What Is Punk?

by Eric Morse, Anny Yi (Illustrator)

Overview

One of The Globe and Mail 's Best Books of 2015

"A punk primer for the youngest set....Yi's incredibly detailed clay figures are a kinetic and inspired art choice. Their crazy creativity matches the expressive spirit of punk....As [Morse] points out, the best way to learn about punk it just to listen....If invested adults love the topic, a shared reading experience can't be beat."
— Kirkus Reviews

"Clay artist Yi molds...fantastically detailed Plasticine figures to create scenes of the birth of punk. Using a benign craft-project material for the skinny bodies and ragged clothing of Joey Ramone, Sid Vicious, and their rowdy, fist-waving audiences is very much in the spirit of punk (Plasticine is especially good for mohawks), and readers will spend long stretches inspecting her painstakingly modeled guitars, amplifiers, and safety pins."
— Publishers Weekly

"Why It's Wild: A history of punk music for kids illustrated in Gumby-esque claymation (minus the –mation)."
— School Library Journal , 100 Scope Notes's "Wildest Children's Books of 2015"

" What is Punk? is fun, sophisticated and beautifully illustrated introduction to the music genre for kids—or adults."
— New York Daily News

"Reading What is Punk? to [my kids] made me feel as if I was passing on something truly significant. Morse and Yi have created a comprehensive and articulate...documentary about the roots of punk rock."
— The Globe and Mail

"An essential way to pass down to your son or daughter the lesson that pop culture can be political."
— The Globe and Mail , 100 Best Books of 2015

"A cool book of punk history for kids by Eric Morse, with great clay illustrations by Anny Yi."
— Slate , Mom and Dad Are Fighting podcast

"Eric Morse's book What Is Punk? explains the envelope-pushing genre to the younger set, and perhaps some adults, as well."
— St. Louis Public Radio

"Think Wallace and Grommet with liberty spikes and anarchy patches...While [Anny Yi's] images of Johnny Rotten and Henry Rollins are cute, they're presented as live action dioramas that are adorable, accurate and engaging."
— San Diego City Beat

"While What Is Punk? is undeniably a children’s book, it can serve as a history lesson for potential fans of any age.... What Is Punk? exposes the reader to the rebellious sub-culture in a friendly, educative manner."
— Alternative Press

"A fun little book intended to serve as (rhyming) curriculum for little punks learning their Punk History 101....Sid, Glenn, and Milo meet Wallace and Gromit."
— Razorcake

"Pairing Yi's Wallace & Gromit-style clay pictorials with Morse's rhyming ride through the history of punk music across the globe, the children’s book is ready to raise the next generation of riot grrrls....You're going to want to give What Is Punk? as a gift at every baby shower this year. Just don't be surprised if your niece ends up bleaching her hair blonde and tearing up her leather jacket at age 6."
— Bustle

"Written by Trampoline House founder Eric Morse in classically Suessical iambic, the book is lusciously illustrated with photographs of Play-Doh recreations of all mommy's and daddy's favorite punk heroes: the Ramones, Iggy and the Stooges—and Debbie Harry, David Byrne, David Johansen, Tom Verlaine, and Lou Reed all standing in front of CBGBs."
— Bedford & Bowery

What Is Punk? is a must-read pop-culture primer for children—an introduction to the punk revolution, recreated in vivid 3-D clay illustrations and told through rhyming couplets.

From London's Clash and Sex Pistols to the Ramones' NYC protopunk, from Iggy Pop to the Misfits, this volume depicts some of our culture's seminal moments and iconic characters. A delightful read for kids and parents alike, illustrated in a truly unique visual style, What Is Punk? lays the groundwork for the next generation of little punks.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781617753923
Publisher:	Akashic Books
Publication date:	10/06/2015
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Eric Morse was the founding editor of Trampoline House magazine, named Best New Online Magazine by SXSW. As an entrepreneur and as director of direct-to-consumer business at Warner Music Group, Morse has devoted himself to spreading the gospel of great music to young ears. He lives within a stone's throw of New York City with his wife and four children. He is the author of What Is Punk?.

Anny Yi is an artist from Los Angeles, California. Working with clay as her medium, she merges all of her passions into short stop-motion films and figure models. She is the illustrator of What Is Punk?.

Editorial Reviews

08/10/2015
Clay artist Yi molds lumpy, fantastically detailed Plasticine figures to create scenes of the birth of punk. Using a benign craft-project material for the skinny bodies and ragged clothing of Joey Ramone, Sid Vicious, and their rowdy, fist-waving audiences is very much in the spirit of punk (Plasticine is especially good for mohawks), and readers will spend long stretches inspecting her painstakingly modeled guitars, amplifiers, and safety pins. Music industry veteran Morse’s too-cute verse, sadly, lacks the substance and wit that such a project deserves. Moving from New York City and Detroit to London and the California coast, the text consists largely of lists of punk bands studded with occasional trivia (“Iggy Pop and the Stooges/ were known for outrageous stunts./ If you ask, anyone will tell you:/ Iggy never wore a shirt, not once!”), too often marred by awkward rhythms and phrasings (“The Descendants and the Dickies, Circle Jerks, Germs, and Weirdos,/ were all punks who had fun and kept fans on their toes”). In all, it’s not quite enough to give a real sense of the power of punk. Ages 3–7. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"With its clay illustrations and rhyming couplets, What Is Punk? introduces kids to the likes of The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Ramones and punk idols like Siouxsie Sioux. The book exposes the little ones to punk's rebellious side in a G-rated way, while also making note of the sub-culture's desire for equality and inclusiveness."
— MusicFeeds

