New Books in Children's Literature

John Masiulionis, "Walking Each Other Home – Zachary’s Mission: A Hospice for Children" (Trolley Stop Publishing, 2026)

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0000

It's not every day that I get to interview an author (John Masiulionis) who has written a picture book entitled Walking Each Other Home – Zachary’s Mission: A Hospice for Children (illustrations by Roksana Barwinska) on such a difficult and challenging theme: a child named Zachary who is dying from cancer. Zachary's mission of building a hospice for children before he dies aligns with John's own mission of building a children's hospice in San Diego. In our heart-to-heart talk, we discuss much more - John's successful videocast program (The Children's Books Spotlight Series - II was just interviewed by him) and his own experiences, inspirations, revalations and illness that led him to write his book and seek to help other children's authors on their journey. We also discuss the dilemma of children's authors in choosing between self-publishing and seeking an agent and the traditional publishing route.

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Yiddish Children’s Literature and Jewish Modernity: A Conversation with Miriam Udel

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0000

Scholars are only beginning to consider the corpus of nearly one thousand extant books, as well as several periodicals, that constitute the Yiddish children’s literature of the 20th century. However, this body of work was important in both shaping and reflecting key aspects of the modern Jewish experience. We will explore what it means to limn the contours of a canon of Yiddish kidlit and discuss the unique vantage point that studying children’s literature and culture affords with respect to the rest of modern Jewish civilization.

This lecture originally took place on July 2, 2020.

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Nancy Hudgins, "Books Good Enough for You: The Storied Life of Ursula Nordstrom" (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2026)

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0000

Interview with Nancy Hudgins, author of children's book Books Good Enough for You: The Storied Life of Ursula Nordstrom (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2026), Editor of Extraordinary Children's Books, Abrams Books for Young Readers" (March 24, 2026). Our wonderful interview intertwines between Nancy and Ursula's lives, their love of children's books, breaking in, and thoughts on opening doors.

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Tamara Kay, "Sesame Street Around the World: Culture, Politics, and Transnational Organizational Partnerships" (Oxford UP, 2025)

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0000

Given the sometimes extraordinary politicization of culture, it is surprising that Sesame Street has gained acceptance and legitimacy in more than fifty countries. Sesame Street's global success raises two questions. First, how does a US icon like Sesame Street spread around the world, gaining acceptance as a local cultural product? Second, how does the nonprofit that created it, Sesame Workshop, and its partners around the world navigate cultural differences, manage conflicts, and construct shared collective representations to create Sesame Street programs that resonate with local audiences?

In Sesame Street Around the World: Culture, Politics, and Transnational Organizational Partnerships (Oxford UP, 2025), Dr. Tamara Kay answers these questions using data from seven years of intensive ethnographic fieldwork and 200 in-depth interviews with Sesame Workshop staff and international partners-including their real-time interactions-from seventeen countries within four regions around the world.

Dr. Kay argues that Sesame Workshop's secret is its engagement in coproduction, meaning it works with partners as a transnational team to create local Sesame Street programs together. Through coproduction, Sesame Workshop and its partners create new collective identities by constructing value to align their interests and exchanging complex cultural knowledge to both customize and build alliances. She traces the successive processes of coproduction, beginning with the imagination of the cultural product, to its disassembly, reconstitution, and dissemination. Coproduction privileges the creation of new knowledge that emerges from transnational interaction, and uses that new knowledge to create a hybrid cultural product. The Sesame Street case grapples with and illuminates culture in transnational interaction, providing insight into a range of other transnational organizational partnerships and different kinds of hybrid cultural products.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.

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Kristine A. Lombardi, "Crouton: One Cat's Adoption Tale" (Random House, 2026)

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

Today we host the wonderfully talented award-winning author-illustrator Kristine A. Lombardi and celebrate her enchanting and funny brand new book, Crouton, published by Random House, in which a cat explains how it went about adopting a human. We talk about her early career and breaking in from advertising into children's literature. We also discuss the importance of persevering and of finding the right agent (in her case Stephen Fraser).

Kristine A. Lombardi has written and illustrated many other books for children, including Lovey Bunny, Mr. Biddles, My Wish for the World and The Grumpy Pets.

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Leila Sales, "The Museum of Lost and Found" (Harry N. Abrams, 2023)

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

Leila Sales wears many hats. She is the author of eight critically acclaimed novels for children and young adults, including This Song Will Save Your Life and Once Was a Time. Leila is also the editor of award-winning and bestselling fiction and nonfiction books for readers of all ages. Most recently, she is Editorial Director at Kar-Ben Publishing, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group. Leila has also managed classic children’s publishing properties including Corduroy, Angelina Ballerina, Ferdinand, The Snowy Day, and others. In our wonderfully candid interview we discuss her new role at Kar-Ben and her wish list, her own career as an author, and what makes a great picture book. We also discuss her recent book, The Museum of Lost and Found (illustrated by Jacqueline Li, Abrams, 2023).

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Mel Rosenberg, "Emily Saw A Door" (Random House Studio, 2026)

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

Michelle Knudsen, celebrated author of over fifty children's books (and a personal favorite) agreed to interview Mel Rosenberg on the eve of publication of the North American version of Emily Saw A Door (Orit Magia, illustrator, Random House Studio, Feb. 24th, 2026), Mel's debut picture book overseas. We talk about how Emily Saw A Door came to be, the author's journey and process.

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Melissa Stoller, "Hazel and Mabel: Two Hearts Apart" (Gnome Road, 2025)

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this, our second interview, I talk to Melissa Stoller about her new book Hazel and Mabel: Two Hearts Apart, Anita Bagdi (Illustrator), published by Gnome Road (2025). It's a story of two friends who were inseparable until one moved away. They keep their friendship alive through letters, but when they meet again, their interests have changed and they have trouble finding an eventual away to rekindle their friendship. Most of us adults (me included) have experienced this occurrence, but picture books about the topic are rare. After all, how do you explain it to a five year old? Melissa does a terrific job. We talk about the ups and downs of her career, and where ideas for stories seem to come out of nowhere, or everywhere.

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Cindy Williams Schrauben, "Hank's Change of Heart" (The Little Press, 2025)

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this, our second interview with children's author Cindy Williams Schrauben, we celebrate her new book, Hank's Change of Heart (The Little Press, 2025) Hardcover, illustrations by Sasha Richards, published by The Little Press just last month (Nov. 2025). We talk about the difficulties in traditional publishing, both for those aspiring to be published, and those already published. We discuss the role of the message in the story, the joy of writing, and the pain of rejection, and the importance of obsessive perseverence in getting traditionally published.

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Renée LaTulippe, "Limelight: Curtain Up on Poetry Comics" (Charlesbridge Moves, 2025)

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

A wonderful interview with children's author, poet and teacher of everything lyrical and rhyming, Renée LaTulippe, to celebrate her brand new book, Limelight: Curtain Up on Poetry Comics!, illustrated by Chuck Gonzales, just published (Charlesbridge Moves, 2025). In this, our second interview, we discuss the theatrical aspects of children's books and the role of lyrical and rhyming words in creating moving read-aloud stories.

