So there’s this book. And so there’s this soundtrack
to that book. Both are brilliant fun. And funny. And bizarre. But in a funny way.
Otis Dooda, written by Ellen Potter and illustrated by David Heatley (who also is the musical talent behind the album), has been enchanting my girls for months now. It’s basically got the sensibility of a comic/graphic novel with the love of LEGOs and the heart of a loner looking for his place in the crazy, and I mean crazy, new world he’s moved into. The Bear read its 240 pages straight through in about an hour, laughing her ass off throughout. Then she read it again later that same evening. And listened to me read it to the Mouse over the course of the next couple nights. They’ve both gone through it several times since, rereading favorite bits and sections and giggling at the art.
And the music. Oh. My. God. What Heatley does with the original text is beyond terrific, and you’ve got a couple ways to discover this for yourself.
- Today at 4pm ET he and his band will perform the songs of Otis Dooda live on the satellite airways of XM Kids Place Live (Channel 78) during the Absolutely Mindy Show. Don’t have SiriusXM? Don’t fret. Grab an internet listening 30-day trail for free. No obligation to do so. I do it often with different email addresses. Shhhh. Don’t tell ’em.
- Dig in to our favorite Otis Dooda track on the August episode of the OWTK Podcast.
March 11, 2014 can’t come soon enough. That’s when book #2 will be released. Hopefully there’ll be another album to go with it. Fingers crossed tightly.
*A copy of the Otis Dooda book and CD were provided to OWTK for review consideration. All opinions expressed above are honest and unbiased, as always.