A singer writes a charming children's book

My interview with Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay

I talked with Dan Haseltine, lead singer of the three-time Grammy Award-winning band Jars of Clay, for my radio show yesterday, and I really enjoyed it. (Despite pictures of Dan that always seem to show him looking extremely solemn, he was very pleasant and amiable.)



Dan has written a children's book, "The One, The Only Magnificent Me!"

I read to my kids a lot while they were growing up, but I must admit that since they've gotten older, I've been out of the loop when it comes to children's books. Now that I have a little grandson, though, I'm getting back in the loop! And I found that The One, The Only Magnificent Me! is a book I'd be delighted to read to a child.

The illustrations by Joel Schoon Tanis are colorful and appealing, and perfectly complement Haseltine's whimsical rhyming narrative: "I wish I had feathers. I wish I had wings. I wish I was covered with prickly things. I wish I was sort of a blue greenish red, with a hint of bright orange and a spike on my head."

The main message of the book? Even though you may yearn to be something you're not, there really is only one "you," and you are unique and special.

In this sound clip from our interview, Dan tells me how his own children, Max and Noah, were instrumental in the book coming into being:



In this clip, Dan talks about the similarities between writing a children's book and writing a song.



Dan and I also chatted about Jars of Clays' upcoming Christmas album, Christmas Songs, and Dan's upcoming humanitarian trip to Africa. You can hear the entire interview here.