Gut Friends with Charlie Mgee (Formidable Vegetable)

Are you human? Meet the 90 trillion non-human friends that each one of us carries around every day (plus a couple of goats) with one of our new music friends from down under, Formidable Vegetable's Charlie Mgee. Charlie's music and ideas take us on a journey to consider our relationship to the environment and think about how to be a good friend to the whole world. 100 trillion thanks to Charlie Mgee for popping back on the grid to speak with us and sharing 3 songs from their most recent album "Garbage Buts". To find out more about Formidable Vegetable's music and permaculture activism, visit https://formidablevegetable.com.au/ To find out more about Ear Snacks or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org

GRAMMY-Award-Winning Artists, Alphabet Rockers, join us in a heart-centering conversation about feeling alone. Along with friends Harlow, Alex, Miles, Maya, Jacob & Isabel we think a more about friendship and the vocabulary around sharing and noticing alone feelings. Many many thanks to Kaitlin McGaw and Tommy Shepherd of Alphabet Rockers. On this episode you heard two of their songs - "You are Not Alone" which is a song AND NOW A BOOK! Their song "Get You a Friend" is on their new GRAMMY-Award-Winning Album, The Movement. On this show you heard their thoughts and their art and now you need to go hear more of their music and get their book and support their work at alphabetrockers.com.  For more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org. Thanks to Shopify for supporting Ear Snacks. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/earsnacks

Get to know some of the family music artists nominated for a 2023 GRAMMY Award for Best Children’s Album: Divinity Roxx from NYC (@diviroxx and @diviroxxkids) plays bass for Beyoncé, writes children’s books, and loves mini-kayaking adventures. She shared “Be Yourself” from her GRAMMY-nominated album “Ready, Set, Go!” Justin Roberts from Evanston, IL (@justiroberts) plays pinball, complex faming-based board games, writes children’s books illustrated by Christian Robinson, and advocates for musicians rights. He shared “I Have Been a Unicorn” from his GRAMMY-nominated album “Space Cadet” Alphabet Rockers from Oakland, CA (@alphabetrockets) contain multitudes. We’ve shared their community-based social justice projects The butterfly Effect and We Got Work To Do on the show, and their children’s book You Are Not Alone features in an upcoming episode of Ear Snacks about friendship and loneliness. They shared “Our Turn” from their GRAMMY-nominated album “The Movement” Wendy and DB from Chicago, IL (@wendyandDB) work with and fundraise for the Chicago blues community, organize community art projects, and yes – eat tuna on crackers. They shared “If I Had a Hammer” from their GRAMMY-nominated album “Into the Little Blue House” We hope this playlist piques your family’s interest in the awesome artistry at work in the children’s genre and that you take the time to explore the work of these generous guests! Ear Snacks is made by Andrew & Polly. To find out more or to be on the show, visit earnacks.org - and thanks for listening!

Who are your friends? How do people become friends? Can *we* be friends? On this episode of Ear Snacks, Andrew & Polly and their friends contemplate the nature of friendship. We also squawk on our parrot phone to call children’s author Helena Ku Rhee (The Paper Kingdom) about her experience making friends as she grew up in a multilingual apartment complex in Los Angeles, the basis of her 2022 picture book Rosa’s Song illustrated by Pascal Campion. Many thanks to our friends Harlow, Elijah, Maya, Alex, Miles, Isabel (and their parents!) for sharing what they know about friends with us. For more information or to be on the show, please visit earsnacks.org Thanks to Shopify for supporting Ear Snacks. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/earsnacks

Andrew & Polly think about how to stay warm in the winter with some of our favorite family holiday tunes. For more great episodes on the holidays, check out these episodes about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, our most favoritest family holiday music playlist and lights in the ocean! Thanks to Sara Louise Callaway from The Music Box and the one and only Mista Cookie Jar. Thanks to Arlo, Molly, Poppy, Opal, Sam, and Thiri (and their parents) for sharing what they know about lights and how their families use lights to celebrate. Ear Snacks is a free interactive experience centered around children’s voices & ideas. To support the work we’re doing for your kids (and all kids), become a supporter on Patreon or through Apple Podcasts Premium Subscription feature. Thanks for listening! Need more snacks? Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok! Thanks to Shopify for supporting Ear Snacks. Go to Shopify.com/earsnacks for a FREE trial.

Some things crack by design - like eggs! But it can be really surprising for kids when something breaks, especially if that thing can't be repaired. In this episode, we think about what to do about the unpredictable. Everett (from South Africa), Henry & Saul, Jackson & Beanie and Ainsley tell Andrew & Polly about things that break. Elizabeth Cochran (aka Dr. Earthquakes!) from the USGS talks earthquake science (aka seismology) & L.A. Everett shares about how he cracked the bones in his arm. To find out more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org Thanks to Shopify for supporting Ear Snacks. Go to Shopify.com/earsnacks for a FREE trial.

Andrew & Polly receive an urgent voice message from their friends Kevin & Louise. We learned A LOT about disguises from marine biologist Rebecca Johnson from the California Academy of Sciences and voice actor and composer Greg Chun. Thanks to our pals Sadie A, Sadie E, Grey, Georgia, Zoey, Gavin, Gavin, Devorah, Elliot, Ainsley, Tanner, Luke & Ace for making Ear Snacks so delicious! Ear Snacks is a free interactive experience centered around children’s voices & ideas. To support the work we’re doing for your kids (and all kids), become a supporter on Patreon or through Apple Podcasts Premium Subscription feature. Thanks for listening! Need more snacks? Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok! Go to Shopify.com/earsnacks for a FREE trial.

Andrew & Polly and their friends think about STEPS - the kinds you take with your feet, like when you go on a walk with mom, or when you have an idea for a sandwich, paper airplane - or amazing art project. We interview an alien, our friends, and art legend John Baldessari who died in January, 2020 at the age of 88. Many thanks to Malcolm, Jonas, Milena, Sady, Ella, and to Patrick Pardo for arranging our interview with Mr. Baldessari. You can learn more about John Baldessari at baldessari.org or at most modern art museums. Or via this epic 6-minute biography narrated by Tom Waits. For more information or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org. And thanks to Shopify for supporting Ear Snacks. Go to Shopify.com/earsnacks for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.

It's important to keep your teeth healthy! Andrew & Polly learn what to expect when visiting the dentist and get some official teeth info from one of the friendliest pediatric dentists around, Dr. Jessie Schwarz. Plus, a song about a Saw & Zipper (who both have teeth).

Pop! Welcome to a very floaty episode of Ear Snacks in which Andrew & Polly (literally) get into bubbles. Come ponder the nature of glistening spheres, learn the science of surface tension and explore the wonders of Bubble Planet at Kidspace Children’s Museum, and wax poetic about the joy of sharing bubbles with our effortlessly effervescent pal, Mista Cookie Jar -- who helps us make a brand new song, “Like a Bubble!" Thanks to Kaya, Kali, Kieran, Vada & Shai (who made some bubble art for this episode) for sharing what they know about bubbles! To learn more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org and special thanks to our amazing new Patreon supporters Winona, Margot, Gussy, & Theo family! To support the work we do, join us at patreon.com/earsnacks Thanks to editor extraordinaire Allyson Holley for helping us make this episode, as well as musicians Bruno Serroni (cello), Davi Mello (cavaquino), Jon-Paul Frappier (trumpet), Chris Bonner (bass) and Chris Barber (drums) for bringing our original music to life. And as always, thank YOU for listening -- it means a lot. Need more snacks? Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok!