I know we’re all smitten for kids books over here–there’s even a “Philadelphia Chicken” featured on one of the office’s bathroom doors. But Raquel’s Good Egg post got me thinking…are there others out there on YouTube with their own unique tributes?

In short…yes! Here is one of my favorites–a “re-mixing” of Sandra Boynton’s Snuggle Puppy that’s especially useful if you want to teach your kids beatboxing at an early age! Please excuse the giggly introduction–things get going around the 15 second mark.

What do a personal finance guru, an acclaimed music journalist and the founders of an indie record label have in common? They’re not only exceptional authors of ours, but they’re also joining the massive gathering of music and tech-junkies also known as South by Southwest (SXSW).

Held in Austin every spring, SXSW is a festival that merges the arts (namely film and music) with the latest in interactive technology (think Twitter on steroids). Bloggers, artists, musicians, and journalists meet to share ideas with their cohorts, submerge themselves in new music and be surrounded by the most tech-savvy of our generation.

Here’s what Ramit Sethi, Jessica Hopper, Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance have planned:

Ramit Sethi, author of I Will Teach You to Be Rich will be presenting at the interactive panel Building A Bulletproof Personal-Finance System on Saturday, March 13 at 11am, at The Hilton G by the Austin Convention Center. Click here for more details.
Following will be a book signing at 1:50pm at the South By BookStore, top floor of the Austin Convention Center.

Jessica Hopper, author of The Girls Guide to Rocking will be reading from and signing copies of her book on Saturday, March 20, 3pm, at Domy Books (913 E. Cesar Chavez). Click here for more details.

Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance, authors of Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small will be reading from their book, performing covers of songs from selected bands mentioned in the book, and will do a book signing afterwards. Reading is set to begin at 6pm on Wednesday, March 17, at Book People (603 N. Lamar Blvd). Click here for more details.

Everyone has their own special Sesame Street memories. I remember singing along with the Huey Lewis and the News-inspired lesson on shapes, “It’s Hip to Be A Square,” and my family watching the episode when Maria had her baby when I had a new sister on the way.

Today, things look a little different. Elmo has his own crayon-drawn world, and Cookie Monster has incorporated moderation and diversity into his diet, but the fun spirit of learning and clever songs are still there.

Sesame Street: A Celebration of 40 Years of Life on the Street by Louise A. Gikow takes you back through the memorable stories, songs, and characters, and shows kids how far the show has come over the past four decades. You’ll also get a look behind-the-scenes with photographs from the Sesame Workshop showing everything from the construction of Bert to the puppeteers busy at work on (and under) the set.  This book gives Sesame Street fans and collectors a fresh and unique look at Sesame Street’s captivating history, inside and out.

You’ve heard the music, waited for concert tickets to go on sale, and downloaded the albums. Celebrating 20 years of bringing some of the most seminal indie bands to the forefront of our consciousness, Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, by John Cook with Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance, chronicles the unlikely growth and staying power of Merge Records, the label that has introduced us to Superchunk, Spoon, the Arcade Fire, Magnetic Fields, and Neutral Milk Hotel to name a few.

This behind-the-scenes book is illustrated with over 300 images, record covers, letters, postcards from the road, scrawled-out setlists, hand-drawn posters and silkscreened record covers, which guide you through the ups-and-downs of making it big in the music industry, while still remaining true to the artists.

For videos and more information about the book, visit its companion site. Below is an excerpt. Enjoy.

Attention, music lovers–looking for something new to do this fall? Tom Moon, author of 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, has created a wonderful guide to starting a listening group. If you want to get fancy, go ahead and call it a “salon.” (Pronounce that in the manner of the French.) All in all, a smart, budget-friendly way to enjoy great music and company.

Check out Tom’s pamphlet below, and if you’re looking for further diversion, go here to read his always-interesting blog.

Tom Moon’s Listening Group Guide

All right, bonus edition might be overstating it. But we all love this book (I can’t wait to give it to my nieces), and so we were thrilled when author Jessica Hopper gifted several of us with custom-made, rocking-girl CDs. (Full disclosure: I did not work on the book and hence did not receive a CD–I’m just a nosy fan!)

Without further ado, here is the Unofficial, Totally Uncensored Girls’ Guide to Rocking Playlist.

1. “Les Petits Chevaux” by Brigitte Fontaine (click to listen)
2. “Meadowlands” by Nancy Jacobs and Her Sisters
3. “Holiday Song” by Marine Girls (click to listen)
4. “I Won’t Tell” by Tracy Dey
5. “Poor Little City Boy” by Nedelle (click to listen)
6. “I’ve Got A Feelin’” by Big Maybelle (click to listen)
7. “I’ve Just Begun (Having My Fun)” by Brittany Spears (click to listen)
8. “I Drive My Friend” by Frida Hyvonen (click to listen)
9. “What Can I Do For You?” by Labelle (click to listen)
10. “Cherry Bomb” by The Runaways (click to listen)
11. “52 Girl’s” by The B-52’s (click to listen)
12. “Have You Got Someone Else On the String” by Texas Ruby
13. “Victim of Rock and Roll” by Care Bears on Fire
14. “Thank God for a Mother Like Mine” by Kitty Wells
15. “Go Tell It On the Mountain” by Mahalia Jackson (click to listen)
16. “Pink Bedroom” by Lou Ann Barton
17. “Are You Going to Leave Me?” by Shirley & Dolly Collins (click to listen)
18. “Hose & I” by Bat for Lashes (click to listen)
19. “Shadow of a Doubt” by Sonic Youth (click to listen)
20. “I Found a Reason” by Cat Power (click to listen)
21. “You’re No Good” by ESG (click to listen)
22. “A_OL” by Sister Rosetta Tharpe
23. “Break In the Road” by Betty Harris (click to listen)
24. “Il Macquillage Lady” by Sister Sledge (click to listen)
25. “The Wait” [Single Version] by The Pretenders (click to listen)

Everyone with an instrument has had the inspiration at least once-let’s start a band! But things often fall apart when it becomes apparent that mere possession of an old guitar isn’t enough to push you to stardom. Luckily, today’s youth has Jessica Hopper’s The Girls’ Guide to Rocking-a guide to starting a band, writing songs, becoming a rock legend, and all of the roadblocks along the way.

Click here to read an excerpt

The Girls’ Guide to Rocking // Adventure from Alan Del Rio Ortiz on Vimeo.

The NPR Listener’s Encyclopedia of Classical Music is a complete history of classical music as well as a guide for listeners through some of the greatest masterpieces in musical history. Watc author Ted Libbey talk about how to best use and engage with the book.

Click here to learn more about The NPR Listener’s Encyclopedia of Classical Music.