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Jennifer Conrad on Teaching Through Picture Book Appreciation

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

I have never spoken to anyone like Jennifer Conrad who teaches literature to her senior high school students through picture book appreciation. In our interview, we discuss how her unique program evolved, and how her students develop and deepen their love for this genre through interaction with young children.

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Ziggy Hanaor, "Life (As We Know It)" (Cicada Books, 2025)

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0000

Ziggy Hanaor is the director of Cicada Books, a boutique children’s publishing company. She has also written nine books including Fly Flies, Alex and Alex and The Pocket Chaotic, which have won awards and have been translated into over 20 languages. In our conversation we celebrate her new book about the history of the universe and us, entitled, Life (As We Know It) (Cicada, 2025, Cristóbal Schmal (Illustrator), and talk about her careers in publishing and writing.

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Julie Fette, "Gender by the Book: 21st-Century French Children's Literature" (Routledge, 2025)

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0000

Gender by the Book: 21st-Century French Children's Literature (Routledge, 2025) investigates the gender representations that French children's literature transmits to readers today. Using an interdisciplinary, mixed methods approach, this book grounds its literary analysis in a sociohistorical examination of three key institutions – libraries, book clubs, and subscription magazines – that circulate reading material to children. It shows how French policies, cultural beliefs, and market forces influence the content of children's literature, including tensions between State support for unprofitable artistic endeavors and a belief in children’s right to high-quality products on the one hand, and suspicion of activism as anathema to creativity and fear of losing boy readers on the other. In addition, the notion of universalism, which asserts that equality is best achieved when society is blind to differences, thwarts a diverse and equitable array of literary representations. Nevertheless, conditions are favorable for 21st-century French children's publishers to offer a robust body of richly entertaining egalitarian literature for children.

Guest Julie Fette, author of Gender by the Book: 21st-Century French Children's Literature published in October 2024 by Routledge. Dr. Fette is Associate Professor of French Studies at Rice University where she is also Rice Faculty Scholar at the Center for the Middle East, Baker Institute and a Faculty Affiliate with the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality. She is also the author of Exclusions: Practicing Prejudice in French Law and Medicine, 1920-1945 from Cornell University Press in 2012 and the co-author of the textbook Les Français from Hackett in 2021, as well as numerous articles and book chapters on subjects from gender and professional life in France to teaching French studies in the classroom and online.

Host Gina Stamm is Associate Professor of French at The University of Alabama. Their research is concentrated on the environmental humanities and speculative literatures of the 20th and 21st centuries, from Surrealism to contemporary science fiction and feminist utopias, in Metropolitan France and the francophone Caribbean.

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Stephanie Ellen Sy. "You Can't Tame a Tiger" (OwlKids, 2025)

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In our engaging interview, we celebrate award-wining illustrator Julien Chung's new book, You Can't Tame a Tiger (OwlKids) written by Stephanie Ellen Sy, published September, 2025, and talk about his many-faceted career, his ability to mix the commercial and the artistic, his love for surprises and 'wow' moments, and his transition from graphic design to illustrating children's books, and his belief in the importance of the 'writing community.'

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Children's Books with Annie Kelley, Executive Editor, Random House STUDIO

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

A splendid interview (I'm biased, but so what, it really is splendid) with Annie Kelley, Executive Editor, Random House STUDIO. We talk about what she looks for in a manuscript (strong voice and not generic, needs to stand out in some way). She talks about her love for children's books as a child and how she found her dream job as editor. Annie urges authors to ignore the advice of "writing to the trend" and to write from the heart. Annie talks about her 'specialty', finding the right illustrator for the right book. Annie talks about some of her recent and current books (including mine!!!). So am I lucky or what? Heads up, people: EMILY SAW A DOOR, illustrated fabulously by Orit Magia, launches on Feb. 24th, 2026.

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Tami Lehman-Wilzig, "Rembrandt's Blessing" (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2025)

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Inspired by the true story of the friendship between Rembrandt and Rabbi Menashe Ben Israel.

Painting scenes from Bible stories is Rembrandt's passion. Many of his Amsterdam neighbors are Sephardic Jews, and the children often come to play with the costumes at the renowned painter's house. Rabbi Menashe Ben Israel encourages his neighbors to pose for Rembrandt's biblical scenes. He helps the painter understand the descriptive words in the Hebrew bible. At the rabbi's home for Sabbath dinner, Rembrandt watches his friend cup his hands over his children's heads and say a blessing, which gives him an idea for a very special painting.

Tami Lehman-Wilzig is the award-winning author of sixteen Jewish content picture books, including On the Wings of Eagles, SOOSIE, The Horse That Saved Shabbat; Keeping The Promise; Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles; Passover Around the World; and Hanukkah Around the World. Here, we we talk about her brand new picture book, Rembrandt's Blessing, (illustrated by Anita Barghigiani, Kar-Ben Publishing, Sept. 2025), and her writing journey.

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Liz Bicknell on a Life in Childrens Literature

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Liz Bicknell is one of the most celebrated editors of children's books ever! She began her publishing career at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in 1986, joined Candlewick as editor-in-chief in 1997. Among Bicknell’s coups was signing Jon Klassen, who burst out of the gate with his Caldecott Medal-winning I Want My Hat Back and Caldecott Honor-winning This Is Not My Hat. Liz cultivated work by creators as wide-ranging as popup makers Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart, illustrator Ekua Holmes, and fantasy author Gregory Maguire. She edited M.T. Anderson’s National Book Award-winning The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing; Carole Boston Weatherford’s Newbery Honor-winning BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, illustrated by Michele Wood; and Laura Kvasnosky’s Geisel-winning Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways. Other authors and illustrators who worked with Bicknell won Caldecott Honors, Printz Honors, the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, and more. In our wonderful interview Liz and I talk about her life and her career, and her thoughts on choosing and publishing picture books.

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Trends in KIdslit: A Discussion with Harold Underdown

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Harold Underdown has worked as an independent editor and publishing consultant, providing developmental edits and strategic consulting; and as an in-house editor with Kane Press, McGraw-Hill Education, Charlesbridge, and Orchard Books. He also mentors individual authors - me included! Harold speaks and gives workshops through the Highlights Foundation and SCBWI's national and regional conferences. He wrote The Complete Idiot's Guide to Children's Book Publishing, now in its third edition. He founded and runs "The Purple Crayon," a respected web site with information about the children's publishing world at www.underdown.org.

In this, our third discussion, we talk about Harold's upcoming workshop for Highlights on trends in kidlit, and how our process of working together evolved.

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Sven Völker, "The Museum of Shapes" (Cicada Books, 2025)

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Welcome to the Museum of Shapes. Alma is the curator of the museum. She decides which shapes should go where. Triangles have three sides and three angles. Can you help Alma find all the triangles on the shelves? Almas favorite shape is a circle. All the points on the edge of a circle are the same distance from its center. Not all shapes are geometric. Some lines are wiggly and messy. Can you make a wiggly line with your body?

The Museum of Shapes (Cicada Books, 2025) is an engaging and informative book about the shapes that make up our world. The narrative framework is complemented by interactive texts and gorgeous, minimalist illustration, shedding new light on the beauty of geometry.

Sven Völker is Professor for Experiment and Strategy in Graphic Design at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. He studied at the University of Art in Bremen and received an master degree from Middlesex University in London. In 2004 he was appointed professor for graphic design at the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Karlsruhe and since 2010 tought at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art in Halle.

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Suzy Levinson, "Dinos That Drive" (Tundra Books, 2025)

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Suzy Levinson is a children’s author and poet whose work has been featured in numerous anthologies, including A World Full of Poems (DK Children), I Am a Jigsaw (Bloomsbury Education), and Shaping the World (Macmillan), and magazines, including Highlights and Cricket. Her critically acclaimed debut picture book–length poetry collection, Animals in Pants (Abrams), was published in 2023. In our wonderful interview we talk about her brand new book, Dinos That Drive (Tundra Books, 2025) illustrated by Dustin Harbin, which hits the shelves...tomorrow! And she’s got more books on the way! Originally from Massachusetts, Suzy now lives in New York with her sweet husband and spicy cat.

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Friederike Ablang and Roseanne Baxter Frank, "O'Win and the Moon" (Wonder House Books, 2025)

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Friederike Ablang is an award-winning children's illustrator. She was born in East-Berlin and studied photography and design in the United Kingdom and Germany. She has illustrated dozens of picture books and school books. In our conversation we discuss the recent book which she illustrated, O'win and the Moon by Roseanne Baxter Frank, published in March, 2025 by Wonder House Books. We also talk about her process, her journey to success, and her advice for aspiring illustrators.

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Danna Zeiger, "Rewriting the Rules" (Millbrook Press, 2025)

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In our wonderful interview, Dr. Danna Trachtenberg Zeiger and I celebrate her debut picture book, R ewriting the Rules, a STEM nonfiction picture book which was just released from Millbrook Press (Carol Hinz, editor) on September 9, 2025". She is represented by Gaby Cabezut at The Seymour Agency.

A published scientist, Danna's research has appeared in top scientific journals such as Science, Neuron, and PNAS. Formerly a biology professor and program director at Fisher College, she now focuses on writing for children. In our conversation Danna describes her transition from scientist to author, and the benefits that a career in science can bring to the writer's table.

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Hannah Shafiroff, "My Little Book of Big Jewish Holidays" (Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2025)

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Hannah Shafiroff is celebrating a book about celebrations! In our interview we talk about her brand new picture book which she both wrote and illustrated, My Little Book of Big Jewish Holidays (Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2025). We talk about her own childhood and memories of Sabbath and holidays, and how her she was able to turn her childhood passion for art into a professional career as writer-illustrator. Hannah also shares some tips for aspiring authors, including a musical method for dealing with rejections.

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Mallory Loehr on a Life in Children's Books

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In her thirty plus years of enthusiastic dedication to Random House Children’s Books, Mallory Loehr has played a seminal role in the development of this business. She has led numerous editorial teams, working with them to develop strategies for growth, across trade and brand, for all ages and formats, including for Random House Books for Young Readers, Random House Studio, Crown, Doubleday, Labyrinth Road, Little Golden Books, Rodale Kids, Dr. Seuss publishing, and an extensive licensed and proprietary portfolio. Her teams and their books have received the highest accolades, from the Newbery to the Caldecott and more. Mallory is also author of a dozen children's books, ranging from unicorns and leprechauns to an early reading version of Alice in Wonderland. As an editor, Mallory shaped the careers of many authors, including global powerhouse Mary Pope Osborne, whom she began editing at the inception of the Magic Tree House series. She has an exceptional eye for quality children’s books and a keen ability to discover and nurture new voices and artists, including Emily Winfield Martin and her book The Wonderful Things You Will Be, which has become a new classic and remains on The New York Times bestsellers list today after more than four hundred weeks.

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D.J. Corchin , "A Million Yes's" (Phazelfoz, 2025)

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0000

DJ Corchin is a celebrated author and illustrator from Oak Park, IL. In our spirited interview, we discuss his career as a polymath, his unconventional breakthrough from self publishing to traditional publishing and back.and celebrate his brand new picture book , A Million YES's (Phazelfoz Company, 2025), illustrated by Dan Dougherty.

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Ammi-Joan Paquette, "My Mouth Says" (Penguin, 2025)

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Ammi-Joan (A.J.) Paquette is author of twenty books for children as wel as a senior literary agent for Aevitas Creative Management. In our wonderful interview we celebrate her new boar book,My Mouth Says (Body Power), third in a series, illustrated by Sabrena Khadija and published just last month (July, 2025) by Rise x Penguin Workshop. We also talk about her childhood, her journey as an author, and how she balances her day between writing and promoting the creatives she represents. Visit her on the web here.

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Dylan Thuras and Jennifer Swanson, "The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World" (Workman Kids, 2025)

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Jennifer Swanson is the author of 50 nonfiction books for kids. In this, our second interview, we celebrate her brand new book, The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World (Workman Kids, 2025), co-written with Dylan Thuras, illustrated by Ruby Fresson and published by Workman Kids. We speak about her recent books and have an illuminating discussion about whether nonfiction and fiction are really dichotomous and worlds apart.

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Amy Moore, "The Baker's Dozen" (Sleeping Bear Press, 2025)

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In our charming interview, Amy Moore celebrates two new picture books, The Bakers Dozen (illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier) published by Sleeping Bear Press in May. 2025, and Humpty's Great Fall (illustrated by Josh Cleland) published this month by Two Lions. Amy Moore has been writing since childhood. After earning a degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, she went on to proofreading and web development jobs while taking Master’s courses in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College. In addition to her writing work, Amy runs a children’s dance program in her hometown. She lives with her family in Massachusetts.

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Gabriel Ertsgaard, "A Fiction Writer’s Guide to Peace: Crafting Nonviolent Heroism" (Bloomsbury, 2025)

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Superhero violence and graphic action sequences are prevalent on the screen and on the page, but this book takes an alternative route with practical guidance, frameworks, and tools for incorporating the principles of peacebuilding and nonviolence into compelling fiction. By mapping a path less travelled but just as vital in divisive times, in n A Fiction Writer’s Guide to Peace: Crafting Nonviolent Heroism (Bloomsbury, 2025) Dr. Gabriel Ertsgaard shows writers how they can enact nonviolent heroism in their characters, model civil resistance in their stories, and create worlds around a mythos that champions redemptive nonviolence.

With concepts applicable to writing for fiction, drama, the screen, and narrative poetry, A Fiction Writer's Guide to Peace deconstructs the necessity for violence in popular works, explores key concepts in peace studies, and helps writers establish their own peace poetics. Focused around the narrative craft techniques of character arcs, campaigns, duels, and worldbuilding, the book features numerous creative writing prompts and examples from key works. These include films such as Trading Places, Selma, Lage Raho Munna Bai, and Frozen and literature ranging from Shakespeare's plays to Dickens' A Christmas Carol to Julia Quinn's Bridgerton novels.

A timely and important expansion to any writer's toolkit, A Fiction Writer's Guide to Peace allows storytellers to understand the complex dynamics of, and the damage caused by, violent perspectives and actions, giving them a way into considering nonviolence as powerful and preferable.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.

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An Interview with Gaby Cabezut

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Gaby Cabezut, author and literary agent of the Seymour agency and the Alliance Rights Agency talks about her author journey and internet publishing, how she became a literary agent, her love for children's books, the importance of the Latin American children's book market, and her advice on querying and writing picture book manuscripts. Plus a submission opportunity for pb manuscripts, but be sure to mention NBN and submit here. Query Manager: https://QueryTracker.net/query/339

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An Interview with Colby Sharp

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Colby Sharp is widely considered one of the leading mavens on children's literature. He is co-author of several books, including Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids (Scholastic, 2018). He started the Nerdy Book Club blog, co-hosts The Yarn podcast with Teacher Librarian Travis Jonker, serves on the Nerd Camp Michigan team and has taught schoolchildren since 2006. Here, we follow his literary life and professional journey to becoming a kidlit guru. Colby shares what he loves in picture books, and offers advice for aspiring authors.

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Ryan G. Van Cleave, "The Witness Trees: Historic Moments and the Trees Who Watched Them Happen" (Bushel & Peck, 2023)

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Dr. Ryan van Cleave is the author of over 100 books for children and adults, editorial director of Bushel & Peck Publishers, college professor and head program (Ringling), writing coach, ghostwriter, poet and more. In our wonderful conversation we celebrate his picture book The Witness Trees: Historic Moments and the Trees Who Watched Them Happen (Bushel & Peck, 2023), and discuss the original initiative "Acquired", a hands-on conference for aspiring authors. Ryan shares the goals of the conference and his tips for authors who want to create books that stand a chance of publication by traditional houses.

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Yasmine Motawy, "Children’s Picture Books and Contemporary Egyptian Society" (AUC Press, 2025)

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Children’s picture books are some of the most transparently ideological materials available to parents and educators, and as cultural objects they are an expression of the zeitgeist of a particular era. They reveal much about the hopes, values, and aspirations of the society that produces them, as well as that society’s vision of its place in the wider world at large.
Children’s Picture Books and Contemporary Egyptian Society (AUC Press, 2025) by Dr. Yasmine Motawy examines a new wave of Egyptian picture books that was published in the current century to see how these books responded to larger societal trends and transformations in Egypt, as well as to explore the ideologies that lie behind them. Dr. Motawy argues that a host of factors, including the growth of gated communities and international schooling, the proliferation of lucrative literary awards, returning Gulf migrants, television dramas, and nationwide reading advocacy initiatives helped give rise to a new kind of children’s picture book in Egypt.
Dr. Motawy focuses on three clusters of selected picture books to investigate the extent to which these books reproduce hegemonic discourses or, alternatively, open up new horizons of childhood agency and societal transformation. The first cluster includes books that directly socialize the child by showing them ‘how things are done,’ in both the domestic sphere and the increasing globalized spaces that children frequent with their families. The second cluster aims at reframing cultural notions around femininity through the retelling of folk and fairy tales, while the third cluster addresses children's abilities to assess the impact of their actions on their environment, and invites them to examine their personal suitability to positions of power and stewardship.

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Yevgenia Nayberg, "A Party for Florine: Florine Stettheimer and Me" (Neal Porter Books, 2024)

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

A young girl forms a special connection to the modernist painter Florine Stettheimer, and imagines herself joining in on Florine’s exciting life.
When a young girl visits the museum, she finds an unexpected friend in a self-portrait of Florine Stettheimer. They’re both artists; they both have Jewish families; they even look alike!
Florine’s life was wild and glamorous. She painted people in flight and buildings that grew from the ground like crooked trees, bright colors and shapes and animals. She threw parties frequented by other famous visionaries like Marcel Duchamp and Carl Van Vechten.
Soon, our narrator is dreaming up her own fantastical parties for Florine, with table spreads of colorful treats, and painting and dancing and poetry. With Florine in her life, even a rainy day can’t make the world seem humdrum anymore.
A Party for Florine: Florine Stettheimer and Me (Neal Porter Books, 2024) is an unapologetically whimsical fan letter to an artist whose influence is clear in Sydney Taylor Honoree Yevgenia Nayberg’s captivating illustrations. Dreamers, creators, and budding modernists will be drawn into the young protagonist’s party just as strongly as she is drawn into Stettheimer’s paintings.

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Melissa H. Mwai, "I Can Make a Friend!" (Paw Prints, 2025)

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Melissa H. Mwai is an author and illustrator, as well as an award-winning poet. She has penned five nonfiction children's books including THE HISTORY OF JAZZ (DK, 2024). As an neurodiverse Afro-Latina, Melissa is thrilled that her books help ethnically and neurodiverse kids learn more deeply about the world around them. In our delightful interview, we celebrate her recent book, I Can Make a Friend! (I Can Do It, 2) (PAW Prints, April, 2025). Melissa talks about her journey to becoming a published author, and her advice for those wishing to pursue a career writing for the educational children's book market.

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Ann Koffsky, "Ping-Pong Shabbat: The True Story of Champion Estee Ackerman" (Little Bee Books, 2024)

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Ping-Pong Shabbat: The True Story of Champion Estee Ackerman

POP POP KERPOW!
Eleven-year-old Ping-Pong phenom Estee Ackerman must make a difficult choice. When her championship match is scheduled on the Jewish Sabbath, will she go for the gold medal, or honor her faith? Read the true story of how a young girl struggled to uphold her beliefs while pursuing her passion.

Tournament after tournament, Estee kept winning.
She beat all sorts of players. Some were older. Some were younger.
She even beat tennis star Rafael Nadal!
She became one of the best Ping-Pong players in the United States.

Estee Ackerman loved Ping-Pong more than anything. But she also loved and honored the Jewish tradition of the Sabbath. At age eleven, she began to rise in the ranks of tournament players, making it all the way to the finals of the US National Table Tennis Championships. She only had one player left to beat to win a gold medal--but the final match was set during Shabbat, and the judges said they couldn't change it. How could Estee choose between her passion and her faith? This is the true story of a girl's struggle between her love for her religion and her love of the game.

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Ann McCallum Staats, "Fantastic Flora: The World's Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants" (MIT Kids Press, 2025)

Fri, 30 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In our lovely interview, we celebrate Ann McCallum Staats' brand new book (just launched this week!), Fantastic Flora: The World’s Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants, wonderfully illustrated by Zoë Ingram, published by MIT Kids Press, an imprint of Candlewick. This is not your run-of-the-mill picture book. It's over 120 pages long and is intended for the 8-12 audience, although younger kids and adults will enjoy it too! Ann is the author of numerous other children’s books, including the Eat Your Homework series, which received two Junior Library Guild Selections and a Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Book of the Year; The Secret Life of Math; and High Flyers: 15 Inspiring Women Aviators and Astronauts. She has a master’s degree in education and lives in Virginia with her family. We talk about her unconventional road to literary success and advice for authors who are on their writing journey.

