Your Friend (3 weeks)
7. Brady Rymer - Road Trip (5 weeks)
8. The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family (13 weeks)
9. ScribbleMonster - The Song of LIFE (18 weeks)
10. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa - I Like To Move It (14 weeks)
11. Medeski, Martin and Wood - On An Airplane (4 weeks)
12 Kat Vellos - 5 on 5 (17 weeks)
13. Robbert Bobbert - We Are Superheros (debut)

Past Freshness Date:
\Robbie Schaefer - The Resolutions Song (8 weeks)

Book Hour - Jeff Kinney

This afternoon, Mindy talked to Diary of a Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney.

The diary books are not chapter books, but hybrid comic, text books. The main character, Gregg Heffley, has a lot of flaws and imperfections and is not a great friend. Jeff Kinney felt there were too many books about mini-adults, perfect, heroic characters. Roderick, Gregg's older brother, is a popular character. Fifth grade boy is the ultimate reader.

A "ploopie" is a word that Jeff's sister used to call him It was the "baddest" word that she could come up with. When she said it to Jeff, he would freeze. He wasn't a whiny kid, but a little detached.

Gregg was born on Funbrain.com in 2004. Jeff talked about how he would hide out in the locker room to avoid swim practice. Jeff has two kids, 3 and 6, but Jeff won't let his son read the Diaries until he is older.

The third book in the series, Diary of A Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, is now available.

Notes: In Japan, the characters had to have five fingers instead of four. The books are in 30 languages, including Catalan (language spoken mainly in Spain, Andorra and France). The girls are all drawn the same, except for the hair, since Gregg doesn't get girls yet.

Twentieth Century Fox is gong to make a movie, and kids can send in their autition tapes via iamthewimpykid.com. They are looking for a kid who identifies with Gregg. Jeff has some say in who gets chosen.

Question: Do you ever dislike some of the characters?
Answer: Yes, sometimes Gregg doesn't like Gregg, the protagonist.

Question: How many more books are you going to write?
Answer: At least two, maybe four more. He think seven is just about right.

Question: Is Gregg gong to get older?
Answer: No, he's going to stay the same age.

Question: When is the fourth book coming out?
Answer: This fall. Jeff is writing it right now, and it will be about Gregg's summer vacation.

Question: What was Gregg's best adventure?
Answer: Trying to knock someone off a bicycle with a football.

Question: When did Gregg meet his best friend Rowley?
Answer: Rowley showed up on Gregg's doorstep and asked Gregg a lame knock-knock joke.

Question: Where did Gregg get his name?
Answer: Jeff's mom wanted to name a son Gregg, but never did.

Question: When is the movie coming out?
Answer: Maybe this year.

Question: How old were you when you started drawing.
Answer: He drew a turtle at age two and his mom still has it.

Question: Did your mom watch romantic movies?
Answer: Yes, she watches romantic comedies.

Question: What is you favorite book.
Answer: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. As for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the red one.

Question: Did you know you were going to be a writer?
Answer: He didn't, he wanted to be a newspaper cartoonist.

Question: Which do you like doing better "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" or "Poptropica"?
Answer: Jeff likes both equally.

Question: How did you get the ideas for the characters?
Answer: Bits and pieces of people he's known and other ideas for types.

Question: Where do you get ideas?
Answer: Remembering his childhood and stuff going on around. Keep a journal. Jeff wishes he had kept a journal.

Question: When did you start writing the books?
Answer: Eleven years ago.

Question: What is Gregg's dad's name?
Answer: Maybe it is Frank.

Jeff also designs the Poptropica.com virtual world site.

Visit the Diary of a Wimpy Kid website for more information about the books. Also, Jeff will be at the Borders in Fairfax tomorrow, Saturday, February 14 at 1 p.m.

Live on the Farm

Yes, you read that right! The KPL Fans went to the Animal Farm this morning! And Chloe says that it doesn't small bad. Chloe's other observation is that everything on the farm is "awkward".

We had such a great time hanging with Kenny! We listened as he took some calls, including one from the kid int he big truck and another from the boy whose birthday it was. We loved chatting with him and seeing him do his stuff. Unfortunately, he didn't have a change to bring any of the animals out, though he did put "Chloe the Cat" on the air, which mean that now Kenny is one of Chloe's BFFs. She's already planning to call in and be a regular visitor.

We are so thrilled that Kenny let us come visit him on the farm and see how he pushes all the buttons, spins the dials and slides the sliders, all while answering the phone and using the computer. Wow!

