ROCK STARS DON'T NAP by Jason Perkins

A Chat about the PBJamz that was "meant to be"

If you're a rock and roll fan -- or if you have a little rockin' fan in your house or your classroom, this is the book for you! Join Jason and I as we talk inspiration, process, path to publication, and of course rock and roll! Jason is a teacher and a dad, so he has a unique perspective that he brings to the table. It's a great conversation -- pull up a chair and join us!

ROCK STARS DON'T NAP by Jason Perkins

What a cute book that takes naptime on a rockin' road trip tour!  Be a napping groupie for a meant-to-be PBJamz!  The perfect book for your budding rockstar, your non-napping little, your performer-in-training . . . the humorous word play and adult Easter eggs (rock'n'roll style) make this fun tome a perfect read for the whole family.  Besides the PBJamz mention, the playlist at the back is one of my favorite parts!  ;-)

A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)
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Nothing like an oldie, but goodie. Everyone loves this old favorite that is mentioned right in the book.  This is a live performance by Bill Haley and His Comets from 1954. If you want to enjoy some additional musical Easter eggs from the book, check out the two playlists in the links section below. One has lots of music for teachers and families to use in conjunction with the book, and the other is a straight playlist of Jimmy's Jams. (Please be aware that Jimmy's Jams are the actual rock'n'roll songs, and not edited for language or content, so make sure that you preview songs to make sure they meet YOUR standards before sharing them with littles.)

Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics
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ELA (English/Language arts) (**You can tell from the vocabulary  and the puns/word play used in this book that, while the character is VERY young, the vocabulary and the content will also appeal to older kids, and the comprehension involves deciphering multi-meaning words, so this books is excellent for primary/elementary for the content, while younger children will enjoy the read-alouds and will probably enjoy some of the humor.)

• Puns/word play!  They are dominant in this book.  There are many ways you could integrate this into your classroom.
  • Search for the examples; make a list
  • Write a paragraph about what the pun really means. (ie. When the author says Jimmy dropped a number two hit that left everyone gasping, what he really means is that Jimmy did a number two bathroom accident. He pooped.  It must have been a bad one based on the art on that page.  The yucky green color tells you it was terrible and the expressions on the other shoppers' faces verify that.) This is great for using text evidence, too.
  • Use a different topic (or the same one. . .) and try to create your own list of puns/word play.
• Use the writing prompts below for writing connections.
• Talk about how the illustrations support and enhance the text.
• Lots of rockin' vocabulary: 
  • star
  • righteous wail
  • reviews
  • rock
  • heavy metal
  • jam
  • grunge
  • rock opera
  • fan
  • show
  • on the road
  • solos
  • encores
  • ballads
  • superstar
  • number 2 hit
  • fame
  • life on the road
  • wardrobe
  • tune
  • washed-up
  • spinning out of control
  • wrong side of the law
  • graffiti
  • paparazzi
  • showtime
  • rock bottom
  • performance
  • classic hits
  • crowd
  • shredded
  • power chord
  • stage dive

Art

• Check the Pinterest board in the links section for lots of rockin' art projects related to the book.

Science

• STEM activity -- make a speaker or a microphone

Math

• Create story problems using characters/items from the book.
• Use the grocery store as a kick-off point and talk about money
• "Rock around the Clock" to tell time to the hour

Tips and Topics for Music Teachers
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• This book is a great one to team teach, as much of the language arts, science, and art topics would naturally support music curriculum and vice versa.
• Rock'n'roll is the obvious connection here!  Lots of ways to explore!  (*Make sure the songs you choose to include are appropriate for the age/setting you are teaching.)
  • Study rock'n'roll as a genre
  • Explore the history of rock'n'roll
    • Origins
    • Artists
    • How it changed
  • Rock'n'roll play-alongs
    • Percussion
    • Boomwhackers
    • rhythm/body percussion
    • instruments
    • *Check out the YouTube playlist in the Links section for lots of fun examples of this.
  • Use it as a program title and have a rockin' concert (My most recent concert was "Musical Superheroes Shake, Rattle, and Roll" and featured lots of rock'n' roll fun.)
  • Structure of rock songs/form
  • Discuss/practice the elements of music related to rock'n'roll (dynamics particularly comes to mind as an appropriate element that expresses itself very diversely in the rock genre, but you could also compare other elements in rock music.)