"Wonderful....In addition to marvelous clay figures of seminal figures like the Sex Pistols and the Ramones...Yi also created tableaux of the Clash, the facade of CBGB, and most wonderfully, Iggy Pop's famous 1970 crowd-surfing stunt."
— Dangerous Minds

"Eric Morse's book, with illustrations by Anny Yi, is written in rhyme with photos of colorful clay characters and settings to recreate the history of the deafening roar/that awakened the people/like never before ."
— Outlook Magazine

" What Is Punk? is a primer for punks with kids. Its best function is to keep you, as the parent, from getting bored out of your skull with all the pink ponies you get to read about over and over. It was made for me....I love this book."
— Psycho Moto Zine

"Every once in a while, a children's book comes along that will entertain parents (or grandparents) even more than it will kids. What Is Punk? is precisely that sort of book....Morse writes fluid verse that sounds something like Dr. Seuss, although the subject matter is dramatically different. Instead of green eggs and ham, Morse writes about the punk movement...Accompanying the text are Yi's striking illustrations . . . [ What Is Punk? is] informative and sweet."
— The Oklahoman

"Are you sick of flipping through candy-coloured picture books full of frolicking, anthropomorphic animals with your young ones? Want them to learn something about your own youthful obsessions? Well this book is a great introduction to punk as written for kids."
— Sydney Morning Herald

"A creative claymation-influenced illustrated condensed history of punk rock for kids....This highly imaginative narrative verse condensation of Punk history is ideally illustrated with detailed clay figures and objects that define state of the art punk in a truly unique and fun, zany way. Just like Punk."
— Midwest Book Review

"For those not in the know, the book is just as educational (and entertaining) for adults, too.... What Is Punk? just might be the coolest bedtime story ever written."
— Palette

"[A] lively, clay figure-illustrated primer on all things punk. With a bouncy cadence perfect for reading aloud, What is Punk? delves into the history of punk from the early days of CBGB, the Clash and the Velvet Underground to later acts like Henry Rollins and Sleater-Kinney. The art direction on this one is stellar, with the clay figures inhabiting dimly lit clubs, hanging out in record shops or even perfectly mimicking Joey Ramone's unmistakable posture."
— Pacific Northwest Inlander

" What Is Punk? belongs on the bookshelves of music-loving parents, because Morse's creative, charming narrative and Yi’s unforgettable clay scenes bring to life the genesis of a music that's all about freedom and energy, and they do so in an amusing way that has my kid excited to travel down the many rabbit holes of punk history."
— Westword Denver

"This is the single best primer for anybody who is interested in the music or history of the punk rock movement...The art work of this book is simply phenomenal! Claymation figures of punk icons are uncannily realistic. The text is fun, witty, and spirited...This one is an absolute WINNER!"
— Saline Library

"This book surveys the early history of punk rock in delightful rhyme."
— ParentMap

" What is Punk? is a non-fiction children's book that uses a 1-2 punch of rhyme and insanely detailed, colorful clay art to bring the history of punk music and culture alive....Anny Yi's captivating clay illustrations stir the reader to want to get closer to the visceral punk scene and experience the deafening roar/that inspired the people/like never before . Kids will be able to sit alone or with a reading partner and marvel at the handcrafted figures, fashion, album covers, posters, punk 'zines and backgrounds. They will want to reach out and touch the studded spikes on a leather jacket, run their hands over an album cover, try on Lou Reed's sunglasses, and snatch the mic from Henry Rollins' hand. Who knew punk looked so good in colored clay?"
— Punky Moms

"This book is great! I love looking at the perfectly detailed clay animated photos. What a great way to teach my child about the energy and hard-edged spirit of punk music!"
— All Beautiful Mommies

"Just because you have kids doesn't mean you have to play them kids' music. The book What Is Punk? serves as a primer for parents of toddlers and preschoolers who might need some convincing.... What Is Punk? has great art by Anny Yi that make some of the angriest and most antisocial bands in punk history perfectly adorable."
— The Daddy Complex

"Both my husband and son love What Is Punk? , and share raucous laughter and snippets of songs as they read through together. Not only is What Is Punk? a fun take on pop culture, it’s an accurate rendering of Punk rock and its key players (all modeled from clay)."
— Lo-Wren

"This captivating and informative little book will teach little readers all about the rise of Punk music and introduce them to some of the most famous and important Punk bands....Charming, smart, and a lot of fun, What Is Punk? is the perfect read for the music lovers in your life!"
— Word Spelunking

"This is an incredibly cute book telling of punk rock's history in rhyme with claymation type illustrations....Read it to your child and, maybe, play the music! Teach 'em young."
— Iced Tea Diaries

From the Publisher

2015-07-15
A punk primer for the youngest set. There is no doubt that kids can make a deafening roar. But do they care about the energy and hard-edged spirit of punk music? Morse, in attempt to capture that unique history, tells the story of punk within the confines of rhyming couplets. The rhymes give the text an appreciated momentum, but the cramped (and sometimes-stilted) cadence seems an odd choice for such an aggressive movement. Morse says himself of punk beginnings: "With their eyes open wide / they shouted in fear, / 'What new sound is this?' / and covered their ears." Regardless, Morse does include an impressive list of bands: the Ramones, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, and across the pond to the Clash, and, yes, even the Sex Pistols (the ladies of punk are represented as well—we'll disregard the stereotypical pink backdrop). Yi's incredibly detailed clay figures are a kinetic and inspired art choice. Their crazy creativity matches the expressive spirit of punk. Morse doesn't necessarily answer the title question, instead offering a simple string of bands, but as he points out, the best way to learn about punk is just to listen. The target audience may be a bit perplexed, but if invested adults love the topic, a shared reading experience can't be beat. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews