The Business of Writing

Somehow it turns out that I need to get new business cards made every year. I’m never exactly sure why since I haven’ t moved in a long time, but invariably my website or my blog site or my phone number or something needs to be changed so I’m at it again.

This time, I’ve decided to put both of the major characters I write for on one card. Over the years, I have written for cats, dogs, monkeys, bears and Disney Princesses, but the two characters nearest and dearest to my heart are The Cat in the Hat and The I Believe Bunny so here they are, together for the first time. I can’t wait to see who ends up on my new cards next year!

Mystic Book Signing

Last week I signed some of my children’s books in Mystic Connecticut at a one-of-a-kind book store called Bank Square Books. I often wander into book stores to take a look at their children’s section and I remember the first day I walked into this welcoming store. The books were beautifully arranged and you truly could see everything. There was a fantastic variety of titles to choose from and I especially noticed the local authors that were featured and, as I was getting ready to move to the neighborhood, this was very good news. Leon (pictured with me here) is the children’s book buyer and I was immediately impressed by the number of children’s titles he had and it was fun to watch the kids as they took time deciding which book to buy. This store almost makes you wish for a rainy day when all there is to do is curl up with a good book. The sign in the store window says “Eat, Sleep, Read,” so to thank Leon and everyone at Bank Square Books I offer this:

At Bank Square books
You see “Eat, Sleep, Read”
With a book from this store
That is all that you need.
Thanks Leon!

Suddenly I Was Singing

I didn’t always sing during my classroom visits. One day about a year ago, I arrived at a school and the air conditioning had malfunctioned and it was incredibly hot in the classroom which was filled with three classes of kids and teachers. I started my usual presentation, but soon realized it was going to take something special to keep the kids listening in the sweltering heat. I have a performance background going back to my high school days when I was onstage in many school musicals so suddenly, out of nowhere, instead of talking to the kids I suddenly found myself singing. The look on their faces was priceless. They looked at each other as if to say, “Is she um… actually…SINGING?” I immediately got their attention and soon they were singing with me. I love surprising the kids because sometimes, actually often, I surprise myself.

Writing Songs All Year Long.

I love writing children’s songs and working with different composers to make the words "sing." When I write for Disney or Sesame Street, as I often do, it's important to remember I am writing for characters kids love and every one is different. Elmo for instance loves animals and refers to himself in the third person: "Elmo is happy," so I need to write for him in that style. Winnie the Pooh has lots of friends in the Hundred Acre Wood and The I Believe Bunny lives in the beautiful, flower-filled glen. For all of these characters, the creative challenge is to write songs that reflect their worlds and capture the joy and fun which is what kids love about them. Throw in some educational content, a catchy beat and a sing-along melody, and you have a hit!

Love that Fan Mail!

I love getting fan mail. Often after a visit to a school, I get a big packet of letters from the students and teachers. One little girl drew a picture of me that looked just like me! Another boy wrote,
"Please come back again and visit us soon. We're here in school till the middle of June." Another one wrote, "I loved your singing. You sound just like my mom." A lot of the kids add drawings and one little boy drew a picture of The I Believe Bunny perfectly! I'm going to try and remember to encourage the kids to write me at the end of my presentations so I can grow my collection of favorite letters. They're priceless.

Turning a Poem into a Book

When I first created The I Believe Bunny I was excited by the fact that as an author as soon as you've created a character and the world he lives in, the possibility for stories is truly endless. Last Christmas I wrote a Christmas poem for The I Believe Bunny and sent it out to fans and family. At Easter time, I sent out another poem, both illustrated by the amazing Frank Endersby. What I soon learned was that both poems can easily be expanded into full books by giving more detail and "setting the stage" for what happens in each story. I'm planning on creating two new books from these poems with more to come. So far we have The I Believe Bunny and his friends Skunk, Little Mouse, Squirrel and Racoon. Now, I'm looking forward to working with Frank to create Bunny's Mommy and Daddy Bunny, just as soon as we can.

Oklahoma Friendliness

A few months ago I had the honor of visiting a large school in Sperry, Oklahoma and it was a wonderful experience. I'd never been to Oklahoma and was amazed as we drove through the flat farm lands and then suddenly- there was a school! I was touched by the lovely hand made banner they made to welcome me and presented The I Believe Bunny to hundreds of students in grades K-5. The kids sat in bleachers in the gym that reached to the ceiling and at first I wondered how I could reach so many kids at one time, but they were an amazing audience. When I left they gave me a school T shirt, a wonderful thank-you note and this picture and I will cherish it always.

Sometimes Old School is the Best School

Last week I went to read my I Believe Bunny books to the students at the Rogers International School in Stamford, Connecticut. As always, I came prepared with my power point presentation about how I came to create the Bunny and his friends and the Flower Filled Glen which is their home. When I arrived it soon became clear the school had a microphone, but no computer, so my slick power point was not going to work. This has happened before and I went back to the "old school" way of walking around the auditorium asking the kids questions, singing with them and telling them the story of how I became a children's book author. Though at first I was a bit rattled by not having the power point to guide me, I honestly had so much fun interacting with the kids and was amazed by the level of questions they asked me so-power point or no power point-I truly love it. Here I am with Jack and Maddie, two of the I Believe Bunny's biggest fans. You may recognize them because they sing the "I Believe Bunny Song" on our web site www.ibelievebunny.com. Check it out!

From Children's Songs to Rap

I have been doing school presentations for years, but my children were in college by the time I started, so neither of them has ever seen me in a classroom. That was changed last week when my son Johnny, who is 21 and a junior at Ithaca College School of Music (where I went!) came to see me present my books at a third grade classroom in White Plains, N.Y. It was fun to get his insights into what I do and, because he is a music education major and spends a lot of time with kids, I was able to get his input on things that went well and which could have gone better. I sing a song with the younger kids in grades K-2 and he had an idea for a rap song for the older grades. We wrote it together so here for the first time is the Reading and Writing Rap!

The Reading and Writing Rap by Johnny and Tish Rabe

When you get an idea don't try and reject it
You can write a story when you least expect it
Write down your ideas there's no right or wrong
You can write a story, a book or a song
Keep reading and writing and when you do
You'll find out you're a writer too

From Then 'Til Now: Reaching the 90th Book

Today I turned in the manuscript for my 90th children's book and I'm really looking forward to hitting the 100 mark! Last month I was in Tennessee talking to a group of kids in my power point presentation I show a picture of me in high school (yes that's me!) and tell the kids that when I got out of high school I had no idea I would become a children's book author- I actually wanted to become a singer. I went to college in the 70's and back then people didn't seem to worry too much about how anyone was going to get a job when they got out. My parents never really seemed concerned about how my degree in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College School of Music would exactly lead to a position with a salary and benefits. But somehow things did work out, and recently I've started singing to the kids and teachers who seem to get a kick out of it. I also recently discovered that Sesame Street has put a lot of their segments on YouTube so I typed in "Swamp Mushy Muddy" and there I was performing as the singing voice for a back-up muppet in a song by Oscar the Grouch. Not exactly the way I thought I'd break into show business when I got out of college, but you've got to start somewhere. Check it out below!