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Betsy Bird, "Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme" (Union Square Books, 2025)

Sun, 18 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Betsy Bird is the Collection Development Manager of Evanston Public Library and the former Youth Materials Specialist of New York Public Library. She writes for the School Library Journal blog A Fuse #8 Production and reviews for Kirkus. She is the host of the Story Seeds podcast as well as the co-host of the Fuse 8 n' Kate podcast that she creates with her sister. Betsy is the author of picture books, anthologies, and the middle grade novel Long Road to the Circus, illustrated by David Small. In this, our second interview we celebrate her new picture book Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi (Union Square Kids, March, 2025).

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Penny Parker Klostermann, "The Spider Lady: Nan Songer and her Arachnid World War II Army" (Astra, 2025)

Mon, 12 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In our candid and splendid interview, Penny Parker Klostermann introduces her new nonfiction picture book Spider Lady: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid WWII Army (Astra/Calkins Creek, 2025), illustrated by Anne Lambelet, which launched just a few days ago! We also talk about her recent Martian escapade, Merry Christmas, Dear Mars illustrated by Estrela Lourenço (Godwin Books, 2024) and There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight" illustrated by Ben Mantle (Random House, 2015)). Penny shares her journey to traditional publishing, starting with her love of writing stories as a child and later realizing as a teacher, that she might have what it takes to became a published author.

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Marissa Valdez, "Hedgehogs Don't Wear Underwear" (Roaring Brook, 2025)

Fri, 02 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Marissa Valdez is a #1 New York Times best-selling children’s book author and illustrator. Her clients include Penguin Random House, Candlewick, Hachette, Macmillan, and Highlights Magazine for Children. In our interview we celebrate her new picture book Hedgehogs Don't Wear Underwear (Roaring Brook Press, 2025), which she both authored and illustrated.

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Michael Parkin, "Wrong Time Rooster" (Flying Eye Books, 2025)

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Michael Parkin is an international illustrator, working with the New York Times, the New Yorke, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and others. Several years ago he decided to follow his passion for picture books, and is now celebrating publication of his endearing, kid-centric debut picture book,

Wrong Time Rooster (which he both wrote and illustrated), which was just published by Flying Eye Books (Feb., 2025) in the UK. Michael talks about his career in art and illustration, his collaboration with Flying Eye Books (Michael has two more books in the works) and shares advice with aspiring creatives ("Keep a notebook for nighttime ideas near your bed, you will forget your grand idea by the morning").

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My First Tanakh Stories Set (4vs.): Avraham, Miriam, Eliyahu, Ruth

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0000

The Koren My First Tanakh Stories brings the characters and wisdom of Torah to to life for the whole family. Engaging with Tanakh stories from a young age with a trusted grown-up sets a child's foundation for future learning, helps develop core values, and sets a foundation for Torah learning in the home and with the family. With a story loyal to the Tanakh text alongside beautiful illustrations, every page is designed to be appealing and engaging to adults and children alike while sparking an intergenerational discussion of Torah values. Each book includes a "Guide for Grown-ups", with a child-friendly glossary (including an explanation of Hebrew terms used in the story) and a series of reflective questions to launch intergenerational conversations about the story and its message.

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Joyce Uglow, "Stuck! the Story of the La Brea Tar Pits" (Bushel & Peck Books, 2025)

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this interview with children's author Joyce Uglow, we celebrate her brand new debut picture book Stuck! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits (Bushel & Peck Books, 2025), illustrated by Valerya Milovanova. Her beautiful book was published only two weeks ago and has already gone into its second printing! We talk about Joyce's life and career in teaching and education, and how her love of writing eventually developed into a career in writing for children, as well as poetry. Joyce's advice to aspiring authors is to read both in your genre, as well as outside.

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Audrey Perrott, "A Hat for House: One Storm, Many Helpers" (G. P. Putnam, 2024)

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In our lovely interview, Audrey Perrott talks about her new book, A Hate for a House: One Storm, Many Helpers, illustrated by Druscilla Santiago and published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (November 12, 2024).We also talk about Audrey's writing career, starting when she was six years old, stapling papers together and scribbling stories in her bedroom until all hours of the night. Audrey studied English and Children’s Literature at the University of Florida and has published nine nonfiction books for kids published by Tangerine Press, as well as the poignant MOO HOO with Scholastic Press, and its upcoming sequel, BAA HAA.

We discuss her own journey, dealing with and overcoming personal challenges, and her advice for aspiring authors.

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A Chat with Author-Illustrator Selina Alko

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this exciting interview, I talk to author-illustrator Selina Alko about the new book which she illustrated, The Keeper of Stories (Simone & Schuster, 2025), written by Caroline Kusin Pritchard), her own picture book celebrating the life and art of Joni Mitchell (Joni: The Lyrical Life of Joni Mitchell (HarperCollins, 2020)), her upcoming books, and her life and career as an artist and illustrator.

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Rachelle Bergstein, "The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us" (Atria, 2024)

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0000

Everyone knows Judy Blume.

Her books have garnered her fans of all ages for decades and sold tens of millions of copies. But why were people so drawn to them? And why are we still talking about them now in the 21st century?

In The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us (Atria, 2024), her remarkable story is revealed as never before, beginning with her as a mother of two searching for purpose outside of her home in 1960s suburban New Jersey. The books she wrote starred regular children with genuine thoughts and problems. But behind those deceptively simple tales, Blume explored the pillars of the growing women’s rights movement, in which girls and women were entitled to careers, bodily autonomy, fulfilling relationships, and even sexual pleasure. Blume wasn’t trying to be a revolutionary—she just wanted to tell honest stories—but in doing so, she created a cohesive, culture-altering vision of modern adolescence.

Blume’s bravery provoked backlash, making her the country’s most-banned author in the mid-1980s. Thankfully, her works withstood those culture wars and it’s no coincidence that Blume has resurfaced as a cultural touchstone now. Young girls are still cat-called, sex education curricula are getting dismissed as pornography, and entire shelves of libraries are being banned. As we face these challenges, it’s only natural we look to Blume, the grand dame of so-called dirty books. This is the story of how a housewife became a groundbreaking artist, and how generations of empowered fans are her legacy, today more than ever.

Roberto Mazza is currently a visiting scholar at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. He is the host of the Jerusalem Unplugged Podcast and to discuss and propose a book for interview can be reached at robbymazza@gmail.com. Blusky and IG: @robbyref

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Sam Arthur on Publishing Children's Books

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this, our first interview with Sam Arthur, co-founder and creative director of Flying Eye Books, talks about his love for visual books led him into children's publishing, how he decides on which manuscripts to pursue, and his tips for aspiring authors of picture books: play close attention to the picture book format, usually 12 or 13 double spreads, write stories with humor and characters that we feel for, and write primarily for the children, not the adults.

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Bea Birdsong, "Goat Is the G.O.A.T." (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025)

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this, our third interview, we celebrate the brand new picture book of Bea Birdsong, Goat Is the G.O.A.T. (Nancy Paulsen Books, Feb. 2025), illustrated by Kelly Murphy. Bea is also the author of I Will Be Fierce!, Sam’s First Word, How to Spot a Best Friend, Boop!, with many more books coming out over the next two years. We talk about Bea's meteoric career, and how her unconventional approaches led her to find her agent, to book deals with major publishers, and international success.

