Pie Wisdom:You might not remember the time I mistakenly made a rhubarb pie with Swiss chard stems and served it at a dinner party (though my guests probably do). That awful experience inspired me to change my ways, and then writea whole book about back-to-basic skills. So, I'm a little better at identifying rhubarb now. I can even pick it! Scroll down for my grandmother's favorite recipe for rhubarb pie, in her own handwriting. I like to bake this with my daughters, and to me, it tastes like summer.
June is Pride Month:And here's a good list ofLGBTQ+ Books for kids. We joke that every month is Pride month atKazoo.Ellen Degenerestalked about coming out in issue #11,Alison Bechdeldrew a Virginia Woolf-inspired spot-the-difference in issue #7,Leiomy Maldonadohelped us find confidence in issue #15, poetEileen Mylestaught us about their love of words in issue #9, and in our Awesome issue #14, Kristen Arnett shared an original short story about a girl who just happened to have two moms (like my own sweet daughters do). And since our launch in 2016,some other kids magazines have caught up bit. Maybe the world is becoming more open in some ways.
Summer Reading: Our 6-year-old is lovingNow Open the Box,Sideways Stories from Wayside School(which I loved reading aloud), and even moreShel Silverstein, with Every Thing On It. Our 11-year-old has been spending more time withThe Baby Sitter's Club graphic novels andFront Desk. And at a local bookstore we stumbled upon a copy ofJacqueline Woodson's oh-so-sweetThe World Belonged to Us, which is beautifully illustrated by Leo Espinosa, and even though it's about Brooklyn summers past, it feels like hope for the future.
Racial Diversity in Kids' Books:This fascinating article wonders What accounts for the stubbornness of racial bias in children’s books? In it, we learned thatW.E.B. Duboislaunchedthe first magazine for black childrenin 1920. (The letter on page 2 is my favorite!) It lasted for 12 issues. He hired groundbreaking black artistsHilda Wilkinson BrownandLaura Wheeler Waringto illustrate some stories, and interestingly, they used only line drawings, completely eliminating skin-tone. (We use line-drawings too.) This article asserts that since "the Whiteness of the page had become the default tone of protagonists, then these artists were claiming for their subjects the same status." We agree with this philosophy, though we've gotten mixed reader feedback on this decision. It is complicated of course. Recently, the AI used to check for diversity even misses it. So, much room for improvement here, folks.
Summer Screening: One Friday night, we watchedSwallows & Amazons(which we had never heard of) and it was a fun summer flick. On another, we watchedEnola Holmes(which I may have liked more than the kids.) Another night, we basically forced the girls to watchWall-E,a favorite Pixar of minefor a ton of reasons, and they really enjoyed itandwere excited to help plant flowers the next day (a win-win).
Digging in the Dirt:And not to be too woo-woo, but there's something healing about getting my hands dirty, and my daughters love it to. If you need inspiration, revisitKazoo#9 (The Small but Mighty Issue), which has an eggshell garden craft and a comic about Green Belt founderWangari Maathai. Or,Kazoo#13 (The Great Green Issue) which features 20 ways to Make the Earth Happy. OrKazoo#19 (The DIY issue) which includes a feature interview with farmerBrook BridgesofSoul Fire Farm, and a color-by-dot garden sign fromThe Victory Garden of Tomorrow. **Get any of these issues for50% offwith purchase of any other issue with code GROW until June 30th.**
Beach Days:When we're not gardening this summer, we hope to be spending as much time as possible in the water. Which is why oursummer issue of Kazoo (#25!)is all about the Ocean. Doesn't it look like such fun?
Where is this amazing summer issue you might ask? Well, the good news is that after some major delays at the printing press,because they couldn't get any paper, our summer issue is finally OTW and should reach subscribers soon. Please tell your mermaids to watch the mailbox.
Speaking of mermaids:Jodie Fosteris going to play Dyana Nyad(who was in our very first issue) in a biopic calledNyad, and they've been hanging out as friends IRL. Which basically means we're all close friends with Jodie Foster now. That's how it works.