We hung out at XM for a little while after we left Kenny, because it gave us a chance to say hi to Chloe's other BFF, Mindy. Yeah! While we waited for Mindy, none other than Jinx came through the lobby! (We would have asked for a photo, but he was on the phone.) Mindy was so nice to take time to hang with us for a little while before she went in to get to work. As always, it was great to be with her there at XM, one of our favorite places to visit.

Book Hour - Florence Parry Heide

On today's show, Mindy interviewed Florence Parry Heide, author of The One and Only Marigold. Unfortunately, we missed the second half of the interview as we were told that the forward door had been closed and we had to turn off all electronic devices.

Ms. Heide called in from her home in WI and shared with us her big news of the week, which is that she is about to turn 90 years old! Wow! When she she was growing up, it was the time of the First World War, she didn't have tv or a telephone, and she loved to play games with her friends. She had bikes, skates and scooters.

She said that it is important to remember that whatever age you are, it is a wonderful age to be! However, she mostly remembers being a kid and that her life was full of sunshine. She wonders about today's listeners. In fifty years, what will you look back on and be amazed about? (The other day, Camille pointed out that there were no mobile phones and internet when I was a kid.) Mindy suggested one such invention that is likely to come about is that of automatic toilet paper dispensers?

Ms. Heide also said that it is important to put something out into the world (does this blog count?). Sshe said that people would ask her where her ideas came from and he would answer "I don't know.: She realized that isn't a very nice answer and started to try to learn about where her ideas came from. She described them as invisible balloons floating everywhere and she would sometimes pull them down with an invisible string.

As for her book, it is about a little girl named Marigold, and the pictures are wonderful. There are four stories in the book. And that's all we heard.

Book Hour - When Royalty Wore Ruffles

Mindy interviewed the author and the illustrated of When Royals Wore Ruffles: A Funny and Fashionable Alphabet! by Chesley Mclaren and Pamela Jaber. Mindy loves this new picture book: a funny collection of odd and peculiar facts of people and their clothing going back to the 1400's. Both Chelsey and Pamela love fashion and did lots of research to find out the funny and interesting things included in the book.

Some weird facts that they talked about: At one time there were wig snatchers because of the expensive jewels that people would fills their wigs. The wigs were so big and fancy that they wouldn't wash them, and would end up with creepy crawlies living in them. Women would make lipstick out of crush ed beetles and fish scales and crushed jewels and used crushed lead that was poisonous. People used to have animals living in the hair.

One fun fashion thing for kids to do is to create a window display of fashion ideas -- it takes imagination, paper, paint. It does help to have a theme.

Attitude is important to feel comfortable in what you are wearing. Fashion trends get started when someone has enough attitude...

Chelsey's Fashion Do's:
Do Get dressed
have fun in what you get dressed in
March out the door like you own the look.

13under13 Poll for 9Feb2009

Visit the KiDS Place LiVE Fans blog and vote in the poll!

What's your favorite song this week?
1. Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly
2. Jenny Lewis - Barking at the Moon
3. Billy Jonas - What Kind of Dog Are You?
4. SteveSongs - Giant
5. The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family
6. Randy Kaplan - No Nothing
7. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa - I Like To Move It
8. ScribbleMonster - The Song of LIFE
9. Brady Rymer - Road Trip
10. Lunch Money - It Only Takes One Night To Make a Balloon
11. Robbie Schaefer - The Resolutions Song
12. Medeski, Martin and Wood - On An Airplane
13. Kat Vellos - 5 on 5

Last week's results:
10% 1. Jenny Lewis - Barking at the Moon
5% 2. SteveSongs - Giant
0% 3. Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly
5% 4. The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family
0% 5. Billy Jonas - What Kind of Dog Are You?
0% 6. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa - I Like To Move It
25% 7. Randy Kaplan - No Nothing
0% 8. Robbie Schaefer - The Resolutions Song
35% 9. ScribbleMonster - The Song of LIFE
5% 10. Brady Rymer - Road Trip
5% 11. Kat Vellos - 5 on 5
0% 12. Medeski, Martin and Wood - On An Airplane
5% 13. Lunch Money - It Only Takes One Night To Make a Balloon

Grammie and Grampie Awards

Mindy's Grammie Oma started off the show, and she is AWESOME.

