This kit presents dozens of creative and unusual ways for kids to keep themselves entertained and engrossed no matter where they are. The materials included—4 colored markers, card-stock paper and “puzzle paper” perforated into puzzle pieces that can be broken apart, origami paper, jeweled chips, and magnetic tape—may sound ordinary, but it’s Lithgow’s extraordinary ideas for using them that make this kit a real winner! Don’t just ask, “What’s a palooza?” Try one! A palooza is an activity guaranteed to take a kid’s mind off of the long drive or day ahead and get him or her interested in something new, creative, and out-of-this-world fun. A palooza takes an everyday idea and makes something completely different—and totally unexpected—out of it. A palooza isn’t just an idea, it’s a way of thinking.Our Lithgow Palooza kits come complete with just about all the materials needed to make imaginations soar. Sculpt a racing seagull from chenille sticks! Make a puzzle only you can solve! Tons of ingenious and inspired brainstorms will soon have kids everywhere saying, “It’s not just an idea, it’s a palooza of an idea.
Writing a children's book was not something that I pursued. It pursued me. It started when I was asked to write a narration for a symphony for kids. I realized that it had the text for a book. From that text "The Remarkable Farkle McBride" was born. And once the first book was successful, others followed.
My sixth (!) children's book, "Marsupial Sue Presents the Runaway Pancake," was just published this fall. This is a sequel to "Marsupial Sue," one of my most popular storybook characters.This story was inspired in part by two different things: The "Runaway Pancake" song is a guaranteed show stopper whenever I sing it in one of my Paloozicals Concert for Kids , and my performing on Broadway this year in "Dirty Rotton Scoundrels" made me think that Sue might like to put on a show of her own with all of her animal friends.
I credit my parents for fostering my love of literature and books. I have fond memories of my father reading chapters aloud from great thick books like "The Jungle Book" and "A Teller of Tales".
I have carried on my father's tradition by reading aloud to my own kids when they were little. I have also started a few traditions of my own, like singing to them and playing really mediocre guitar, building castles with them out of refrigerator boxes and treasure hunts across museums. Once I even created a very elaborate paper chase across the entire campus of UCLA for my daughter Phoebe's 16th Birthday. Some of these games were inspiration for all of the Lithgow Palooza books and books with kits that have been published by both Simon and Schuster and Running Press.
Although writing is an arduous process for me, there is nothing better than seeing a child falling in love with one of my stories.
