KAZOO magazine

05/30/2020

As we send issue #17 to the printer, we’re sending ❤️ to our city 🍎, our country 🇺🇸 and the world 🌎. #kazoomagazine #weareinthistogether #kazoodaydreamers #dreamofabetterworld (cover illo Cécile Dormeau illustration)

05/20/2020

“Be nice,” Trump spat at PBS’s Yamiche Alcindor when she asked him about coronavirus testing, “Don’t be threatening!” He called CBS’s Paula Reid “a fake” when she pressed him. While it’s not only women Trump insults (see: NBC’s @peteralexandertv “a terrible reporter” & ABC’s @jonkarl “cutie pie”), women in particular are targets when they don’t submit. From Michigan’s Gov Whitmer @gewhitmer, who was admonished by Trump for not being “pleasant,” to the ONW (Original Nasty Woman) @hillaryclinton 🙌, we’ve seen this dynamic play out daily. Our kids are watching this too, particularly our daughters, who are supposed to be made up of sugar & spice, etc. So, we wanted to highlight the difference between being nice and being kind in our Kindness issue. /// Because most of the time, being nice and being kind mean the same thing: Both usually involve using good manners, sharing, and being friendly. But sometimes, ppl tell you to “be nice,” when what they really mean is “be agreeable.” That’s the tricky thing about “nice.” Its definition can change depending on who’s using the word and how. Kindness, however, is constant, because it comes from the heart. ❤️ So, we tell our young readers to remember this: You don’t always have to be “nice” but always try to be kind. (Hiiii @yamichepbs @paulareidcbs and TY for asking the tough questions and not backing down. 🙏🙏🙏 We appreciate you!) Comic 🖍 by Liana Finck who we also LOVE.) #kazoomagazine #kazookindness #keepmakingnoise #keepaskingquestions

05/19/2020

🎉Kazoo Book Club🎉
It Could Always Be Worse, by Margot Zemach
There once was a family with two parents and six children and a grandma who lived in a little one room hut. The children were noisy and everyone fought. One day the man couldn't stand it any longer and ran to his rabbi for help. The rabbi looked at him and asked him if he had any chickens.
When the man said yes, the rabbi told the man to take the chickens into his hut.
The man was confused, but brought the chickens into his hut.
And things got much worse! There were still a lot of people in the hut, and now there were chickens, too! And feathers in the soup!
The man went back to the rabbi to report this, and the rabbi told him to do the same with his goat and his cow.
He did and it was pandemonium!
The poor family was at their wit's end.
The man ran back to the rabbi. "Help me, save me, the end of the world has come! The cow is trampling everything!"
The rabbi thought carefully and advised the man put the animals back in the barn.
The family was happy to do so.
That night everyone slept peacefully. The next day the man came to the rabbi to thank him for his help. "You have made life so sweet for me. With just my family in the hut, it's so quiet, so roomy, so peaceful. What a pleasure"
This Caldecott Honor book is hilariously illustrated--the family's hut is drawn as like the front wall was taken off and we can see right in--and there's such fun in seeing the chaos of the animals living with the family. Zemach draws lively, detailed pictures so there's something to find (the goose and the chicken arguing! the feathers in the soup! the baby flying out of the washtub!) every time you read it. And in our house, we read it a lot. This old folk tale is an important message at any time, and perhaps especially now, though this story manages to never, ever preach.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉/5

Book review by @valerie_best, who has no chickens, but occasionally leaves delivery boxes cluttering up her kitchen for a few days just to feel the sweet relief when they are gone.

#itcouldalwaysbeworse #folktales #folktalesforkids #caldecott #caldecottaward #cadecotthonorbook #margotzemach #kazoomagazine #makesomenoise #kazoobookclub

