News & Features » November 2015 » Behind-the-Scenes of What Is Punk?

Behind-the-Scenes of What Is Punk?

Everyone agrees: Eric Morse and Anny Yi’s What Is Punk? is a fun and informative way for all ages to learn the history of punk!

Check out these behind-the-scenes looks at how illustrator Anny Yi brought her vision to life:

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“What is Punk? is fun, sophisticated and beautifully illustrated introduction to the music genre for kids—or adults.”
—New York Daily News

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“Pairing Yi’s Wallace & Gromit-style clay pictorials with Morse’s rhyming ride through the history of punk music across the globe, the children’s book is ready to raise the next generation of riot grrrls. ” —Bustle

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 “Why It’s Wild: A history of punk music for kids illustrated in Gumby-esque claymation (minus the –mation).”
—School Library Journal, 100 Scope Notes’s Wildest Children’s Books of 2015

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 “While What Is Punk? is undeniably a children’s book, it can serve as a history lesson for potential fans of any age . . . . What Is Punk? exposes the reader to the rebellious sub-culture in a friendly, educative manner.” —Alternative Press

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“A punk primer for the youngest set. . . . Yi’s incredibly detailed clay figures are a kinetic and inspired art choice. Their crazy creativity matches the expressive spirit of punk. . . . As [Morse] points out, the best way to learn about punk it just to listen. . . . If invested adults love the topic, a shared reading experience can’t be beat.”
—Kirkus Reviews

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“Clay artist Yi molds . . . fantastically detailed Plasticine figures to create scenes of the birth of punk. Using a benign craft-project material for the skinny bodies and ragged clothing of Joey Ramone, Sid Vicious, and their rowdy, fist-waving audiences is very much in the spirit of punk (Plasticine is especially good for mohawks), and readers will spend long stretches inspecting her painstakingly modeled guitars, amplifiers, and safety pins.” —Publishers Weekly

Posted: Nov 4, 2015

Category: Akashic Insider | Tags: Anny Yi, art, Black Sheep, children's books, eric morse, iggy pop, Music, punk rock, The Clash, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, what is punk