Bill Harley "Is Not, Is too"

Bill Harley "Grownups are Strange"

Bill Harley "The Ballad of Dirty Joe" (which we think of as "Stinky Ann" -- our nickname for Chloe)

Nolan(?)'s Grandma from Rayham, MA introduced TMBG

TMBG - Seven Days A Week

TMBG - Figure Eight

TMBG - Infinity

Camille and Chloe's grandma (my mom) just introduced Brady Rymer

Brady Rymer - Road Trip

Brady Rymer - One True You

Brady Rymer - The Little Band That Could

Felix and the brand new baby Camille's grandpa (from Sunnyvale -- a place close to my heart) introduced Trout Fishing in America

Trout Fishing in America - Pearl

Trout Fishing in America - Too Good To Be True

Trout Fishing in America - A Tiger And A Monkey And Me

Marjorie from Boulder, Rhett's Great-Grammie who wants to squeeze him until he squeals.. introduced Beethoven's Wig: Dance Along Symphonies

Beethoven's Wig 4 - Oh No!

Beethoven's Wig 4 - Forever We're Marching

Robbie Schaefer's Grandma - The carp story is a true story!

Seattle Symphony Orchestra - The Shoe Bird (hey, that's Jim Dale -- we LOVE him)

13under13 - 6Feb2009

Robbie hosted this week. Okay guys, boring to have no new songs enter the list. Really.

1. Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly (8 weeks)
2. Jenny Lewis - Barking at the Moon (10 weeks)
3. Billy Jonas - What Kind of Dog Are You? (6 weeks)
4. SteveSongs - Giant (14 weeks)
5. The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family (12 weeks)
6. Randy Kaplan - No Nothing (5 weeks)
7. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa - I Like To Move It (13 weeks)
8. ScribbleMonster - The Song of LIFE (17 weeks)
9. Brady Rymer - Road Trip (4 weeks)
10. Lunch Money - It Only Takes One Night To Make a Balloon Your Friend (2 weeks)
11. Robbie Schaefer - The Resolutions Song (7 weeks)
12. Medeski, Martin and Wood - On An Airplane (3 weeks)
13 Kat Vellos - 5 on 5 (16 weeks)

SteveSongs Hangs with Mindy

SteveSongs came into the KPL studio today to hang out with Mindy. Steve talked about his new song with Mindy, then Steve played it -- it's about his trip and hanging out with Mindy, but oops, he said "XMKids." can he change that to "Kids Place Live"? "Hobby Paper" rhymes with Robbie Schaefer, but it is a little weird, isn't it?

He comes up with ideas from things that pop up in everyday life. He gets ideas from kids and parents. Mindy said don't ask for "Crazy Frog", so the first kid asked SteveSongs to play "Alvin and the Chipmunks." Argh!

Steve lives in Connecticut, but he's in DC to play at Jammin' Java tomorrow and then one on Sunday in Owings Mills. Steve started writing songs when he was in college. Steve says that he doesn't know how to read music very well! Steve loved science in school.

Steve and Logan (regular caller) performed "Fast Monkey" together live on the air. Fantastic! Mindy got Steve to help press buttons; I don't think he broke anything. Steve's cat Emma has three legs, but she gets around just fine. Steve gave a shout out to Milkshake (we can't wait to see them again -- soon).

Steve got bullied around when he was in fifth grade. The bully let up on Steve when he was able to score goals in football. He was never mean back to the bully.

Chloe chatted (and chatted and chatted) with Steve and Mindy. Steve pulled his band out of his pocket. David Stackhouse (beat box), Paul "Puddles" Pampanela (electric guitar), and The Sensational Sillies, Serena (12) and Ailey (10). The band performed "Spyrtle the Turtle" live (for our Chloe - the photo is of the girls near the Sea Turtle Center in Jekyll Island) and then "Giant."

Steve has five albums, and you HAVE to get SteveSongs DVD!! He's on PBSKids too.

Mindy, Steve and the band THANKS SO MUCH! Xhloe has perked up so much. You guys rock!

Artist Sneak Attack - ScribbleJim

Mindy gave ScribbleJim a call this evening. she called it a sneak attack, but somehow, I think he knew the call was coming. He had sent her a message in a milk bottle regaring the recent "GoTarts Mystery."

The story is a long one that I can't get right here, but it has to do with a caller that offered to send Mindy Go-Tarts, never did, then realized they were no longer available. Mindy tried to call Kelloggs about it, but got brushed off (bah).

Jim discovered that he actually had three in his pantry, with a "Best if Used by" date of January 8th. He has stuck them in the mail to send to Mindy. S MIndy called him today and they chatted about these gotarts and what to do with them and how to find out why Kelloggs has stopped selling them.

