Some babies love to dance, others love to sing, but these babies were born to ROCK!

David McMullen has visited my blog before. He is a full time traveler and picture book author of Free to Be Fabulous. His poems have been featured in Cricket Media, and in many anthologies alongside such authors as Jane Yolen. He received the honorable mention for the SCBWI Ann Paul Whitford Award, is a recent Madness Poetry champion, and won a Writing with the Stars mentorship with Marcie Colleen. David has previously been a youth librarian, Broadway actor, and educator. David is a proud representative of LGBTQ+ creators as a member of the Nevada SCBWI Equity and Inclusion team. You can learn more about him at his website or follow him on Instagram or BlueSky.

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, BABY! is a board book. It incorporates a variety of babies rocking out to a variety of genres with a rollicking rhyme that’s sure to grab young readers’ attention.

Welcome back David!

Me: I love the variety of music styles you managed to incorporate into this board book! What gave you the idea for rock and roll babies?

David: I wrote the first version of this book ten years ago when fractured fairytales were all the rage. While exploring titles to play with, I discovered that the nursery rhyme Rock-a-bye Baby hadn’t really been touched yet. With the obvious play on words, a rock ’n’ roll parody seemed like a no-brainer.

Me: Ha! I love that. Allison Black’s illustrations are perfect! They’re so boisterous and alive, I can almost hear the music. And I love the variety of things the parents are doing in each picture (one is even a “manager on the phone”). Was that her idea or your’s? As your text is so simple, did you have any art notes for her or did you leave all the illustration side of things up to her?

David: I was happy to sit back and let Allison work her magic. I was given the opportunity to share my opinion of the first sketches, but basically my notes were … I love the colors, I love the characters, I love how the baby’s everyday objects are used as musical items.

Me: Were there any illustration surprises for you? Any favorites?

David: I particularly love the Indie Punk Baby and how her tantrum is turned into a rock show.

Me: Ha! Yes! Your first published story wasn’t written in rhyme, but this one has a rollicking rhyme scheme. What made you decide to go that route? Was it always there from the first draft or did it come about through revisions? How hard was it to nail this amazing scansion?

David: I find I write equally in both prose and rhyme. It all depends on which form I think will tell the story best. Rock ‘n’ Roll Baby was always in rhyme since it was based on a nursery rhyme. The rhythms of the stanzas where actually quite easy since I just followed the original poem’s patterns.

Me: You went from publishing a picture book to a board book! Did you find it more of a challenge to write for this shorter format? Did you find differences in the genre more challenging or more rewarding?

David: It’s funny you should ask. From the beginning I intended this to be a picture book. With its original four stanza form, my agent said it felt like a board book. So … I expanded the poem to twelve stanzas, added the arc of the daily routine, and added the various musical styles. Now, I thought, it was ready to be a picture book! Our first offer was from my editor who said, “… but I want to make it into a board book.” I guess the book found the form it was destined to take.

Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this story?

David: When I decided to add the element of multiple musical genres, that’s when the real fun began. Each form of music has its own culture and vocabulary. Punk, and country, and R&B, and Latin, and hip-hop are all unique in many ways. I wanted each stanza to feel authentic to its form.

Me: What is your favorite genre of music? Were you able to portray it in the book here?

David: I must admit that I am not someone who listens to a lot of rock music, so no. My favorite kind of music is a good old fashioned show tune. I grew up on Sondheim, and Rodgers and Hammerstein. In fact my first career was as a singer on Broadway. To get specific, my favorite musical is The Fantasticks—simple, lovely, quirky. And my favorite show tune is an oldie but a goodie, Someone to Watch Over Me by George and Ira Gershwin.

Ohh! I love show tunes. I guess that wouldn’t be “rock and roll” would it? Bummer. I would’ve loved to see a showtune baby in the mix. Maybe that can be the sequel? Thank you for stopping by my blog again today David.

Dear readers, this book publishes next week. If you’re looking for a baby gift for a music lover, this would be the perfect board book! It’s a fun bedtime story, as well as even a sing along with that rhyme scheme. Trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss it!