05/11/2020

When we assign the short stories for Kazoo, our main request: The story must feature a strong girl protagonist in no need of rescue. (We also ask authors to please lay off the dead parents, princesses, and romance. All really fun* but there are already plenty of stories about those!) Kazoo has won @parentschoicefoundation and @asme1963 awards that laud our STEM features, but the fiction section of each issue, while quieter, is one that we are most proud of. Not only because we’ve somehow managed to convince such amazing authors to contribute to our magazine, but also because it has been a true joy to see what they do with it. Our very first issue featured a story by Doreen Cronin (Caldecott Winner) about sisters who save themselves by being LOUD. And every issue since has continued in that wonderful tradition. Joyce Carol Oates (5x Pulitzer nominee) wrote about a girl and her stray cat in issue 8, Angela Flournoy (National Book Award finalist) wrote about a girl finding community through gardening for issue 10, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (#1 Bestseller) wrote about a girl learning to overcome challenges (and ride a pony) for issue 15, Bunmi Laditan (bestselling author of The Honest Toddler) wrote about a girl who WINS in issue 11, and most recently Erin Entrada Kelly (2018 Newbery Medal winner) wrote this truly lovely story about a how a small anthill on the edge of a school playground taught one girl the true meaning of kindness, for issue 16. We love them all. ALSO, we just finished the layout for our next short story, by Meg Medina (2019 Newbery Medal winner) which will appear in issue 17, coming to you July. It is beautiful. THANK YOU @cronindoreen @joycecaroloates3146 @angelaflournoy @bunmiladitan @erinentrada @megmedinabooks and everyone who makes books that entertain our kids, stretch their imaginations (beyond their quarantines), and give them hope for the future. You are saving us right now. (Pic from Kazoo issue 16, the Kindness issue. It and all of Kazoo’s short stories so sweetly illustrated by @muytuti ) *hi, Disney
#kazoomagazine #kidsbookstagram #raisingreaders #childrensliterature

05/11/2020

When we assign the short stories for Kazoo, our main request: The story must feature a strong girl protagonist in no need of rescue. (We also ask authors to please lay off the dead parents, princesses, and romance. All really fun* but there are already plenty of stories about those!) Kazoo has won @parentschoicefoundation and @asme1963 awards that laud our STEM features, but the fiction section of each issue, while quieter, is one that we are most proud of. Not only because we’ve somehow managed to convince such amazing authors to contribute to our magazine, but also because it has been a true joy to see what they do with it. Our very first issue featured a story by Doreen Cronin (Caldecott Winner) about sisters who save themselves by being LOUD. And every issue since has continued in that wonderful tradition. Joyce Carol Oates (5x Pulitzer nominee) wrote about a girl and her stray cat in issue 8, Angela Flournoy (National Book Award finalist) wrote about a girl finding community through gardening for issue 10, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (#1 Bestseller) wrote about a girl learning to overcome challenges (and ride a pony) for issue 15, Bunmi Laditan (bestselling author of The Honest Toddler) wrote about a girl who WINS in issue 11, and most recently Erin Entrada Kelly (2018 Newbery Medal winner) wrote this truly lovely story about a how a small anthill on the edge of a school playground taught one girl the true meaning of kindness, for issue 16. We love them all. ALSO, we just finished the layout for our next short story, by Meg Medina (2019 Newbery Medal winner) which will appear in issue 17, coming to you July. It is beautiful. THANK YOU @cronindoreen @joycecaroloates3146 @angelaflournoy @bunmiladitan @erinentrada @megmedinabooks and everyone who makes books that entertain our kids, stretch their imaginations (beyond their quarantines), and give them hope for the future. You are saving us right now. (Pic from Kazoo issue 16, the Kindness issue. It and all of Kazoo’s short stories so sweetly illustrated by @muytuti )
*hi, Disney
#kazoomagazine #kidsbookstagram #raisingreaders #childrensliterature

05/09/2020

Someday we will tell you what it’s like to be a small publication on stands at a major retailer. (Hint: The % splits are not great!) But when the major retailers are closed—that’s even worse. The good news for you: A BACK ISSUE SUPER-SALE!
We are shipping from our kitchen table, directly to you. Complete your Kazoo library. 12 issues for $102. 🌈 Get Kazoo issues 04-15. That's 752 ad-free pages on sale now for 15% off. Free USPS shipping (US-only). Makes a great gift, or donation. ORDER WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. #kazoomagazine #smallbusiness #womanownedbusiness #indiemagazine #indiemedia #quarantinesale

