Storytime with Doctor Waffle!
Featured Book
If You Ask an Axolotl
From Doctor Waffle, the popular singer-songwriting duo, comes a sweet and whimsical picture book adapted from their viral “If You Ask an Axolotl” TikTok video—featuring a brand-new verse and sheet music!
There’s an axolotl on the pink stairs. Is an axolotl supposed to be there? Penguin and Axolotl play a game of cat and mouse, among other hijinks, in this playful, rhythmic read-aloud that celebrates the joy of curiosity, the magic of unexpected friendships, and the connective power of music.
This book will be available for purchase at the event.
About This Event
The Seminary Co-op and 57th Street Books are SO EXCITED to invite you to a very special storytime and musical presentation with Doctor Waffle!
Join us on Sunday, December 6th at 11am at Seminary Co-op Bookstore (right around the corner from 57th Street Books on Woodlawn Ave).
Doctor Waffle will read from their new picture book IF YOU ASK AN AXOLOTL. A book signing will follow the musical presentation!
Featured Authors
Doctor Waffle
Doctor Waffle is the online handle of Ryan Walter and Abby Lyons, a husband-wife singer-songwriting duo, whose infectious and adorable songs have made them very popular on TikTok.
Walter, Ryan
Ryan Walter is a clinical psychologist and children’s musician with a growing collection of animal figurines. Known as Doctor Waffle on social media, he composes and records original songs alongside his wife, Abby Lyons. Ryan’s roles as a child and adolescent therapist and children’s music instructor have influenced not only his songwriting but his appreciation for younger generations and belief in the importance of play and creative self-expression. Ryan loves Chicago sports, thunderstorms, and making his family laugh.
Lyons, Abby
Abby Lyons is a singer-songwriter and classical musician, who has released three albums of original songs. Her vocals can be heard on the television series The Wheel of Time and Life on Our Planet. She is known for her ukulele instruction on YouTube and Fender Play and has performed and taught at many ukulele festivals. When she’s not teaching and accompanying singers on piano at Old Town School of Folk Music, she happily collaborates with her husband on Doctor Waffle videos, contributing music, costumes, and sets.
About the Venue
Seminary Co-Op Bookstore
For over 60 years, the Seminary Co-op Bookstores has served as a cultural anchor in and beyond Chicago; as the first not-for-profit bookstore whose mission is bookselling, their stores, which include 57th Street Books, celebrate the power of the browsing experience to inspire curiosity, discovery, and delight.
Visit store pageMore at Seminary Co-Op Bookstore
NaNo 2.0
Ready to Write Your Novel? Say hello to NaNo 2.0—a community-led endeavor that’s keeping the spirit of National Novel Writing Month alive. The goal? Write 50,000 words over the course of November or you can pick any writing project for the month that feels exciting to you! At the Seminary Co-Op Bookstores, we want to support our writerly community by hosting NaNo Drop-ins on November 2, 9, 16, and 30 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Seminary Co-Op (5751 S Woodlawn Ave). Seminary Co-op Board Member Holly Smith (MA Writing) will be at each drop-in and available to be a sounding board for anything that has you stuck. If you want to buy books at a NaNo Drop-in, you will just have to do so before 6pm. Please send any questions about the event to events@semcoop.com. We hope to see you there!
Frances Ferguson - "Records of Reward: Essays on Literature and Value" - Heather Keenleyside
Frances Ferguson will discuss Records of Reward: Essays on Literature and Value. She will be joined in conversation by Heather Keenleyside. A Q&A and signing will follow the discussion.
A Conversation with John Scalzi!
Join us for a conversation and book signing with New York Times Bestselling Science Fiction author John Scalzi! We are so excited to welcome beloved Science Fiction author John Scalzi to the Co-op! John will discuss his newest novel MONSTERS OF OHIO. A Q&A and book signing will follow the conversation. About the Book: Welcome to Richland, Ohio. Things aren't great. The town’s biggest employer is closing shop, and Richland's on the brink. It's where Mike Boyd, with his own set of problems, finds himself returning to after decades away. He's not planning to stay. But Richland has other plans for Mike, his old friend Dave, and a newcomer Andi. They're caught in a swirl of local troubles, private equity, executive theft… and something extremely weird involving Jeremy Keller’s prize cow. Welcome to Richland. Leave your expectations behind. Bring a tarp. About John Scalzi: JOHN SCALZI is one of the most popular science fiction authors of his generation. His debut, Old Man's War, won him the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His New York Times bestsellers include The Last Colony, Fuzzy Nation, Redshirts (which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel), The Last Emperox, The Kaiju Preservation Society, Starter Villain, When the Moon Hits Your Eye, and The Shattering Peace. Material from his blog, Whatever, has earned him two other Hugo Awards. He lives in Ohio with his wife and daughter. Helpful information: *There is street parking only. There is a parking lot next door to our store but it is NOT ours and we cannot guarantee that you will not be towed. *You may start lining up at 6pm. Doors will open at 6:30pm. *Refund requests will not be accepted after 3pm, 11/04! *If you have a free general admission ticket, you MUST purchase the book at the event to enter the signing line. *Limited seating is available on a first come first serve basis. There will be standing room only once seating is full. If you do require seating, please email mgmt@semcoop.com to reserve a seat. *Additional copies of the book and backlist will be available for purchase at the store during the event.