Artist Interview - Roger Day

Last week, Roger Day sent Mindy a coupon for a yak. To find out more, Mindy set up an interview (not a sneak attack) with Roger for today.

Roger, his son Jacob, and their friend Jake came on the air, from Franklin, TN to talk about the Yaks for Youth. Mindy owns "part" of yak; Roger days it can be whatever part of the yak she wants it to be. Is a yakalope a really fast yak?

Jake had a booth at an alternative Christmas gifts fair, selling coupons for the Yaks for Youth program. Jake is ten and he is a yak salesman. Yaks are an endagered species. Boarding schools in Tibet (a very poor country) have difficulties provide for its students, and a yak can give them milk, fur, yak patties (to be burned for warmth). After a yak dies, they can use the skin and meat as well. They are very useful animals.

You can buy someone a yak at anytime of the year. It makes a great gift. A Yak Revolution in the making!

Both Jacob and Jake are members of the Yakalulah Chorus who sang so well -- and so loud -- and the CD. And they're both in Roger's Webelos Den!

Book Hour - Michael Ian Black

On today's show, Mindy interviewed Michael Ian Black, author of Chicken Cheeks. He is an author, comedian, actor, father, son, uncle, grocery shopper. Michael doing the interview from NYC. This is the first book for kids that he has written, and he has two more coming out. One is about a purple kangaroo and a mind reading monkey. The other is "A Pig Parade is a Terrible Idea," being published by Simon-Schuster.

The book is about animal tushies!?! His kids don't get credit for helping, then they don't get royalties. The book is supposed to be very funny, not a veterinary book. Some of the phrases are "Deer Rear", "Moose caboose", "Duck-billed platypus gluteus maximus.

The illustrations are great. There is a story to the book, all the animals are standing on top of each other.

Michael was a wild and loud little boy. He rode down the stairs in a laundry basket. His kids are their own best people.

Book Hour - Annie Barrows

Mindy interviewed Annie Barrows, author of the Ivy and Bean books. There are five books in the Ivy and Bean series.

Ivy and Bean did not like each other one bit. Ivy likes to sit quietly and read books. Bean likes to run around and play in the dirt. They live across from the street from each other and eventually became the best of friends, even though they are total opposites. Sometimes kids can find ways to like each other that their moms and dads don't know.

The names Ivy and Bean came to her before she came up with anything else about them. Annie has two girls that believe themselves to be like Ivy and Bean. Annie got inspiration from her kids, her own childhood and from watching kids at the playground. Annie thinks that she was like both Ivy and Bean when she was younger.

With each book, Annie gets to know Ivy and Bean better. Annie read an excerpt from the latest book, Bound to Be Bad. The next book, Ivy and Bean: Doomed to Dance, is due out in the fall. She has written some grownup books as well, after her 25 year break from writing.

Her website www.anniebarrows.com has lots of information, crafts and more ...

13under13 Poll for 2Feb2009

Visit the KiDS Place LiVE Fans blog and vote in the poll!

What's your favorite song this week?
1. Jenny Lewis - Barking at the Moon
2. SteveSongs - Giant
3. Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly
4. The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family
5. Billy Jonas - What Kind of Dog Are You?
6. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa - I Like To Move It
7. Randy Kaplan - No Nothing
8. Robbie Schaefer - The Resolutions Song
9. ScribbleMonster - The Song of LIFE
10. Brady Rymer - Road Trip
11. Kat Vellos - 5 on 5
12. Medeski, Martin and Wood - On An Airplane
13. Lunch Money - Dizzy

Last week's results:
0% 1. SteveSongs - Giant
6% 2. Jenny Lewis - Barking at the Moon
3% 3. The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family
9% 4. Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly
9% 5. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa - I Like To Move It
0% 6. Robbie Schaefer - The Resolutions Song
3% 7. Billy Jonas - What Kind of Dog Are You?
35% 8. ScribbleMonster - The Song of LIFE
12% 9. Randy Kaplan - No Nothing
6% 10. Kat Vellos - 5 on 5
9% 11. Brady Rymer - Road Trip
3% 12. The Sippy Cups - Ladybug Beat
0% 13. Medeski, Martin and Wood - On An Airplane

Tree House Jam - Ellis Paul

This weekend, Ellis Paul joined Robbie in The Real Tall Tree, where they chatted and jammed. We loved listening to their banter and enjoyed the music that they shared with us! Funnily enough, just after the show, we headed out to go to a kids' concert, and look what greeted us when we walked in the door -- adjacent concert posters for Ellis Paul and Robbie Schaefer!

These Tree House Jams shows are great fun!