Meet Mister G author of Baby Bellena, How Many Squirrels are in the World & more at Bethany Beach Books on Monday, April 27th at 4pm!
Ben Gundersheimer (known onstage as MISTER G) is a Latin GRAMMY Award-winning artist, author and educator. Hailed as “a bilingual rock star” by The Washington Post, he was originally dubbed MISTER G by his young students while pursuing a Master of Education degree. His dynamic, interactive bilingual performances aim to dissolve borders and foster cross-cultural connections.
A graduate of Amherst College and the recipient of the first songwriting scholarship awarded by Berklee College of Music, Ben created a curriculum that incorporates songwriting as a learning tool for his Masters thesis. Inspired by his 4th- grade students, he began writing the songs that would comprise his debut family album while working as a classroom teacher.
More than fifteen years later, MISTER G has released 14 albums of original, multicultural music and received numerous accolades including a Latin GRAMMY Award and five Parents’ Choice Gold Awards. He tours internationally headlining performing arts centers, festivals, and theaters, and his concerts weave together a wide variety of musical styles and languages.
Selected venues include: the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (Washington, DC), JazzFest (New Orleans), Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza (Chicago), Hard Rock Café (Philadelphia), the Getty Center (Los Angeles), Central Park SummerStage (New York City), JW3 (London), Parque Chapultepec (Mexico City).
Throughout Ben’s career the crafts of music and storytelling have intertwined seamlessly propelling him as performer and author. Ben has now published four picture books with Penguin Random House based on his original, bilingual songs. His first book, Señorita Mariposa, is a bilingual telling of the monarch butterfly migration from Canada to Mexico. Now in its 18th printing, it has been used widely in classrooms, and StoryWalks, and recently transformed into a theatrical performance.
Many of Ben’s original songs and stories are inspired by his love of the natural world. A committed environmentalist, he’s performed at the National Climate Rally and headlined multiple concerts for the activist group Moms Clean Air Force on Capitol Hill. As part of his long-standing partnership with the United States Forest Service, they have commissioned him to write songs, produce a series of virtual Earth Day events and create curricula to be used nationwide.
One of the most widely distributed Jewish artists, Ben performs internationally for JCCs, festivals and cultural institutions. PJ Library commissioned him to create two albums of original music, The Mitzvah Bus (Parents’ Choice Gold winner) and Seeds of Shalom. The albums were sent to 10s of 1000s of families throughout the world, as was his picture book, Lilah Tov Good Night (Penguin Random House, 2020). His virtual Hanukkah concert was broadcast to all 170 JCCs in North America in 2021 and 2022.
Whether writing in English, Spanish, Hebrew or Yiddish, Ben uses songs and stories as a unifying tool to build bridges between cultures and people.
Author Details
It’s hard to say which has been more of a driving force for Ben Gundersheimer: music or storytelling. Throughout his career the two crafts have intertwined, propelling him as a performer and author. By age nine he was writing his own original songs, and as the son of children’s book author/illustrator Karen Gundersheimer, composing stories was a constant activity as well.
Ben has published four picture books with Penguin Random House based on his original, bilingual songs. His first release, Señorita Mariposa, chronicles the extraordinary migration of the monarch butterflies from Canada to Mexico, while Lilah Tov Good Night is a lyrical lullaby celebrating the beauty of the natural world and the spirit of resilience in a refugee family. How Many Squirrels Are In The World? is an upbeat counting book featuring a curious little girl and her dog attempting to answer one of life’s most eternal questions and We’ll Make Things Better Together, a joyous ode to friendship that proves everything is better when we work together.
Bio focusing on Environmental Work
As a committed environmentalist, Ben describes his work as "leveraging the power of music to educate, inspire, and empower young people to help solve the most pressing issues of our time." He has established ongoing partnerships with the United States Forest Service, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Moms Clean Air Force.
Ben has headlined numerous concerts on Capitol Hill as part of the Moms Clean Air Force Play-In for Climate Action, an event that spurs Congressional legislators to fight for climate safety, clean water and fresh air for future generations. He also performed at the National Climate Rally and has written numerous albums about the natural world, including Fireflies, Mundo Verde/Green World, and the Latin GRAMMY award-winning Los Animales.
Baby Bellena
A fascinating glimpse into a baby whale’s first migration from Mexico to Alaska; with a text in both English and Spanish
When Juana is born in the warm waters of Mexico, the little gray whale isn’t quite what you’d call little—she’s already as big as a boat, and drinks over fifty gallons of milk a day to keep growing! Soon it’s time to make a long journey with her pod to their summer feeding grounds. They swim north day and night, passing many familiar landmarks and carefully avoiding orcas and fishing nets. After spending the summer eating their fill in Alaskan waters, Juana and her pod return to their beautiful Mexican lagoon, where another baby is about to be born, and the cycle begins again.
Eye-catching illustrations and a playful narrative in Spanish and English combine to shine a light on these magnificent creatures—and are sure to inspire a new generation of whale lovers.