Staff and Wire Report

 

Nick Cannon has been keeping a notebook for much of his life, and next year we’ll get to see some of the entries.

The 33-year-old entertainer and record producer is working on a book of poems for children.

Scholastic, the New York-based publishing house, announced earlier this month that it will publish Cannon’s Neon Aliens Ate My Homework and Other Poems in March.

Cannon also has a children’s book scheduled to be released this fall, Roc and Roe’s Twelve Days of Christmas. The work is described as “a delightful and festive picture book” and features Cannon’s twins Roc (Moroccan) and Roe (Monroe), which he had with his wife, Mariah Carey. The couple is reportedly estranged.

Scholastic is the global children’s publishing, education and media company. Officials note that Neon Aliens “will cover a diverse range of kid-friendly topics including funny, silly, gross, heartwarming, as well as serious poems, and will also include a number of illustrations created by Cannon himself.”

Neon Aliens is for kids ages 7 and up will feature black-and-white illustrations by acclaimed street artists whose works have been shown around the world including Art Mobb (aka Michael Farhat), Califawnia (aka Fawn Arthur), Captain Kris (aka Kristian Douglas), Morf (aka Jack Fish), Queen Andrea (aka Andrea von Bujdoss), MAST, and Mike P.

Cannon, a film star, comedian, TV and radio host, musician, writer, director, and philanthropist. He is best known as the energetic host of America’s Got Talent. People magazine called this California native one of the top-10 most successful young people in Hollywood.

At the age of 8, Cannon began writing poetry and songs, and performing them for friends and family. Through what Cannon recalls as “a lot of trial and failure,” he recorded his first song at home on his boom box.

At the age of 11, Cannon started doing standup comedy, and by 17, he was performing at world-renowned comedy venues. That same year, he got his biggest break. He became a cast member on Nickelodeon’s sketch-comedy series All That. Cannon also wrote for the show, making him the youngest staff writer on Nickelodeon’s history.

Cannon’s comedy experience culminated in the creation of The Nick Cannon Show, which earned him the first of many Kids’ Choice Awards—an award show that he later hosted several times. More recently, Cannon has released several music albums and is the creator, producer, and host of MTV’s Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out, an improv-comedy show with musical performances.

The inspiration for the book came from Cannon’s desire to combine the worlds of poetry and hip-hop—two major influences that have shaped him into the prolific artist he is today.

“Writing is at the center of everything I do as an artist. Doing creative writing—especially writing poetry—is when I felt the calmest and freest,” Cannon said. “As a kid, it was my escape from the inner-city pitfalls.”

He added that the first important writer in his life was Shel Silverstein.

“He made me fall in love with writing and seeing his whimsical sketches got me interested in art. When I was 8 years old, I got a spiral notebook and wrote my first poem/rap. I filled that notebook with poems, rhymes, jokes, and witty stories. I still keep one to this day. I hope that poems in Neon Aliens will help inspire kids to want to get out a pen and paper to write or draw their own thoughts, rhymes, and stories.”