ACCOMPANIED BY THE RELEASE OF
“THE SONG OF THE BIRD AND THE BEE” SONG AND VIDEO
BY MULTI-PLATINUM SELLING SONGWRITER AND ICON AWARD HONOREE M’JESTI
“Against the laws of nature, love really does conquer all.” - Kids Picture Book Review
“This beautiful children’s book teaches us that no matter what background we come from, diversity makes the world a more beautiful place.” - Dr. Samantha Tamburro., PSYD
"A very uplifting and delightful story about love and accomplishing common goals. I absolutely love the message about working hard and creating something beautiful. A great message for children to show nothing comes easy but if you work for it you get great results! " - Sharen Hardy Kindergarten Teacher, Carden Conejo
"The bird and the bee is a beautifully written story that Spreads the message of love and positivity. Geared towards 4 to 8-year-olds it is simply written with a strong message. The illustrations are beautiful and would definitely inspire the young art student. " - Carrie Cowit, Early Childhood Educator
"The story is incredible and very much needed! Kids need to be exposed to stories like this that normalize love across races. When kids see parts of their world reflected in books the lesson is so much deeper. Incredible!" - Alyssa Tucker //Teacher Stephen Gaynor School NYC // Co-Founder of @LiveFromSnackTime
THE BIRD AND THE BEE:
THE BOOK // THE SONG OF THE BIRD AND THE BEE + VIDEO
Founder and CEO of the Los Angeles based music company The Penthouse, Jonnie Forster is excited to add the title of author to his resume with the release of the beautiful children’s book The Bird and The Bee out today via Simon & Schuster. The book is accompanied by the release of “The Song of The Bird and The Bee '' written and performed by multi-platinum-selling songwriter M’Jesti available today on all major streaming platforms. The book tells the story of two creatures from very different backgrounds, Herbie the Hummingbird and Bree Princess Bee as they join forces to help save the forest. Along the way, they meet a colorful trove of beautifully illustrated characters, brought to life by Ukrainian artist and refugee Yuliia Danchuk, and learn lessons of love and acceptance. According to Herbie the Humming Bird “if progress must start somewhere why not with Herbie and Bree."
Forster’s initial inspiration for the book came from his wedding, an event that brought together a colorful cast of characters from all different walks of life, to celebrate love and the union of two people from very different backgrounds. Forster was raised Jewish and is from New York, and his wife, Kamilah, is part Native American and African American. Basking in the glow of the wedding, Forster was at Lake Tahoe where observed a hummingbird feeding on a flower, next to a group of bees. He started to contemplate how incredible it was that these two very different creatures could not only co-exist but were enjoying nature together in harmony. Forster started to develop a story about a long nose hummingbird (him) who falls for the future Queen of the hive (Kamilah). After the birth of their daughter Ivy, and during the height of the pandemic, in the midst of cultural divisiveness and political tensions, Forster thought it was time to put pen to paper. This was a story his daughter, and the world at large was in need of.
Forster knew he had a good story but would need to partner with an incredible illustrator to bring breathe life into the characters he created. After scouring the internet and sifting through thousands of potential creators, he found Yuliia Danchuk, an unknown and unpublished Ukrainian illustrator. Forster, also of Ukrainian lineage, was immediately drawn to her talent and expressed sympathy for the volatile state she was in. With no formal training, and despite living within a warzone, Danchuk connected with the story on many levels and was able to beautifully interpret the characters. “This project was the largest book I have drawn,” said Danchuk. “I was terribly afraid that I wouldn't be able to cope, I'm still self-taught without an education, but I wanted to test myself, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, no matter what. Thanks to this project, I gained confidence in my strengths and abilities. This project prevented me from falling into a deep depression, it became my hiding place from everything, a place where my psyche could rest.” In addition to the impact, the work had on her mental state, with the payment she received from the project she was able to flee the war and relocate to the Czech Republic where she and her brother currently reside.
Since Forster’s world is music it was going to be a part of this project, and he took it upon himself to share the project with his network of musicians and songwriters, which found its way to BMI award recipient, multi-platinum selling, Icon Honoree M’Jestie. In her early 20s, M'Jestie began writing songs for Bad Boy and Roc-A-Fella Records and by the age of 26 had sold more than 2 Million albums, notably penning Rihanna’s very first global hit “Pon De Replay.” After that career-making opportunity, M’Jestie walked away from the music industry to start her Dream Little Dreamer music school for children. M’Jestie was so taken by the story that she came out of retirement from songwriting to write songs inspired by the book starting with the theme song “The Song of The Bird and the Bee.” "Honestly, I was amazed by the artwork. It helped me to draw inspiration for the music. When Johnnie asked me to be a part of the project, it was just a magical moment. The song and music naturally came together. There is nothing more true than the bird and the bee." Coming soon, just in time for the Holidays is a Bird and the Bee Holiday song from M’Jestie and the launch of an exclusive line of luxury wallpaper with Evolve Textiles.
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