Joe Coleman
Pens a Lyrical Picture Book to Inspire Healthy Choices
by Melissa Fales
Accomplished singer Joe Coleman is a man of many talents. In addition to his vocal abilities, he’s also a songwriter, playwright, and now a children’s book author. Coleman’s new book, DanSing Pancakes’ Healthy Choices Musical Story, and its companion singalong song are designed to encourage children to reject drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes in favor of a healthy lifestyle. Coleman, who spent 20 years thrilling crowds as the lead singer of the legendary group The Platters, says it’s a message that kids need to hear. “I’m committed to teaching kids that making healthy choices can be fun and empowering,” he says. “They need to know it’s cool to study hard, respect your family and friends, and eat healthily.”
You’d never know it now, but Coleman was extremely shy as a child. “I was so quiet and shy, people would forget I was in the room,” he says. Raised in Washington, D.C., by parents who were both Baptist ministers, Coleman grew up in the church, singing in the choir. “I remember one time I came home from school when I was seven or eight years old and my mother told me, ‘Joey, it’s time to get ready for choir rehearsal,’” he recalls. Confused, Coleman told her he wasn’t in the choir. “She said, ‘Oh, didn’t I tell you? You’re in the choir now.’ And that was that,” he says. Also in the choir was Joe Blunt, who would go on to sing with The Drifters and later joined Coleman and Theo Peoples, formerly of The Temptations, to create the group Voices of Classic Soul. “Joe’s (Blunt) mother was the co-director of the choir,” says Coleman. “He doesn’t recall being asked to join it either.”
Singing helped Coleman overcome his shyness. “Unbeknownst to my mother, she was putting me on the path to my future career,” he says. After appearing in talent shows and performing in various clubs in the D.C. area, Coleman eventually moved to New York City to seek fame and fortune. When he learned that The Platters were looking for a new singer, he auditioned and was chosen for the group. “I saw a good portion of the world with the Platters,” he says. “I had the privilege of sharing those wonderful, amazing songs with audiences all around the world.”
Coleman’s mother not only encouraged him to sing, she showed him how to use his voice to promote right in the face of wrong. “She was a Baptist minister in a time when Baptists didn’t think women should be preaching,” says Coleman. “They could play piano, teach Sunday School, lead the choir, everything but preach the gospel. She had a tough go of it.” Coleman watched his mother struggle for acceptance and saw how his father supported her efforts completely. “They taught me to stand up for what you believe in,” says Coleman. “They set an example for me. It was character-forming.”
One of the things Coleman believes in is preventing children from getting involved in drugs. “There’s obviously a very serious opioid issue in our country today,” he says. “There are kids raising themselves because their mom or dad is passed out on the sofa. We can’t just sit back and pretend these things aren’t going on. We just want to keep kids from getting into those things. And we think it’s important to start at an early age.”
Coleman was in Los Angeles when he was first approached about the DanSing Pancakes project. “This gentleman, Philip Auerbach got in touch with me and said, ‘I understand you’re a songwriter,’” says Coleman. “He told me about the book he and Rick Vitacco were writing. He said that they’d love to have a song to go along with it. I told them to send me the manuscript.”
“I’m committed to teaching kids that making healthy choices can be fun and empowering. They need to know it’s cool to study hard, respect your family and friends, and eat healthily.”
When Coleman read it, he thought the language of the story was too mature for the audience they were trying to reach. “I took it upon myself to begin a rewrite,” he says. “I wanted to give them an example of what I had in mind, but before I realized it, I had rewritten the whole book for a younger audience. It was a surprise to me as I’d never written a children’s book before. I think the fact that I am a lyricist did help a little.”
DanSing Pancakes’ Healthy Choices Musical Story is an easy way to talk about hard topics with young children. The book features two pancakes, Pablo and Priscilla, who are shocked to see their classmates smoking during recess. In response, they write a song that encourages their peers to make healthy choices. Readers can access the song, written and performed by Coleman, by using a QR code in the book.
In the song, Coleman asks children if they’re going to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or do drugs, and the children respond “No, no, no.” He says he utilized a call and answer format for the song as a way to encourage children to sing along. “I wanted them to be involved in the song and take some ownership of the thought behind it,” he says. “I did that specifically to plant that seed and help them remember that they want to be healthy.”
DanSing Pancakes’ Healthy Choices Musical Story features age-appropriate illustrations by Aubrey Foster Morgan and Tracy Foster Pyke. There are coloring pages and suggested healthy activities the whole family can get involved with. Coleman says the book, the song, and the activities all reinforce the same message. “We want kids to commit to the idea of staying healthy their whole lives,” he says, adding that it’s not just reminding kids about what not to do, but also to teach them what they should do. “There’s a pledge for kids to take, where they promise to honor their parents, study hard, and be a good friend,” he says. “We want to focus on developing positive attitudes.”
Coleman says he’s often asked why the characters in the book and song are pancakes. “It’s simple,” he says. “Everybody loves pancakes. Or so I thought.” He recalls an event where he read the book and sang the song to a group of kids, only to have one kid announce she didn’t like pancakes. “I like waffles,” she says. “I did come up with a response,” says Coleman. “I said, ‘Well, that’s pancakes’ cousin, so that’s OK. It’s all in the family.”
Coleman says the response to DanSing Pancakes’ Healthy Choices Musical Story has been terrific. “The confirmation came for me at the first event at a Boys and Girls Club in Washington, D.C.,” he says. “As I read the book, they were paying attention.” Coleman says the song was especially well received. “When we got to the song, they were all dancing,” he says. “When they heard the line, ‘Stomp your feet,’ they were all stomping around. They related to it in a big way. Everyone was having fun. And that’s the key about delivering a message to kids. You have to do it in a fun way.”
A portion of proceeds from DanSing Pancakes’ Healthy Choices Musical Story will go to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington D.C. For more information about Joe Coleman, the DanSing Pancakes’ Healthy Choices Musical Story, and the companion song, visit dansingpancakes.com.