{"product_id":"9781501137808","title":"Sunny Days : The Children's Television Revolution That Changed America","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eSunny Days\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): David Kamp\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne of the “Best Books” of the year from \u003ci\u003eThe Smithsonian, The Washington Independent Review, \u003c\/i\u003eand more!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom bestselling writer David Kamp, the “fun, fascinating, and surprisingly touching,” (\u003ci\u003ePeople\u003c\/i\u003e) behind-the-scenes story of the cultural heroes who created the beloved children’s TV programs \u003ci\u003eSesame Street\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Electric Company\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMister Rogers’ Neighborhood\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFree to Be…You\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eand Me\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eSchoolhouse Rock!\u003c\/i\u003e—which transformed American childhood for the better, teaching kids about diversity, the ABCs, and feminism through a fun, funky 1970s lens.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWith a foreword by Questlove.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1970, on a soundstage on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a group of men, women, and Muppets of various ages and colors worked doggedly to finish the first season of a children’s TV program that was not yet assured a second season:\u003ci\u003e Sesame Street\u003c\/i\u003e. They were conducting an experiment to see if television could be used to better prepare disadvantaged preschoolers for kindergarten. What they didn’t know then was that they were starting a cultural revolution that would affect all American kids.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eIn\u003ci\u003e Sunny Days\u003c\/i\u003e, bestselling author David Kamp captures the unique political and social moment that gave us not only \u003ci\u003eSesame Street\u003c\/i\u003e, but also Fred Rogers’s gentle yet brave \u003ci\u003eMister Rogers’ Neighborhood\u003c\/i\u003e; Marlo Thomas’s unabashed gender politics primer \u003ci\u003eFree to Be…You and Me\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eSchoolhouse Rock!\u003c\/i\u003e, an infectious series of educational shorts dreamed up by Madison Ave admen; and more, including \u003ci\u003eThe Electric Company\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eZOOM.\u003c\/i\u003e It was a unique time when an uncommon number of media professionals and thought leaders leveraged their influence to help children learn—and, just as notably, a time of unprecedented buy-in from American parents.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eSunny Days \u003c\/i\u003eis full of such nostalgic jolts…it makes the era a pleasure to revisit” (\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e) and captures a wondrous period in the US when a determined few proved that, with persistence and effort, they could change the lives of millions. It is “a lively and bewitching recounting of a particularly ripe period in television and cultural history” (\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e) and, as the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e notes, “a sublime book about a variety of creative people coming together not in the pursuit of fame or money, but to enrich the lives of children.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e“Sunny Days” is full of such nostalgic jolts for readers who grew up in those years....it makes the era a pleasure to revisit.\" \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\"Fun, fascinating and surprisingly touching.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] lively and bewitching recounting of a particularly ripe period in television and cultural history.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"It is almost impossible not to feel a warm blanket of nostalgia draped over you as you read; Kamp delivers a sense of comfort and familiarity on every page.\" \u003cbr\u003e\"David Kamp takes readers on a fascinating journey through the development of one of the most beloved shows on television.\" \u003cbr\u003e“Assiduously researched and frolicsome…both an educational odyssey and a balm for uncertain times.”\u003cbr\u003e\"If you’re looking for a healthy dose of nostalgia, this is your book...a deeply researched cultural history of beloved children’s TV programs—including \u003ci\u003eSesame Street, Schoolhouse Rock, The Muppets, \u003c\/i\u003eand many more.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"This passionate, highly engaging media history will thrill pop culture buffs and those who remember these shows from their childhood.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Researchers and nostalgic Sesame Street fans alike will appreciate this thorough, compelling overview of a pivotal period of TV history.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"A cultural history of how children's TV, once criticized for banal programming, changed dramatically in the 1960s...Kamp offers a brisk, lively account.\" \u003cbr\u003e“Enchanting...For readers of a certain generation, \u003ci\u003eSunny Days\u003c\/i\u003e will have a thrilling flashback effect, like a fizzy nostalgia drink, and the book's archival photos only enhance the time-tripping experience. For millennial readers, \u003ci\u003eSunny Days\u003c\/i\u003e will be both a captivating glimpse at a revolutionary time and a blueprint for what's possible with a little seed money, civic-mindedness, feathers and glue.”\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eSunny Days\u003c\/i\u003e is a splendid, clever, inspiring, and strangely suspenseful history of the revolution in children’s television that was Sesame Street. For those of us who grew up with the show, it was as natural and essential as oxygen, but Kamp’s detailed reporting reveals that its existence was anything but assured — in fact, it was a miracle. This book, just like its subject, is a tonic and an education, and casts a bright light of hope during these dark times.”\u003cbr\u003e“God, I loved the book…If you’re a Gen-X American who grew up in front of the television set, you gotta read this book…If you enjoyed the sunny days of your childhood, if you’re looking for more sunny days in America, pick up SUNNY DAYS by David Kamp.\"\u003cbr\u003e“With \u003ci\u003eSunny Days\u003c\/i\u003e, David Kamp captures the pivotal moment when children’s television grew up. It could teach numbers! Letters! Emotions! These shows changed generations of children’s lives, myself included. Kamp has told an inspiring story, powered by love and grace.”\u003cbr\u003e“A great read. I learned all kinds of things that I didn’t know, even after being at \u003ci\u003eSesame Street\u003c\/i\u003e for 50 years.” \u003cbr\u003e“Terrific! In one fell swoop, \u003ci\u003eSunny Days \u003c\/i\u003enails an entire historical era of American children’s TV. It took me back to when I worked with all of those extraordinarily talented people.”\u003cbr\u003e“When I read \u003ci\u003eSunny Days\u003c\/i\u003e, I can once again see all the faces, human and Muppet and otherwise. Most important, I can feel all the things I felt back then, and I’m grateful for it.”\u003cbr\u003e\"David Kamp has long been one of the keenest observers of popular culture. In \u003ci\u003eSunny Days\u003c\/i\u003e, he turns that formidable mind to something with real emotional heft, too, and brings back to life a time of hope and optimism amidst a country torn apart at the seams. This is an essential book on an essential moment in the history of American television.\"\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eSunny Days\u003c\/i\u003e is a terrific read. It’s nostalgic, sure, but it’s also revealing, inspiring, and entirely engrossing.”\u003cbr\u003e\"I’ve been asked to contribute to several books over the years, but the one that \u003ci\u003ereally\u003c\/i\u003e impressed my Mama is David Kamp’s \u003ci\u003eSunny Days\u003c\/i\u003e.”\u003cbr\u003e“Real. Radical. Revered. Remarkable. Relevant. Revealing. Racy. REVOLUTIONARY. Those are all words that start with \u003ci\u003eR\u003c\/i\u003e and yes, we are talking about \u003ci\u003eSesame Street\u003c\/i\u003e and David Kamp’s fascinating origin story of a show that raised us all.”\u003cbr\u003e“Anybody interested in the history of television will love \u003ci\u003eSunny Days\u003c\/i\u003e. Cool read.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781501137808\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":40590913667278,"sku":"9781501137808","price":27.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/O_086c7c33-0706-4d10-9c24-0a29500ddcf9.jpg?v=1637745011","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781501137808","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}