We’re a Possum Family Band is a six-story series that follows Mama and Papa Poss on their travels across North America to the birthplaces of Cajun, jazz, country, rock’n’roll, blues, and traditional Quebecois music. Written by Bïa, Erik West-Millette and Olaf Gundel, with illustrations by Fanny Berthiaume, each tale centres around storytime in the Possum family household, where Mama and Papa Poss recount their past adventures for their four kids — or joeys, as young possums are called. At the end of every story, the family breaks out into the song. Readers can follow each adventure with the books and listen to the narrated stories and songs on all major streaming platforms.
“Every book is a bit different when it comes to inspiration as they all take place in a different city and cover a unique musical genre,” explains illustrator Fanny Berthiaume. “The first book, for example, is set in the bayou, which is very green and wet and has a peaceful quality that influenced a lot of the illustrations. In contrast, the second book, which is set in New Orleans and is all about jazz music, was designed around flowy lines and warm colours, which reminded me of jazz.” Read our full interview with Fanny Berthiaume here.
Rockin’ the Bayou Down in Louisiana! – 1
Every Saturday night at the Fais Dodo Thibaudeau, a suave young possum with a Zorro-like moustache takes the stage with his dobro to lead the band. In the audience, a pretty, doe-eyed possum falls for his charms. But just who could these plucky marsupials be? Mama and Papa Poss tell the story of how they first met and where their glory days as a musical duo began! Take a trip to the bayou in this side-splitting, toe-tapping tale that pays homage to Louisiana’s Cajun and Zydeco music traditions.
Mama and Papa Poss continue their musical odyssey on a boat bound for New Orleans. As they make their way down the Mississippi, a sudden hurricane tosses one of the passengers overboard. Papa Poss jumps to the rescue, pulling none other than Louis Catstrong out of the crashing waves. In thanks, the famous feline trumpet player takes the duo to his club in the French Quarter, where a group of cool cats are scratching up a new kind of music. Take a trip to the Big Easy in this swinging and scatting tale that pays homage to the city that invented jazz!
On their next musical adventure, Mama and Papa Poss take a cruise up the Mississippi River aboard the Delta Queen to Memphis, the birthplace of rock ‘n' roll. As it turns out, the king himself, Elvis Harepiece, has enlisted the talented marsupial musicians to compose his next hit. Follow the duo as they stroll down the legendary Beale Street and make their way to the Graceland for a memorable encounter that will pave their way to glory!
Audio-only edition. It’s a lovely spring day when Mama and Papa Poss hear a special broadcast on the radio: Johnny Splash, country music’s star beaver, is launching a contest! Whoever writes the best love song by midnight tomorrow will get to record a duet with the beaver himself. Would Mama and Papa Poss be able to make it to Nashville, the birthplace of country music, in time? After ruling out trains, planes, boats, and even golden-horned rhinos, they eventually hitch a ride with a mare named Lucille. The narrated story is followed by the songs “Lucille” and “The Girl I Left in Sunny Tennessee.”
Audio-only edition.Mama and Papa Poss huddle up by their fireplace as thunder crashes outside when all of a sudden: bam, bam, bam! It’s a poor, soggy, vagabond bullfrog seeking shelter from the storm. Turns out, he’s no ordinary bullfrog. He sings the blues, and he was on his way to Chicago when the squall sent him adrift. Storm or no storm, a chance to play with local legends like Muddy Panther and Chimp Diddley in the windy city is worth pulling a few strings. And good thing they do: Quentin Tarantula happens to be in need of musicians to record the soundtrack to his upcoming film, Blues Sisters. The narrated story is followed by the songs “The Bullfrog Blues” and “Sugar Blues.”
Audio-only edition. Guided by a flock of Canadian geese, Mama and Papa Poss travel north of the 49th parallel by hot air balloon, averting a sudden crash landing thanks to the owl-eyed songstress, Madame Grand Duke, who swoops to the rescue. As they touch down in Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, she shares an unusual predicament: a pimple on her tongue, preventing her from performing tongue-twisting turlutage lines like tidli-didli-dum, tika-tika tidli-dum! Can Mama and Papa Poss help her pop free in time to perform at Joe Robichaud’s rootsy cabaret? The narrated story is followed by the songs “Hot Air Balloon” and “Funny Reel.”
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay informed about our new releases and events and for a chance to win our subscriber giveaway. To order books for your library or bookstore, please contact Hornblower Books/University of Toronto Press (Canada, United States) and MMS/BookSource (United Kingdom). For additional information, email info@thesecretmountain.com.
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We’re a Possum Family Band: Discover the Picture Book Series
We’re a Possum Family Band is a six-story series that follows Mama and Papa Poss on their travels across North America to the birthplaces of Cajun, jazz, country, rock’n’roll, blues, and traditional Quebecois music. Written by Bïa, Erik West-Millette and Olaf Gundel, with illustrations by Fanny Berthiaume, each tale centres around storytime in the Possum family household, where Mama and Papa Poss recount their past adventures for their four kids — or joeys, as young possums are called. At the end of every story, the family breaks out into the song. Readers can follow each adventure with the books and listen to the narrated stories and songs on all major streaming platforms.
