Debi Derryberry's son, River, is self-conscious about what his peers think of his mom.

He's 7. And Derryberry creates books and music geared to kids 2 to 6 years old.

She'll perform a “Very Derryberry” concert this morning at Barnes & Noble in Palm Desert, where her “Very Derryberry” CD and her “Baby Banana and the Licorice Tree” children's book happen to be on sale.

River often comes to his mom's shows. Sometimes he even gets on stage and strums a guitar. But he's a little hesitant about letting her perform at his school.

“He's actually getting a little big in the britches for me,” Derryberry said with her trademark squeaky high voice. “He's in second grade. I'll ask if I can come and sing to his class and he'll say, ‘No!' He breaks my heart.

“But, when no one's around, he loves it when I sing him to sleep.”

Derryberry, who graduated from Indio High School in 1978 as Debbie Greenberg, is best known as the voice of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius.

She starred in the film of that name with Martin Short and Patrick Stewart in 2001 and in the Nickelodeon TV spinoff from 2002 to 2006.

She started her show biz career as a singer with the Los Angeles-based country band Honey Pig but made a bigger name as a voice-over artist.

On the small screen, she was Gnocchi on “Curious George,” Clay on “Playhouse Disney,” Weenie in “Oswald the Octopus,” Jeannie on the Emmy-nominated “Life with Louie” and Wednesday from “The Addams Family.”

She did voice-overs for such animated films as “Ice Age 2” and “The Wild.” She also was a stunt double who rode a whale in “Free Willy.”

But Derryberry began making a transition from country singer and voice-over artist to children's performer shortly after River was born in order to give her more time to be a mom.

She released her first children's CD, “What A Way To Play,” in 2005.

“One benefit that came out of it is my gigs are so early,” she said. “The latest gig I have is 7 p.m. When I was doing grownup music, the set didn't start 'til 8:30 or 9 p.m. Boy, that's late now! We have to be in bed by 8:30.

“I'm enjoying it more than I ever did grownup music. I don't have to worry about sounding grownup.”

Baby Banana branding

For Derryberry, who doesn't like to admit she's in her late 40s, a new challenge has been branding herself for national attention.

Her children's voice-over career gives her a natural opportunity for media exposure. Re-runs of “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” are still on TV and she is still doing films. Her next movie voice-over is “The Legend of Secret Pass” for the Starz Entertainment Group.

“The way that translates is I can get doors open and I can get audiences to come,” she said. “It gives me something else to get the kids into the music.”

Her country music career gives her credibility with studio musicians. The band she has now features musicians who have played with Dwight Yoakam and Lucinda Williams. Her producer, Michael Starr, used to run sound for her in Los Angeles country shows. Their collaboration on “Very Derryberry” is so rocking, they're hoping for a Grammy nomination.

Derryberry has a business team of 12 to 13 people developing her various projects with one strategic plan. Her new book, “Baby Banana and the Licorice Tree,” grew out of a song on “Very Derryberry” that went to No. 1 on Sirius Radio. Now she's preparing to record a new CD all about Baby Banana stories.

She'll perform some Baby Banana songs today, but a big push for the book is planned after Christmas.

“We're in development to prepare for marketing,” she said. “We've got a strategic plan, so we know where we're going and what steps are involved.

“We have Baby Banana T-shirts, the new album, a ‘Baby Banana' Web site in addition to the Debi Derryberry Web site. (We have) a lot of arms, like a brand development.”

Little River isn't exactly on the payroll, but he's an important part of Derryberry's test marketing.

“River loves the music and he will give me his feedback if he doesn't like a particular lyric or if there's something that cracks him up,” she said. “He'll come right out and say, ‘I don't like that word right there.' If he wants to hear it again, that means he likes it.”