{"id":4675,"date":"2013-02-12T08:22:08","date_gmt":"2013-02-12T13:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/blissblog\/?p=4675"},"modified":"2013-06-08T08:16:49","modified_gmt":"2013-06-08T12:16:49","slug":"big-blue-frog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2013\/02\/big-blue-frog.html","title":{"rendered":"I’m In Love With A Big Blue Frog"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to ride the way back machine in both directions in the presence of a multi-generational audience that sang, danceed, swayed, clapped, smiled and laughed with delight to the words and music of septugenarian musician and consummate storyteller Peter Yarrow. He was appearing at the Doylestown Book Shop, which is a treasure in the Bucks County suburbs. It is a frequent gathering place for the\u00a0word loving\u00a0community and each time I go there, I’m fairly certain I will run into people I know.\u00a0This snow melting Monday morning\u00a0was no exception as I hung out with my cousin and a few friends as our blast from the past experience was about to begin.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0This still energetic, cool, gracefully aging hippie (I count myself in that fold too)\u00a0was touring in support of his new kids’ book called I’m In Love With A Big Blue Frog<\/strong>. \u00a0Although the coffeee table sized book was freshly born, it is based on the lyrics to a song penned by Les Braunstein (lead singer of\u00a0Blue Oyster Cult \u00a0in 1967) and performed for the first time that same year when I was but 9\u00a0 years old, by the legendary trio Peter, Paul and Mary. I had the joy of interviewing Paul Stookey back in the 1990’s and sadly, never had the same opportunity of speaking with Mary Travers who passed in 2009 of Leukemia. For those who are not familiar, their most famous (and may playfully raise eyebrows of those of a certain age who question its meaning:) song is Puff The Magic Dragon<\/em>. It is 50 years old and a favorite of kids of all ages.\u00a0\u00a0On this particular day, it was the closing song to the mini-concert with mini to\u00a0 maxi back up singers lending our voices to the choir.<\/p>\n

The book and the song that were the reason for celebration for what looked like several hundred shiny, happy people is a call for racial equality as well as relationship equality, since it highlights a red haired freckle faced \u00a0human woman whose choice of partner is a lanky 6’4″ irridescently hued amphibian whose “mother was a frog from Philadelphia, His daddy an enchanted prince.”\u00a0 The gorgeous illustrations come from the imagination of University of Hartford grad, who earned his M.F.A., Joshua Brunet. They are whimsically and brightly hued depictions of people and animals who stare and point, grimace and scowl at the happy couple, since their beliefs are fear induced, rather than notice the love that flows between these two. The beautifully packaged book also contains a 3 song CD with I’m In Love With A Big Blue Frog<\/em>,\u00a0 The Froggy Went A’ Courtin<\/em> and Inside.\u00a0 <\/em><\/em>Each one is sing-along-able for kids of all ages, and they focus on open hearted loving, regardless of appearance and what’s on the outside.<\/p>\n

Known for their fervent support of civil rights causes, Peter, Paul and Mary sang out for<\/strong> love and reconciliation, rather than just against<\/strong> hatred and bigotry. Their anthemic song, If I Had A Hammer<\/em> is the perfect example….”I’d hammer out the love between my brothers and my sisters….all over this land”\u00a0 (followed by a string of oooh oooh’s…my favorite part to this day.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It occurred to me; not a difficult stretch at all, that it could just as easily apply to same sex couples whose fight for equality and acceptance mirrors those of multi-racial couples whose marriages were illegal back when this song was written and sung. An anthem for us all.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

http:\/\/youtu.be\/svoVxWcGNzA<\/a>\u00a0I’m In Love With A Big Blue Frog\u00a0 by Peter, Paul and Mary<\/p>\n

www.peterpaulandmary.com<\/a><\/p>\n

www.doylestownbookshop.com<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to ride the way back machine in both directions in the presence of a multi-generational audience that sang, danceed, swayed, clapped, smiled and laughed with delight to the words and music of septugenarian musician and consummate storyteller Peter Yarrow. He was appearing at the Doylestown Book Shop, which is a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":233,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,2,55,70,33,19,94,49,3,14,4,15,16,37],"tags":[2827,1109,2401,1108,2474,2829,2828,2825,399,2824,2823,2809,2826],"class_list":["post-4675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art","category-bliss","category-book-review","category-community","category-creativity","category-empowerment","category-family","category-friendship","category-gratitude","category-how-to-invite-bliss","category-inspiration","category-living-their-bliss","category-my-personal-bliss","category-writing","tag-blue-oyster-cult","tag-bucks-county","tag-civil-rights","tag-doylestown-bookstore","tag-if-i-had-a-hammer","tag-joshua-brunet","tag-les-braunstein","tag-mary-travers","tag-pa","tag-paul-stookey","tag-peter-paul-and-mary","tag-peter-yarrow","tag-puff-the-magic-dragon"],"yoast_head":"\nI'm In Love With A Big Blue Frog - The Bliss Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2013\/02\/big-blue-frog.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"I'm In Love With A Big Blue Frog - The Bliss Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Yesterday, I had the opportunity to ride the way back machine in both directions in the presence of a multi-generational audience that sang, danceed, swayed, clapped, smiled and laughed with delight to the words and music of septugenarian musician and consummate storyteller Peter Yarrow. 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