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Vivian Kirkfield, "One Girl's Voice: How Lucy Stone Helped Change the Law of the Land" (Calkins Creek, 2025)

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this, our second interview I speak with award-winning children's author Vivian Kirkfield about her gorgeous, brand new picture book, One Girl's Voice: How Lucy Stone Helped Change the Law of the Land (Calkin's Creek, Feb. 2025, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon). We talk about the life and pioneering career of Lucy Stone, how the book came about, and some of Vivian's own trials and tribulations on the way to literary success. Vivian shares her advice for aspiring authors (perseverance, passion and more...), and talks about '50 Precious Words,' her free annual contest for authors with the courage to write a story in fifty words or less, and the careers that she has spawned as a result.

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Erica Lyons, "On a Chariot of Fire: The Story of India's Bene Israel" (Levine Querido, 2024)

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this lively and fun interview, we celebrate award-winning author Erica Lyons' new picture book, On a Chariot of Fire: The Story of India’s Bene Israel, illustrated by Siona Benjamin (Levine Querido, 2024). We talk about her childhood passion for writing, and how her careers in law and publishing gave her the tools that helped catapult her into the world of children's publishing. We discussed her love of historical fiction, particularly on Jewish themes, and the importance of learning the rules, and then breaking them when there is good reason to do so.

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Henry Herz, "I Am Gravity" (Tilbury House, 2024)

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In our captivating interview (pun intended), we celebrate Henry Herz's new book I AM GRAVITY (Tilbury House, April, 2024), which combines lyrical text and fascinating artwork by illustrator Mercè López, and crisscrosses splendidly between science and art, fact and fancy. We also discuss his background in engineering, and how he morphed into a leading children's author.

Henry has previously published many picture books, including MONSTER GOOSE NURSERY RHYMES (Pelican), WHEN YOU GIVE AN IMP A PENNY (Pelican), MABEL AND THE QUEEN OF DREAMS (Schiffer ), LITTLE RED CUTTLEFISH (Pelican), CAP’N REX & HIS CLEVER CREW (Sterling), GOOD EGG AND BAD APPLE (Schiffer), HOW THE SQUID GOT TWO LONG ARMS (Pelican), ALICE’S MAGIC GARDEN (Familius), 2 PIRATES + 1 ROBOT (Kane Miller), and I AM SMOKE (Tilbury House).

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Rachel Michelle Wilson, "How to Pee Your Pants: The Right Way" (Feiwel & Friends, 2024)

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In our engaging interview, Rachel talks about her hilarious new [picture book, How to Pee Your Pants: The Right Way (published by Feiwel & Friends, October 15, 2024) and the embarrassing real first-grade event which prompted her to write it (According to Rachel, it was 'directed by my little kid self').

Rachel grew up in Utah in a book-loving family, and talked about her dream trips to the Draper Library in the mountains, where they would pile the car full of books. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE turned into a 'book of revelation' and helped chart out her storytelling journey, giving her permission to 'pee her pants and still be loved and appreciated.' In high school, she discovered writing (a poem a day) and loved art, but connected them only when she began to write children's stories. Rachel found her agent, Lindsay Auld, through the slush pile (!) and now has multiple book deals, including a ghost book coming out this summer. Rachel likes to vary her text between simplicity and complexity, adding layers to the story, and drawing humorous elements in the artwork (i.e., tooth braces on the giraffe). Rachel's mantra is "Follow the Fun." A great recipe for us all.

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David Miles Talks Children's Books

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0000

David Miles is co-founder (together with his wife, Stephanie) and Publisher, Bushel & Peck Books, an up-and-coming West Coast children's publisher. In our illuminating interview, he talks about growing up with books, becoming a successful author, illustrator and industry professional, and then the sudden out-of-nowhere urge that led him and his wife to set up their own publishing house. David talks about the steps in creating a successful picture book, and gives sage and somewhat unorthodox advice to authors on their writing journey.

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Lesléa Newman, "Hanukkah" (Words & Pictures, 2024)

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Lesléa Newman is the author of over 85 books for readers of all ages, including the pioneering Heather Has Two Mommies. She has received many literary awards, and her books have been translated into French, German, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Serbian, Kazakh, and Chinese.In this, our second interview, we celebrate her new picture book, entitled Hanukkah (Words & Pictures, October 1, 2024), illustrated by the award-winning Israeli illustrator Rotem Teplow. We talk about how the book came to be, her writing process in general, and advice for other authors.

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Maya Schleifer, "The Giant's Home" (2022)

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Maya Shleifer is a multi-disciplinary author, illustrator, and designer who has illustrated over a dozen children's books. Drawing helped Maya survive a difficult childhood in the Soviet Union, but only after becoming a mother did she begin to realize a growing passion for illustrating, and subsequently writing her own, picture books. We discuss her recent, award-winning picture book, The Giant's Home, which has been translated into several languages (for example La maison du géant, Des Elephant, 2022), as well as A Lion Named Anna (published in Hebrew), and Too Many Golems, written by Jane Yolen, which she recently illustrated.

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Danielle Sharkan, "Sharing Shalom" (Holiday House, 2024)

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Considering the alarming rise in hate and intolerance these days, Danielle Sharkan's new picture book, Sharing Shalom (Holiday House, Sept. 2024, illustrated by Selina Alko) is a welcome injection of positivity. Based on a true story of human kindness following vandalism of a Jewish synagogue, it is a book of unbridled hope. In our interview we talk about Danielle's meteoric rise as a children's author, her rediscovery of Judaism, and her advice for aspiring authors.

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Mark Hoffmann, "Dirt Cheap" (Knopf Books for Young Readers; 2020)

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Mark Hoffmann is an award winning illustrator, painter, author and professor. He was raised in Minnesota and earned his BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, and his MFA from UMass-Dartmouth. In our excellent discussion, we talk about what Mark calls "Virtual Vision," and how writing and illustrating picture books interact, focusing on the two wonderful picture books which he both wrote and illustrated, FRUIT BOWL (Knopf Books for Young Readers; 2018) and DIRT CHEAP (Knopf Books for Young Readers; 2020).

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Talk to the Editor: A Discussion with Elizabeth Law

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode, I talk with children's book editor, Elizabeth Law about her two great loves: children's books and the theater. Specifically, what can picture book authors learn from the theater to make their children's books shine. We talked about similarities in pacing, cadence, anticipation, the importance of the story, and the challenge of turning the adult picture book reader into an actor. Elizabeth's conclusion is that it is fine to learn from plays, musicals, songs and movies, and to study the so-called rules of the picture book mavens. But at the end of the day, it's all about assimilating what fits and doing one's own thing to create the magic that ends up becoming a wonderful book.

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Highlights Foundation: A Discussion with Executive Director George Brown

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0000

George Brown is the executive director of the Highlights Foundation, scion to the Myers family, which created Highlights Magazine. The Highlights Foundation runs workshops for small groups of authors and illustrators in its bucolic surroundings, the homestead of Garry and Caroline Myers, who co-founded Highlights for Children in 1946. George discusses his fascination with children's books and the people who create them, offering tips based on his lifelong experience.

