Book excerpt: In this omnibus collection that features three standalone graphic novels, the Boom'r Band teaches Beanish their musical secrets, and the Pod'l'pool Cuties discover the power of flight! Music, art, and technology are forever intertwined in Larry Marder's Beanworld. Marder's deceptively simple artwork works in tandem with multi-layered narratives that run by Beanworld's own rules, truths, and lingo. All characters--whether friends or adversaries--depend on interactions with each other for the ultimate survival of their environment. Beanworld has delighted readers from grade school to grad school for more than a generation, earning a spot on the New York Times Graphic Books Best Sellers List. Collects Beanworld Volumes 3, 3.5 (Tales of the Beanworld in black and white), and 4, with a bonus sketchbook section