05/08/2020

No rage like a 7-year-old-who-has-to-zoom’s rage. We hear you little one. ✊

05/07/2020

#tbt Our Teeny Editor (when she was really teeny ❤️) enjoying THE BEST blueberry banana muffins made w a recipe from chef 👩🏻‍🍳Joanne Chang of @flourbakeryandcafe. (She still loves them, and so do we! It’s the bit of sour cream that makes them so good.) Here it is: 1 1/2 c flour, 1t baking soda, 1/4t cinnamon, 1/2t salt, 1c + 2T sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2c oil, 3 1/2 ripe bananas, 2T sour cream, 1t vanilla. Preheat oven 325. Combine the dry stuff. Beat sugar & eggs until light & fluffy. Drizzle in oil. Mix in mashed bananas, sour cream, & vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients by hand. (Optional: Add blueberries now if you got ‘em.) Bake in buttered loaf pan for 60-75 mins (less for muffins). If it springs back when poked, it’s done! 🍌🍞💯 Recipe & interview w Chef Joanne from our Architecture issue (#3). #throwbackthursday #kazoomagazine #bananabread #recipe #cookingwithkids

05/06/2020

“You carried your light now for all to see guiding them just as it had guided you: a lady with a lamp lighting up the darkness.” 🕯(From our Florence Nightingale feature comic by @hirosemaryhello in Kazoo #16, The Kindness issue ❤️) #thankyounurses #weloveyou #florencenightingale #kazoomagazine

05/06/2020

“You carried your light now for all to see guiding them just as it had guided you: a lady with a lamp lighting up the darkness.” 🕯(From our Florence Nightingale feature comic by @hirosemaryhello in Kazoo #16, The Kindness issue ❤️) #thankyounurses #weloveyou #florencenightingale #kazoomagazine

05/05/2020

🎈✊ 🚘 ! You’ll need: one empty juice box, one straw, one sponge, a skewer, some glue, a balloon, & one child looking for something to do. Full instructions in Kazoo #8 The Magnificent Mistakes issue. (This issue, and other back-issues, available online now.) #ballooncar #balloonpoweredcar #kazoomagazine #kazoohowto

05/05/2020

🎈✊ 🚘 ! You’ll need: one empty juice box, one straw, one sponge, a skewer, some glue, a balloon, & one child looking for something to do. Full instructions in Kazoo #8 The Magnificent Mistakes issue. (This issue, and other back-issues, available online now.) #ballooncar #balloonpoweredcar #kazoomagazine #kazoohowto

05/04/2020

#Repost @thislizchan with @get_repost
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In these times, we all could use a little more kindness. This was the tone setting opener for @kazoomagazine’s Kindness Issue, which reads: Everybody knows that old saying “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” It’s solid advice, for sure, but just imagine how much lovelier the world would be if we turned that saying around and said instead “If you can say something nice, be sure to say it.” There is so much good in this world. Call it out when you see it and watch it multiply ❤️
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#bekind #kindnessallaround #kazoomagazine #kazoonoisemakers #editorialdesign #magazinedesign #theworldneedskindness #saysomethingkind #layoutdesign #typography #wordsofwisdomwednesday #designinspo #feministmagazine #positivevibes

04/22/2020

Color-by-dot adapted from @ashleylongshoreart’s “Audrey w Pink Camellia Headdress” added some much-appreciated grace to today. 🎨 Swipe to print & color your own. (From #kazoomagazine’s Happy Issue #11) #ashleylongshore #printables #colorbydot #coloringpages #quarantine #quarantinewkids #staycalmandcoloron

04/22/2020

Color-by-dot adapted from @ashleylongshoreart’s “Audrey w Pink Camellia Headdress” added some much-appreciated grace to today. 🎨 Swipe to print & color your own. (From #kazoomagazine’s Happy Issue #11) #ashleylongshore #printables #colorbydot #coloringpages #quarantine #quarantinewkids #staycalmandcoloron

04/15/2020

So, is time moving *really* slowly for anybody else? 🐌 👉 ⏰ If you’ve been mostly inside for over a month & are so very grateful to be bored, you can make this mesmerizing “swing thing” w a few items in your junk drawer. From Kazoo #11, The Happy Issue, w how-to video on our YouTube. #swingthing #kineticart #physicstoy #kinetictoy #kazoomagazine