“Every book is a bit different when it comes to inspiration as they all take place in a different city and cover a unique musical genre,” explains illustrator Fanny Berthiaume. “The first book, for example, is set in the bayou, which is very green and wet and has a peaceful quality that influenced a lot of the illustrations. In contrast, the second book, which is set in New Orleans and is all about jazz music, was designed around flowy lines and warm colours, which reminded me of jazz.” Read our full interview with Fanny Berthiaume here.
Rockin’ the Bayou Down in Louisiana! – 1
Every Saturday night at the Fais Dodo Thibaudeau, a suave young possum with a Zorro-like moustache takes the stage with his dobro to lead the band. In the audience, a pretty, doe-eyed possum falls for his charms. But just who could these plucky marsupials be? Mama and Papa Poss tell the story of how they first met and where their glory days as a musical duo began! Take a trip to the bayou in this side-splitting, toe-tapping tale that pays homage to Louisiana’s Cajun and Zydeco music traditions.
Buy the book: Shop Local (Canada) | Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books A Million
Audiobook: Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | Libro.fm
Listen online: Apple Music | Deezer | Spotify | Tidal | YouTube | Amazon
Glory Days in New Orleans! – 2
Mama and Papa Poss continue their musical odyssey on a boat bound for New Orleans. As they make their way down the Mississippi, a sudden hurricane tosses one of the passengers overboard. Papa Poss jumps to the rescue, pulling none other than Louis Catstrong out of the crashing waves. In thanks, the famous feline trumpet player takes the duo to his club in the French Quarter, where a group of cool cats are scratching up a new kind of music. Take a trip to the Big Easy in this swinging and scatting tale that pays homage to the city that invented jazz!
Buy the book: Shop Local (Canada) | Bookshop | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes and Noble | Books A Million | Waterstones
Audiobook: Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | Libro.fm
Listen online: Apple Music | Deezer | Spotify | Tidal | YouTube | Amazon
Sunny Days in a Memphis Studio! – 3
On their next musical adventure, Mama and Papa Poss take a cruise up the Mississippi River aboard the Delta Queen to Memphis, the birthplace of rock ‘n' roll. As it turns out, the king himself, Elvis Harepiece, has enlisted the talented marsupial musicians to compose his next hit. Follow the duo as they stroll down the legendary Beale Street and make their way to the Graceland for a memorable encounter that will pave their way to glory!
Buy the book: Shop Local (Canada) | Bookshop | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes and Noble | Books A Million
Audiobook: Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | Libro.fm
Listen online: Apple Music | Spotify | Deezer | Tidal | YouTube | Amazon
Heading to Nashville on Horseback! – 4
Audio-only edition. It’s a lovely spring day when Mama and Papa Poss hear a special broadcast on the radio: Johnny Splash, country music’s star beaver, is launching a contest! Whoever writes the best love song by midnight tomorrow will get to record a duet with the beaver himself. Would Mama and Papa Poss be able to make it to Nashville, the birthplace of country music, in time? After ruling out trains, planes, boats, and even golden-horned rhinos, they eventually hitch a ride with a mare named Lucille. The narrated story is followed by the songs “Lucille” and “The Girl I Left in Sunny Tennessee.”
Audiobook: Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | Libro.fm
Listen online: Apple Music | Spotify | Deezer | Tidal | YouTube | Amazon
Making It Big in Chicago! – 5
Audio-only edition. Mama and Papa Poss huddle up by their fireplace as thunder crashes outside when all of a sudden: bam, bam, bam! It’s a poor, soggy, vagabond bullfrog seeking shelter from the storm. Turns out, he’s no ordinary bullfrog. He sings the blues, and he was on his way to Chicago when the squall sent him adrift. Storm or no storm, a chance to play with local legends like Muddy Panther and Chimp Diddley in the windy city is worth pulling a few strings. And good thing they do: Quentin Tarantula happens to be in need of musicians to record the soundtrack to his upcoming film, Blues Sisters. The narrated story is followed by the songs “The Bullfrog Blues” and “Sugar Blues.”
Audiobook: Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | Libro.fm
Listen online: Spotify | Deezer | Tidal | YouTube | Amazon
Flying High All the Way to Québec! – 6
Audio-only edition. Guided by a flock of Canadian geese, Mama and Papa Poss travel north of the 49th parallel by hot air balloon, averting a sudden crash landing thanks to the owl-eyed songstress, Madame Grand Duke, who swoops to the rescue. As they touch down in Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, she shares an unusual predicament: a pimple on her tongue, preventing her from performing tongue-twisting turlutage lines like tidli-didli-dum, tika-tika tidli-dum! Can Mama and Papa Poss help her pop free in time to perform at Joe Robichaud’s rootsy cabaret? The narrated story is followed by the songs “Hot Air Balloon” and “Funny Reel.”
Audiobook: Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | Libro.fm
Listen online: Apple Music | Spotify | Deezer | Tidal | YouTube | Amazon
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Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay informed about our new releases and events and for a chance to win our subscriber giveaway. To order books for your library or bookstore, please contact Hornblower Books/University of Toronto Press (Canada, United States) and MMS/BookSource (United Kingdom). For additional information, email info@thesecretmountain.com.