“If the music biz is legit, then roller derby is an Olympic event.” In this bitingly hilarious memoir, Promo Monkey: Monkey See, Monkey TWO, RayMan Ramsay gives readers a backstage pass into the heart, soul (and, often, bowels) of the music industry. On April Fool’s Day in 1968, a wise-cracking, opinionated 19-year-old Ramsay landed a warehouse job at Quality Records/TPC. Music became part of his DNA. Ramsay ultimately spent 36 years in the business, hustling as a promotions rep and manager in the Vancouver and B.C. markets for Quality/TPC and RCA/BMG. In Promo Monkey, each chapter (Ramsay calls them “chatters” in his signature style, laden with puns, jokes and double entendres) breaks the music industry open, giving readers a peek inside at artists, acts and their “peeps,” through missives on artists such as Sammy Davis Jr., Otis Redding and Kenny Rogers, along with his trials and triumphs as a promo rep. Written in “Wryman” vernacular (and sometimes, dialect), he also unleashes screeds on punk rock, The Beach Boys and Chuck Berry, while dedicating plenty of airtime to icons such as David Bowie, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones. Ramsay’s at his best, p’raps (as he’d put it), when unleashing rhapsodies about Canadian artists such as the late John Bottomley and Doug & the Slugs, as well as the many hardworking colleagues and industry pros he laboured and laughed with throughout the years on one very wild and musical ride.

“...to the Creative Spirit that let me in, and to all my Music Buds who took the journey back then, and by guile, gall, hand, heart, and mind, sound or otherwise, had the will, persistence, tenacity, and desire to succeed back when it was still fun, yeah.” Promo Monkey: My Life as a BellHop in the Waldorf Hysteria is written in the key of R2 major. This alphabetical encyclopedia is a reflection on the real experiences and impressions of RayMan Ramsay during his career as Promo Rep/Manager at Quality Records/TPC Distribution and RCA/BMG Canada/Vancouver. Though he may take some flak for the way he portrays history, he has chosen to err on the side of passion rather than caution, and damn the tomatoes! Funny, clever, and entertaining, this book takes an in-depth and intimate look at the “Biz.” Because it’s always about the music. Always.

Hack Ward thought he had found a niche market for his skills as a private investigator when Hollywood came to Detroit. When washed up director Will Peyton gets pegged to direct a low-brow family comedy starring a chimp and a perpetual bad-girl pop star, Hack gets brought in by Peyton to keep an eye on starlet Haley Goslin. It's not because Peyton is concerned about her image; it's because Peyton is in love with the younger woman and doesn't want her fooling around on him. It isn't long, however, before events on the set start turning sinister. Hack is on hand the day the chimp has a psychotic episode and attacks Haley. Saving her life sets off a chain of events that bring Hack and Haley closer together and puts them in more and more danger. On the morning she gets called into the set to shoot some additional footage, they have no idea they are getting called into a trap. When it comes to murder, which is the more dangerous animal? Chimp ... or man?

Giraffe decides to find a band to help with her dancing. She asks one elephant to play the triangle, two monkeys to play the cymbals, three flamingos to play the flute and four lions to play the banjo. However, when the elephant gets jealous of the others, Giraffe has to come up with a plan to get them all playing in harmony.

Julia Donaldson's beloved rhyming picture book story about two monkeys who are as different as night and day - now with shiny cover foil! Night Monkey and Day Monkey don't think they have much in common. But when they each spend time in the other's opposite world, they learn to be the best of friends. From master storyteller, Julia Donaldson, and illustrated by Lucy Richards, this warm-hearted story about friendship and difference is pitch-perfect storytime reading. From the multi-award-winning author of a string of beloved contemporary classics, including The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo's Child, Stick Man, Room on the Broom, The Smeds and the Smoos, Zog and What the Ladybird Heard.