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Sarah Aronson, "Abzuglutely!:Battling, Bellowing Bella Abzug" (Calkins Creek Books, 2024)

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this lively interview with author Sarah Aronson, we celebrate her brand new picture book, Abzuglutely!: Battling, Bellowing Bella Abzug, illustrated by Andrea D'Aquino ‎ (Calkins Creek, October 15, 2024), which focuses on Bella's determination to fight for what is right, as part of her belief in Tikun Olam (repairing the world). We talk about Sarah's life and career, and her own quest for Tikun Olam through writing and helping other authors. We also discuss her biography on Rube Goldberg (Just Like Rube Goldberg, illustrated by Robert Neubecker), and the importance of pursuing our passions, and finding joy in the creative process. The interview is interspersed with Sarah's sage advice for authors.

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Childrens' Books in Public Libraries: A Discussion with Pat (Patrick) Gracey

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Pat (Patrick) Gracey is a senior librarian at the Toronto Public Library where he is a children's services specialist, leading the team that selects new picture books for 17 downtown locations (!).

In our interview, Pat talks about the magic inherent in picture books, and focuses on some of his favorite Canadian (and semi-Canadian) picture books, including The Log Driver's Waltz by Wade Hemsworth, Illustrations by Jennifer Phelan , Think Again by JonArno Lawson, Illustrated by Julie Morstad, Nana's Cold Day by Adwoa Badoe Pictures by Budshra Junaid, Down by Jim Long's Stage: Rhymes for Children and Young Fish by Al Pittman Illustrated by Pam Hall, Canada Counts (A Charles Pachter Counting Book), Canada in Words by Per-Henrik Gürth, The Night Gardner by The Fan Brothers (Terry and Eric), A Face is a Poem by Julie Morstad, Sleep Little Creep by David Quinn and Ashley Spires (illustrator), The Paper Boat by Thao Lam, and What Happened on Thursday by Ayo Oyeku, illustrated by Lydia Mba.

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Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple, "We Celebrate the Light" (Penguin, 2024)

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In our three-way interview, I celebrate with world-renowned children's authors Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple (who is also Jane's daughter), their brand new picture book, We Celebrate the Light, published last week (October 8, 2024) by Rise x Penguin Workshop with the 'luminous' illustrations of Jieting Chen (Illustrator). We talk about the process by which Jane and Heidi write their books together, their separate and joint writing careers, thoughts on writing, craft, and their recent reconnection with Jewish themes and subjects.

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Tina Shepardson, "The Sorry Seeds" (Gnome Road, 2024)

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Tina Shepardson and I celebrate her wonderful new picture book The Sorry Seeds, just published (two days ago!!) by Gnome Road with gorgeous illustrations by Bong Hyun Shin. In our candid conversation, Tina reveals the true childhood story that led her to write the manuscript, and discusses her own journey from child to teacher to author, the critical steps she took to become a published children's author, how she felt when she first saw the visualization of her main character, Courtney, by the illustrator, and her advice for writers aspiring to break through. We also discuss the importance of having a particularly strong story arc, especially when the teaching message is obvious, as in the present story.

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Kimberly Wilson, "A Credit Card Takes Charge" (Page Street Kids, 2024)

Sat, 12 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Are you ready for the story of a credit card that takes cash on a spending spree? In my interview with picture book author Kimberly Wilson, we celebrate brand new book, A Credit Card Takes Charge, published just last week by Page Street Kids (Oct. 1st, 2024). It's third in her series of hilarious, punniful picture books dealing with all things monetary, with a fourth (a piggy bank book) coming out next year. Kimberly talks about her journey, from the eight year-old story writer, through a career in marketing, and returning to her passion of writing stories for children. One intriguing tip from this exciting interview - considering writing the pitch of your picture book story before you sit down and write the story.

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Cathy Stefanec Ogren, "The Little Red Chair" (Sleeping Bear Press, 2024)

Sat, 14 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this, our second interview, Cathy Stefanec Ogren talks about her brand new, wonderfully written and illustrated (by Alexandra Thompson) picture book, The Little Red Chair, just published by Sleeping Bear Press (August 1, 2024).

We discuss Cathy's journey to success, the challenge of writing a picture book manuscript that 'begs' to be illustrated, and Cathy's advice for authors and secret sauce (writing plays?).

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On Haya Shenhav's "100 Rooms"

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Professor Yirmi Pinkus celebrates with us the rerelease of the classic Hebrew children's book, 100 Rooms by Haya Shenhav, in a new American edition (Kalaniot Books, 2024), published (May 1st, 2024) by Kalaniot Books, with his stunning new illustrations. We also discuss his career as an illustrator alongside being an academic teaching the subject, and his thoughts on what enables the illustrator to create beautiful and appropriate artwork to the already existing text.

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Ruth Spiro, "One Small Spark: A Tikkun Olam Story" (Dial Books, 2024)

Sat, 07 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this, our second interview with prolific author Ruth Spiro, we celebrate the publication of her brand new book, One Small Spark: A Tikkun Olam Story (Dial Books, 2024), with the stunning illustrations of Victoria Tentler-Krylov. Ruth talks about her remarkable career, writing scientific board books for toddlers (25 and counting!), as well as stories of inspiration to repair the world, and how the two might be intertwined.

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Dan Gutman, "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" (Holiday House, 2024)

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Dan Gutman is the renowned, prolific author of some 190 books for kids from kindergarten up to middle school. His books include Rappy the Raptor (picture book) and the "My Weird School" series (early readers) about kids who go to a school in which all the grownups are crazy. Over thirty five million books have been sold . He has also written “Wait! WHAT?” a series of biographies that focus on the unusual aspects of people like Albert Einstein, Amelia Earhart, Muhammad Ali, and Teddy Roosevelt.

In our interview, we celebrate his book, The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle (Holiday House, 2024) which was published last month by Holiday House. We also talked about his unique journey on the way to his success, and his tips for aspiring authors.

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Muslimness in Books for Young Readers: A Chat with A. M. Dassu

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Persevering with our literary theme this season, in this episode Claudia Radiven and Chella Ward chat to A. M. Dassu about her books for young readers. Az is a children’s author of fiction and non-fiction, whose books include Fight Back (Tu Books, 2022) and Boy, Everywhere (Tu Books, 2021). Her books engage young readers with themes of migration, activism and political solidarity, and she often writes Muslim characters whose Muslimness is more than simply an aspect of their culture or heritage but plays an important role in their characterisation. We talked to her about her work for different age groups, about what it means to write Muslim characters with their own agency, and about the contexts in which children encounter Islamophobia and other racisms.

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Charly Palmer and Karida Brown, "The New Brownies' Book: A Love Letter to Black Families" (Chronicle Books, 2023)

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In 1920, W. E. B. Du Bois and the NAACP founders published The Brownies’ Book: A Monthly Magazine for Children of the Sun. A century later, The New Brownies' Book: A Love Letter to Black Families (Chronicle Books, 2023) recreates the very first publication created for Black youth in 1920 into a sensational anthology. Expanding on the mission of the original periodical to inspire the hearts and minds of Black children across the country Award-winning sociologist Karida L. Brown and accomplished artist Charly Palmer gathered more than fifty contemporary Black artists, intellectuals, and writers to produce a book filled with essays, poems, paintings, folktales, and short stories reflecting on the beauty of Blackness and the Black experience.