And sometimes they are terrible: Like many of you, I spent many days watching and reading the news and crying this month. Thesenseless gun violence is beyond comprehension, and just so heart-breaking (and rage-inducing). If you want to get involved, please connect withMom's Demand ActionorEverytown. Most Americans, of both parties, want to see change. So, please contact your elected officialsand demand action. The number to Congress is (202) 224-3121. Let them know thatour children have rights, too. The most basic is the right to go to school, learn, and grow up, safely. Isn't that what it is all about foreveryone?
Upstream:I've been readingMary Oliverwhich is wonderful even if I can only steal away in 5 minutes increments. I almost always find something to mull over the rest of the day. Lately my mind has settled on this:
"Teach the children. We don’t matter so much, but the children do. Show them daisies and the pale hepatica. Teach them the taste of sassafras and wintergreen. The lives of the blue sailors, mallow, sunbursts, the moccasin flowers. And the frisky ones—inkberry, lamb’s-quarters, blueberries. And the aromatic ones—rosemary, oregano. Give them peppermint to put in their pockets as they go to school. Give them the fields and the woods and the possibility of the world salvaged from the lords of profit. Stand them in the stream, head them upstream, rejoice as they learn to love this green space they live in, its sticks and leaves and then the silent, beautiful blossoms.
Attention is the beginning of devotion."
I hope you have a wonderful summer, and get to spend some time outside. If you come across anything bright and sunny, please send it my way. You can always find me at erin@kazoomagazine.com.
xo, Erin Kazoo magazine Founder & Editor-in-Chief
My grandmother Hilda's "Rhubarb Sponge Pie." Recipe from her mother, that my mother shared with me (and now I'm sharing with you). Enjoy!
This is a nice first magazine for girls. It has inspirational articles, a bit of science, a bit of brain teasers, fun pictures and interesting kid relatable stories. It's perfect for the car ride, during power outages or while waiting.
I have to admit I had never heard of the Kazoo magazine until I came across it on Amazon. I am really impressed with it, with the quality of its content and the way this magazine is made.First, the magazine is made to last, this is not regular paper, it is protected so it will hold up longer, I love the feel of it! The covers feel like they have some coating on them to protect from moisture and the pages themselves feel different. The quality of the magazine is fantastic.The content is also top notch! There is a variety of stories, interviews, games and projects all under the cover. I love the variety and the content, every page is different with so much variety!The Winning issue is nicely done, I might have liked to see more about winning not just about being first, but about also wining being about doing your best. There is only 1 winner ... but every should be considered a winner for trying because just trying your hardest and doing all the right things does not mean you will win first place. Not everyone will get a trophy, but winning for some may never be placing first or being the best tennis player in the world (because there can only be 1 but that does not mean all the girls who hit the court are not winners in their own right!). I still love the magazine, the content and what it stand for. Sometimes, placing 5th in the company of the best, is actually winning.I love the fish story, that represents winning in being successful! And I love the stories of success and doing what others tell you might be impossible.I do like the issue and I LOVE this magazine! Great for girls! Very creative, well written and beautifully designed and presented. If I were between 5 and 12 years old, I would love a subscription to this magazine.⭐️ 1 star - I don't recommend it at all.⭐️⭐️ 2 stars - I don't recommend it, poorly written or bad information.⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars - Good Book. Not for me. Not the most well written.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars - Very good book quite, I would recommend and well written.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars - Book that I totally recommend and could not put down. Well written and a book I would read again
This was my first exposure to Kazoo and we'll be getting a subscription for our daughter. Every page is excellent and positive. It has activities (puzzles, coloring), longer-form reading, and projects to do outside the magazine (crafts, recipes.) Everything in it was perfect for a 10-year-old girl.The printing and paper is very high quality and there are absolutely no ads of any kind. I'm not surprised Kazoo has won so many awards. Five stars.
Love this magazine. Have bought single back copies for granddaughters, nieces, friends and a subscription. Ages 5-13 - all found something meaningful in its pages.
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