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.

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.

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.

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.

Abi Langridge—a.k.a. Paperface—received a degree in graphic design from University of Leeds before working in London and New York, later returning to the UK and settling in Yorkshire. Working in a bold, graphical style, Abi creates illustrations that are punchy and expressive, yet lighthearted in tone and thoroughly charming. If You Ask an Axolotl is her first picture book.