Fans of the Grateful Dead are probably quite familiar with their cover of “Monkey And The Engineer.” The fun little ditty about an engineer’s pet monkey who takes a train for a joyride has now made its most suitable transition into a children’s book. Published by Red Psych Productions, the book is sure to be a delight for small children and a nice collectible item for true music fans.

Though it has been covered many times in various musical styles, the song was written by Jesse “Lone Cat” Fuller, an eclectic musician and inventor who was a major force in the 1960′s folk music scene. For those who are unfamiliar with his remarkable life and work, the book provides a wonderful biography of the man as well as sheet music for the song. Yet it is the artwork in the book that truly makes it stand out.

As anyone who has heard the song knows, the tune is infectious and the lyrics paint a great picture of the simple little story. Bringing those lyrics to colorful life was the task put to illustrator David Opie, and he has done an extraordinary job of doing so. The colors truly pop off of the page, and the attention to detail is outstanding. Every read-through offers more things to pick up, not only to tell the story, but also giving a bit of the history behind the song. One scene even has Jesse Fuller playing his many homemade instruments on the platform of the railroad station.

The promotional website at www.redpsychproductions.com offers a couple different versions of the song, and it can also be found on the Grateful Dead’s live album, Reckoning. Though David Opie has not yet illustrated any more books, his work can be found in a variety of magazines and newspapers. We can only hope that he and the people at Red Psych Productions continue this trend and bring new life to more beloved songs.

We’re offering one lucky Modern Hippie Mag reader a chance to recieve their very own copy of The Monkey and the Engineer!

Here’s how:

To be eligible you must be a Modern Hippie Mag subscriber receiving our updates via email or RSS, Facebook fan, and/or Twitter follower (tell us your Twitter name in your comment below).

Contest requirements:

1. Visit redpsychproductions.com, then comment here telling us an interesting fact about Jessie “Lone Cat” Fuller not mentioned above.
2. Become a fan of The Monkey and the Engineer on Facebook and follow on Twitter.
3. Use the tweetmeme button above to retweet this giveaway.

More details:

• Open to U.S. entrants only.
• Recipients chosen at random using random.org.
• Giveaway ends 12 midnight on Sunday, Dec. 20^th, 2009.  Winner will be announced on Monday, Dec. 21st 2009.

Steve McAllister  (360 Posts)

Steve McAllister, Modern Hippie Mag's resident Lifestyle Guru, describes himself as a Renaissance Man. An author, filmmaker, songwriter, and perpetual artistic experimenter, he has recently re-released his second book The Rucksack Letters into paperback to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the journey. His latest book, a comical foray into philosophical science fiction, is How to Survive an Estralarian Mind Meld. His latest artistic project is The Labyrinth of the Unbroken Path. .