Press and other buzz about
“We’re Not Kiddin’ Around”
“With Kids’ Books as Inspiration, Frank Migliorelli Produces First Album for Children “
Learn how to draw that funny little monkey from the book “Monkey Lost” with author/illustrator Ed Heck. All you need is a pencil or crayon, a piece of paper, and a little practice.
About Ed Heck:
Fresh. Bold. Engaging. These words often come to mind upon viewing the artwork of Pop Artist Ed Heck. One is immediately disarmed by the naive charm of these brightly colored works on paper and canvas.
Ed Heck’s enigmatic canvases were first exhibited in New York City in 1999 and were an instant hit. The viewer response was overwhelming. Reactions ranged from surprised appreciation to pure delight.
Ed Heck’s artwork appeals to a varied audience, from fine art newcomers to serious collectors. His eclectic style combines animation-like subject matter with an evocative use of color. Coupling a wry sense of humor with generous doses of irony, his images lead us into a place uniquely Heck, filled with weird and wonderful characters, odd landscapes and quirky visual point of view, quite unlike anything else we’ve seen before.
Ed’s written and illustrated a number of other children’s titles - you can find them online or at your local library.
follow ed on Instagram - you won’t be disappointed!
About Monkey Lost
I stumbled upon this book one afternoon at “books of Wonder” on 18th st. in NYC and was immediately struck at how this book captures the way kids love to tell and embellish stories. In addition, the illustrations were just so much fun, how could you not have a song for such a great children’s book.??? A great book to read out loud to a bunch of kids at once, or one on one- encourage the listener to come up with their own ideas on where that mischievious monkey could be. Ask questions like “where else do you think that monkey could go?” “If you were a monkey, where would you want go? “
Now that you know how to draw a monkey, create your own illustrations for new pages in the book!
More Activities:
——Monkey Hide and Seek
Take a favorite stuffed animal (it doesn’t have to be a monkey!) and have your child hide their eyes and count to 20. Hide the stuffed animal around the house somewhere and put on the song “My Monkey Got Lost”- See if you can find the stuffed animal before the song ends!
—Make a monkey sock puppet doll-
check out this project on “instructables.com”
‘Frank Migliorelli and The Dirt Nappers Bring Americana To Kids With ‘We’re Not Kidding Around-Frank Migliorelli and The Dirt Nappers found inspiration for their new project in bright colors, and fantastical worlds…all captured in the pages of well-worn library favorites.’
“Wholesome, authentic Americana/rock that doesn’t pander
or rely on cliche, no; nothing but quality, classic stories, and quality, classic music.
It’s one part nostalgia, one part pure technical musical skill,
and one part entertainment – for kids ages 1 to 101-“
“I have no frame of parental reference or instincts myself – all I can imagine is that this has gotta be miles better than listening to another round of The Wiggles, isn’t it? “My Monkey Got Lost,” but the soul has been found in this song right here…there’s no doubt a track like this would be a hit with the kids – the pace, the dynamics, the undeniable groove – this is what it sounds like when you meet’em all halfway y’all…as in, yes it’s for kids – but tell me they’re not having some serious fun jamming this out too! You know they are. It’s kind of like something like “Mr. Cab Driver” by Lenny Kravitz, or something with the flash & flair of Morris Day & The Time…but for kids, you know what I mean?” Sleeping Bag Studios