Ruttenberg, Jay & Lucinda Schreiber - Gabba Gabba We Accept You

‘Gabba Gabba We Accept You’ is a children’s picture book that tells the story of how a kid who was bullied and felt like a misfit grew up to become a hero to so many as lead singer of The Ramones. This story speaks to one of the greatest silent majorities in the world - all the kids who feel a little off. It contains an essential message that the world of punk rock has always meant to communicate. All of us, regardless of our diverse and non-exclusive design, have something that we are meant to have and share, in a place that we can call our own. As children, these things may appear to many of us as problems and shortcomings. The challenging passages of life that brought Jeffrey Ross Hyman to the place where he became Joey Ramone provide a natural lesson to young folks navigating their way through the complexities of growing up. Working in collaboration with visual artist Lucinda Schreiber, Jay Ruttenberg guides the story of ‘Gabba Gabba We Accept You’ in unexpected directions, with Lucinda’s lyrical illustrations and colourful design opening the sense of possibility in what feels like the path less travelled on every page. About the inspiration for this book, Jay says: “My daughter just turned 11, so I’ve spent recent years in children’s book land. I think I’ve read her 97 books about Abraham Lincoln and 12,984 about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It occurred to me that a lot of the life lessons I’ve been trying to teach her weren’t learned through my family or school, but through punk stuff: the importance of being your own person, following your own radar instead of a group’s, embracing uniqueness, etc. The Ramones, and in particular Joey, seemed like the perfect embodiment of that. So my big hope for the book is that it tells the story of Joey Ramone, but also, in kind of the biggest way, of what punk rock means, and how it might help a little kid wade through difficult social waters and be their own unique person.” ‘Gabba Gabba We Accept You’ speaks in well-grounded and wise verbal and visual language to inform and affirm children - young ones and the adult children, alike - that their individual personalities have an inspired and inspiring place in the world. In the process of becoming and being a person, there’s no one set of rules. The sooner we all know that, the sooner we’ll find ourselves in a much better place. Jay Ruttenberg is the editor of the comedy journal The Lowbrow Reader and of the book The Lowbrow Reader Reader. He has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times and other publications. He grew up in suburban Chicago and lives with his family in New York City. Lucinda Schreiber is an award-winning illustrator and animator. She has collaborated with a long list of clients, including MoMA, Saks Fifth Avenue, the BBC, NPR and Vox. Born in South Africa and raised mostly in Australia, she currently resides in Brooklyn.