What Is Punk? Format: Hardcover

A wonderfully illustrated children's history of punk rock, from a progressive/idealistic perspective.

―One of The Globe and Mail‘s Best Books of 2015

“A punk primer for the youngest set. . . . Yi’s incredibly detailed clay figures are a kinetic and inspired art choice. Their crazy creativity matches the expressive spirit of punk. . . . As [Morse] points out, the best way to learn about punk it just to listen. . . . If invested adults love the topic, a shared reading experience can’t be beat.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Clay artist Yi molds . . . fantastically detailed Plasticine figures to create scenes of the birth of punk. Using a benign craft-project material for the skinny bodies and ragged clothing of Joey Ramone, Sid Vicious, and their rowdy, fist-waving audiences is very much in the spirit of punk (Plasticine is especially good for mohawks), and readers will spend long stretches inspecting her painstakingly modeled guitars, amplifiers, and safety pins.” ―Publishers Weekly

What Is Punk? is a must-read pop-culture primer for children―an introduction to the punk revolution, recreated in vivid 3-D clay illustrations and told through rhyming couplets.

From London’s Clash and Sex Pistols to the Ramones’ NYC protopunk, from Iggy Pop to the Misfits, this volume depicts some of our culture’s seminal moments and iconic characters. A delightful read for kids and parents alike, illustrated in a truly unique visual style, What Is Punk? lays the groundwork for the next generation of little punks.

Part of Akashic’s Black Sheep YA imprint.

Eric Morse was the founding editor of "Trampoline House" magazine, named Best New Online Magazine by SXSW. As an entrepreneur and as director of direct-to-consumer business at Warner Music Group, Morse has devoted himself to spreading the gospel of great music to young ears. He lives within a stone's throw of New York City with his wife and four children. He is the author of "What Is Punk?."
Anny Yi is an artist from Los Angeles, California. Working with clay as her medium, she merges all of her passions into short stop-motion films and figure models. She is the illustrator of "What Is Punk?."