Writing Prompts from Tonnye
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1. If you're a parent, write about an interesting, difficult or funny naptime experience with your own child(ren).
2. Write a story about a naptime gone wrong.
3. Write a lullaby (lyrics at least -- add a tune or more comprehensive music if you can and would like to.)
4. Write about your favorite rockstar/rock band.
5. Write a parody of a rock song (check out Weird Al Yankovic for inspiration ;-)
6. Write your own take using Jason's title ROCK STARS DON'T NAP.
7. What else don't rock stars do?  Write your own version of something rock stars wouldn't do.
8. Write a sensory poem about a rock concert.
9. What is your favorite rock'n'roll song?  Why?
10. Compare rock'n'roll to another genre of music. (Use a Venn diagram or a double T-chart as a pre-writing exercise if you need to in order to discover similarities and differences.)
11. Look through Jason's book ROCK STARS DON'T NAP for all the rock'n'roll "Easter eggs" Make a list or write about your favorite one.
12. Word play and puns are so important to this book.  Use one of the puns as a jumping off point and write something related to that.
13. Choose the title of one of "Jimmy's Jams" and use it to write your own story.
14. Write a letter to Jimmy or Jimmy's parents about their behavior in the book. Do you agree/disagree with how they handled the situations?
15. Write a report about the history of rock'n'roll.
16. Write an acrostic poem: rock'n'roll.
17. Write a diamante poem comparing rock music to another genre (or comparing two rock artists)
18. Write a story about a boy named Jimmy who LOVED to nap.
19. Write the sequel to ROCK STARS DON'T NAP. What other hurdles do you think Jimmy and his parents will face?

Writing Tips from Jason

#1.  Write in as many different ways as possible. We are creatures of habit, and many of us have one spot and one style when it comes to our writing, but different approaches use different parts of your brain. Write your story in pencil, draw it (stick figures are okay!) type it out, use voice to text. Write it forwards and backwards. You never know what part of your brain the answers are hiding in, so engage as much of it as possible. 

#2.  Read it aloud, and ask others to read it to you. Something that may sound great in your head may not match up when read aloud. Read your story aloud as you go, and once you feel it is in a good place, ask others to read it to you. Listen for places where they stumble, for what parts seem exciting to them. 
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#3.  Use mentor text with post it notes. Write your story on post it notes, then stick them in your mentor text and read it aloud. I used Mustache Baby when writing Rock Stars Don't Nap. 

Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!
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YouTube playlist "Jimmy's Jams" -- Warning:  Some songs contain language and adult content. Please preview before sharing with kids and especially before showing in a school setting.

YouTube playlist PBJamz: ROCK STARS DON'T NAP A list of songs and musical activities that go well with the book.  *These should be safe for school settings, but always preview before showing content to be sure it is appropriate for your context.

Pinterest board with images, videos, activities, etc. (I'll keep adding to this.)

PBJamz Snack

The perfect snack for little rock'n'rollers  is a peanut butter and jelly roll-up. Rock up and roll up and eat up!  The recipe is here. Enjoy!

Guest Links and Giveaways
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Website

Twitter/X

To purchase ROCK STARS DON'T NAP on Amazon



​For a giveaway, Jason has generously offered a critique of a humorous picture book manuscript to one lucky winner! Simply leave a comment below no later than 11:59 PM EST on Wednesday, May 29, to be entered. For an extra entry, copy and paste the link for your Amazon review for ROCK STARS DON'T NAP. Let's try to help Jason get those 50 reviews!