The history of rock and heavy metal has been rewritten with children in mind, by an author who aims to teach kids that the genre isn’t something to be feared.

Lav Nandlall’s Don’t Fear the Dark contains stories from the past of heavy music told in rhyme, with colorful illustrations by artist Kaylee McHugh and design by Jeanine Breuer, who’s credited with the idea of “creating not just any book, but a book for many future generations.”

The first book in the series, Don’t Fear the Dark Vol. 1, starts with an exploration of how Black Sabbath and others created the heavy metal genre. The text includes the lines:

Black Sabbath’s music is filled with dark feels
And the audiences just wanted to rock their heels.
In 1969 their first self-titled album released
And so began the genre of The Beast.

The story moves on to Sabbath’s next album, Paranoid:

This best-selling album gave the band grit
But strange crazy Ozzy wasn’t fit.
He was dabbling in hallucinogenic goo,
Remember kids, drugs are bad for you!

“What if Dr. Seuss and Ozzy Osbourne spent a crazy night out on the town?” Nandlall said in a statement. “[These] eleven books aim to educate young headbangers about a music scene that is often overlooked in society as well as inform the ‘littles’ that there’s nothing to fear about metal music.

“The book appeals to tiny tots and metal music lovers who love a good slash of alternative history. There aren’t many commercial books on the topic of metal music, nor are there any books for younger audiences, so this is a first of its kind. It opens discussions about musical inspiration, artistic careers, style statements, adventure, and the macabre. People who are curious and intrigued by a world of music will find that there’s something in there for them.”

Don’t Fear the Dark Vol. 1 is available direct from the author by email.

 

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