04/11/2020

The first batch of HAPPY AWESOME special shipments went out yesterday 🙏 to everyone who ordered! We hope it brings your kids some joy (and you some respite). ❤️ If you have a kid (or know a kid) who’s inside & looking for something new to do, order at the link in bio. Since bookstores & newsstands are closed, & Amazon isn’t prioritizing fun right now, we figured out a way to ship directly today (from our kitchen table). 4 issues. $5 off. Free fast US shipping (via @usps priority mail) 💌. 248 pgs. Hours of screen-free indoor fun. While supplies last. 🙏 for supporting #smallbusiness #independentmedia #kazoomagazine #stayinside #staysafe 📚#readersofinstagram

04/10/2020

OK. Since bookstores & newsstands are closed, & Amazon isn't prioritizing fun right now, we figured out a way to ship today (from our kitchen table). 4 issues. $5 off. Free US shipping. 248 pgs. Hours of screen-free indoor fun.

https://mailchi.mp/kazoomagazine.com/now-shipping-indoor-fun

04/09/2020

Today the #associatedpress features an interview w our Editor Erin Bried about her 2009 book, #howtosewabutton 🧶 (and all the other household skills we are now relearning & newly appreciating during this pandemic) w a photo of her sewing masks w Kazoo’s Tiny & Teeny Editors. A helpful skill, for sure, but a less grim household task we also want to share w you: this gorgeous #sourdough bread, which—bonus!—counts as a homeschool chemistry activity w kids. (Thanks to @nkbrier for help w the starter. 🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖/5 ) Link to the #AP interview in bio. If you have a moment to learn something new during #quarantine, have fun. But more importantly, take each day calmly, take care of yourselves and each other, and be well. ❤️

04/08/2020

Confession: I now regret how bored I often was at the playground sandbox, and I would pay any amount right now for an overpriced melty soft serve from an ice cream truck. 🍦 My kids miss their friends. I even miss their friends! (👋 Violet, Edie, Lilah, Milo, Posy, Daphne & everyone! ❤️) When @lucyknisley created this gorgeous Kindness search-and-find for our last issue, which came out March 1, 2020, we were blown away by all the sweet detail. Now, in The After, a time of #covid #quarantine, we just want to be in this town, holding hands w everyone. “My Kind of Town” indeed. A vision board full of hope for the future. Stay strong out there, Noisemakers! I can’t wait to see you again soon. Xo, Erin (Full 2 page spread in Kazoo 16, the Kindness Issue.) #kazoomagazine #kazookindness #lucyknisley #searchandfind

04/07/2020

Experiment w #pendulumpainting. Swing the paint cup from a single point, you get a spiral. Swing it from two points, you get a gorgeous #lissajous shape. This activity from our Kindness issue reminds us of the physics of kindness: The good energy that you put into the world just keeps going, beautifully. Can be a fun indoor activity too (we made this one under the kitchen table). #pendulum #pendulumpainting #kazoomagazine #kazookindness #indooractivitiesforkids #physics #physicsforfun

04/06/2020

Hello dear friends: We have been mostly indoors for 24 days & are v grateful to be bored enough to think this is great fun. Requires: playdoh, cookie sheet, one marble. Hope you are well and not losing your (one remaining) marble. ❤️#kazoomagazine #quarantinecrafts #quarantinekids #quarantinekidsactivities #marblemaze #staystrong #stayinside #staysafe

03/31/2020

Happy Elephants - Issuu

We're all feeling lots of big emotions right now. Here's a way to talk about them with your kids. Start with Happy Elephants!

Just as we feel deep emotions, so do these gentle giants. Katie Rowe, co-founder of Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Kenya, tells Kazoo how elephants express themselves:

03/26/2020

Kazoo magazine 11: The Happy Issue

We wanted do something extra-special to bring some joy and comfort to you and your families in these uncertain times. So, here it is: We’ve decided to release a digital version of our Happy Issue (#11, originally published Winter 2019) for FREE. We’re also making it downloadable, so you can print out any pages you'd like. Please share with your friends, classmates and neighbors. (You do not have to be a subscriber to access it.) It’s the closest we can come right now to sending you all a big Kazoo hug.

Kazoo is an award-winning quarterly magazine for "girls who aren't afraid to make some noise." Our Happy Issue #11, is fully dedicated to joy, and for the first time, we've made the whole thing free and downloadable. We’re remembering kindness and big heartedness and all the goodness in the world ...