Rock ‘N’ Roll Baby + Interview with author David McMullin!

Hello Picture Book Builders!

I don’t often share board books, but this one was just too adorable to pass up! Here’s my review:

This genius little board book is perfect for any music lover and their little one. Using the structure of the song “Rock-a-bye baby,” McMullin introduces babies and their caregivers to a variety of music-makers – from Headbanger Baby, to Latin-Beat Baby, to Indie Punk Baby. The text is absolutely hilarious – I dare you not to laugh while reading the lines: “Country Rock Baby, burstin’ with twang./Gotta look great when doin’ your thang.” I mean LOL, amiright? The illustrations by Allison Black are colorful and spunky and just plain FUN! (I mean, Country Rock Baby is donning pink rhinestone boots!) This book makes a perfect baby shower or new baby gift. Adorbs!

And aren’t we lucky that the author of all this adorableness, David McMullin, is here to share a bit of the making of this one! Welcome, David!

DM: Thanks for having me, Rebecca!

RGL: Happy to have you! So… back in the day, I was lucky enough to see an early draft of this story. I KNEW just after reading the first stanza that book was going to sell. The concept is just SO brilliant. I think you told me you got an offer in like 45 minutes, is that right? I’ve heard that board books can be a hard sell, but clearly that wasn’t the case here. Can you share a bit about the acquisition story for this book?

DM: It wasn’t as quick and easy as I may have lead you to believe. There was a version of the book that you hadn’t seen. It was a bedtime book with only four stanzas. That manuscript went through a round of submissions and although it had a couple of close calls, it didn’t sell. Two years later my agent and I thought it deserved a second chance. This time we got a response in 45 minutes.

Now, It’s funny you should mention board books being a tough sell. I originally conceived of Rock ’n’ Roll Baby as a picture book, but the first round editors were seeing it as a board book. My revisions for the second round where with the goal of making it read as a picture book. I expanded the text to twelve stanzas, brought in the theme of different music genres, and added the arc of moving through a baby’s day. Picture book perfect! So I thought. When my current editor made an offer for a board book, I decided to stop resisting and let the book be what it was destined to be.

RGL: I love that you throw in a lot of humor in the text to keep the parents entertained (I seriously did a spit-take when I read that Country Rock Baby line about her doin’ her “thang.”) How much fun did you have writing this book? Given that the text is short, I also wonder if you had to kill any darlings?

DM: This book was a blast. I don’t always write picture books in rhyme, but I love it. I need to do it more often! Because I expanded the text so much, this is probably the only opportunity I have ever had to add new darlings without losing any of the original ones. I did just take a peek at my first draft and other than a few minor changes, it’s all the same.

RGL: What challenges did you bump up against in the making of this book?

DM: The funnest part of creating this book was also the challenge. I had to learning the culture and vocabulary of each musical form. I wanted each verse to feel authentic. It was almost as if I were researching for a non-fiction book.

RGL: The illustrations by Allison Black are so fun, funky and fabulous! How much input did you have into the illustrations? Did you have a lot of illustration notes? 

DM: Allison’s art is perfect. I love the colors, the adorable characters, and the way she turned household objects into musical items. This book did have some art notes. The arc I wanted the book to follow what the journey through a baby’s day. I made notes on what activity was occurring in each verse. For example, I intended for the punk rock concert to be a tantrum, and for the paparazzi to be visiting grandparents.

RGL: AH! I don’t think I realized that! Now I love this book even more! And now, my favorite question to ask my guests: What is one question no one has yet to ask you about the making of this book that you would love to answer? (And what’s the answer?!)

DM: You have not yet asked me if my book is singable, and the answer is why yes! The inspiration for the book is the lullaby, Rock-a-bye Baby. I used the original song as a template, so the book can be sung to that original melody. Give it a try. Hearing the headbanger or punk verse as a gentle lullaby is hilarious!

RGL: Oh, I’m definitely going to try that! Thanks so much for stopping by, David!

Readers, there’s no giveaway this month, BUT the winner of last month’s giveaway — a copy of Mel Rosenberg’s EMILY SAW A DOOR or a 30-min Zoom AMA — is….

***Robin Brett Wechsler!!!***

Congrats, Robin! Please email me at RebeccaWrites4Kids@gmail.com to claim your prize!

David’s Bio:

David McMullin is a children’s book writer, illustrator, and poet. His books include FREE TO BE FABULOUS! (HarperCollins), ROCK ’N’ ROLL BABY (Penguin/Random House) and a soon to be announced early reader series. His poems are featured in several magazines and anthologies alongside such authors as Jane Yolen. Honors include an SCBWI Ann Whitford Paul Award, a Writing with the Stars mentorship, an Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest award, and he was the 2021 Madness Poetry champion. He has been a Picture Book Rising Stars Mentor and will be a mentor for this years Nevada SCBWI mentorship program. David is a world traveler, bird nerd, and YouTuber. In past careers he was a Broadway actor, an educator, and a children’s librarian.