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Don Tate, Children's Book Illustrator and Author

Sat, 13 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Don Tate is the award-winning author and/or illustrator of numerous picture book biographies, including Pigskins to Paintbrushes: The Story of Football-Playing Artist Ernie Barnes (Abrams) and William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad (Peachtree) and more recently, Jerry Changed the Game!: How Engineer Jerry Lawson Revolutionized Video Games Forever (Simon & Schuster) . He is a founding host of The Brown Bookshelf, a website that celebrates the myriad of African American voices writing for young readers. Tate’s accolades include an Ezra Jack Keats Book Award and Honor, a Carter G. Woodson Book Award and Honor, and two Christopher Awards. We celebrate the launch of The Day Madear Voted (Nancy Paulsen Books), written by Wade Hudson, which he illustrated, and discuss the interplay between his careers as author and illustrator.

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Bonni Goldberg, "Doña Gracia Saved Worlds" (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2023)

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Bonni Goldberg, award-winning poet, writer, and educator, writes non-fiction for children and adults. In our animated discussion, we talk about how her recent picture book, Doña Gracia Saved Worlds (published December, 2023, by Kar-Ben and illustrated by Alida Massari) which came about, her life and writing career, Judaism, and advice for aspiring authors. Bonni is also author of The Write Balance: How to Embrace Percolation, Revision & Going Public, the companion book to the best-seller Room to Write: Daily Invitations to a Writer’s Life. She speaks and offers workshops internationally for all ages.

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The Business of Publishing Children's Books: A Discussion with Elizabeth Law

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Elizabeth Law has worked in the publishing field her whole life, first as an Editor at Viking Children’s Books and Puffin Books, as Associate Publisher at Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, then later as Publisher at Egmont USA, and most recently as the backlist and special projects editor at Holiday House Books for Young Readers. Elizabeth has also works as a professional consultant with writers and artists. In this, our third interview, we talk about the business side of traditional children's book publishing. How do publishers make money from children's books, and to what extent to financial considerations sway the decision to choose that one manuscript among thousands that will go on to become a traditionally-published picture book. You are welcome to contact Elizabeth at ElawReads.com, and Twitter, @ElawReads.

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Lesléa Newman, "Like Father, Like Son" (Abrams, 2024)

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In our animated interview with prolific, award-winning children's author and poet Lesléa Newman, we celebrate two of her picture books which have just launched, Like Father, Like Son: A Picture Book, published in April, 2024 by Abrams, and Joyful Song: A Naming Story, published in May, 2024 by Levine-Querido. We talk about Lesléa's journey on her way to becoming an internationally celebrated author.

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Robin Newman, "Who's Writing This Story?" (Creston Books, 2024)

Sat, 25 May 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Robin Newman was a practicing attorney and legal editor but has more fun writing children's books about witches, mice, pigs, and peacocks. In our interview, we celebrate the launch of her new picture book, Who's Writing This Story?, illustrated by Deborah Zemke and published by Creston Books (2024), and talk about Robin's journey to literary success.

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Jennifer Berne, "A Tour of the Human Body: Amazing Numbers--Fantastic Facts" (Astra Publishing House, 2024)

Wed, 22 May 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this wonderful second interview with Jennifer Berne we celebrate the launch of her newest picture book, and the first in a series: A Tour of the Human Body: Amazing Numbers--Fantastic Facts (Number Tours for Curious Kids) published by Astra and just launched on May 7, 2024, illustrated by Dawn DeVries Sokol.

Jennifer has written many award-winning picture books, including On a Beam of Light, Manfish, On Wings of Words (all Chronicle), and Look Up with Me (Katherine Tegen Books). In our discussion, we talk about how the idea of series came about, and how the book developed.

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Marie-Louise Gay, "Walking Trees" (Groundwood Books, 2024)

Sat, 11 May 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Marie-Louise Gay is an internationally-acclaimed, multi-award winning Canadian author and illustrator of over 60 books. In our interview, we celebrate the recent launch of her newest book, Walking Trees (Groundwood Books, 2024), and discuss her youth, her studies and professional career, and several of her leading books, including the series featuring Stella and Sam, and her secret recipe for doing things her way.

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Julie Carpenter, "Harry and the Highwire: Houdini's First Amazing Act" (Green Bean Books, 2024)

Sat, 04 May 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this interview, we celebrate Julie Carpenter's first picture book, Harry and the Highwire: Houdini's First Amazing Act (Laura Catalán, illustrator), published by Green Been Books, May, 2024).

Before deciding to write for children, Julie was a journalist, writer and editor for over 20 years.In our conversation we talk about the magic of writing, the magic of picture books, and the magical life of Harry Houdini.

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On Monsters, Goddesses and Myths: A Discussion with Author Katherine Marsh

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

“We’re not monsters, Mom. We’re goddesses—smart, fearless, and beautiful.” That’s the voice of Ava, the superpowered protagonist of Katherine Marsh’s captivating novel for children, Medusa (Clarion Books, 2024). Our discussion focuses on Marsh’s feminist retelling of the Medusa myth—and on the wider topic of the direction of children’s literature at a time when it has become a challenge to pull any child (or adult) away from the siren of social media. Marsh recognizes the challenges but remains optimistic that children’s literature, which has always drawn heavily on the eternal allure of myths, has a vibrant future.

Veteran journalist Paul Starobin is a former Moscow bureau chief for Business Week and a former contributing editor of The Atlantic. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications. His most recent book is Putin’s Exiles: Their Fight for a Better Russia (Columbia Global Reports, 2024).

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Laura Bower, "The Imposter" (Gnome Road Publishing, 2024)

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this heartwarming interview with Laura Bower, we celebrate the launch of her brand new, debut picture book, The Imposter, illustrated by Kerisa Greene, and published by Sandra Sutter, Gnome Road Publishing (2024). Laura talks about her life and writing career, the story behind The Imposter, and her advice for aspiring authors.

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Michelle Knudsen, "Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten" (Candlewick Press, 2024)

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Michelle Knudsen is the New York Times best-selling author of fifty books for young readers of all ages, including the award-winning picture books (and personal favorites) Library Lion and Marilyn's Monster. In this, our second interview we celebrate the launch of her new picture book, Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten (Candlewick, 2024), a poignant story of mistaken identity and revelation.

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Shoshanna Lockshin and Efrayim Unterman, "The Devash Megillat Esther" (Hadar Press, 2024)

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

The Devash Megillat Esther (Hadar Press, 2024) includes the full Hebrew Megillah text, an original kid-friendly English translation, and carefully selected commentaries from 2,000 years of Jewish tradition brought to life in newly accessible ways. Devash unlocks sophisticated texts for learners of all ages and backgrounds, encouraging deep questioning and growth.

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Sue Fliess, "Octopus Acrobatics" (Albert Whitman & Company, 2024)

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Sue Fliess ("fleece") is the award-winning, bestselling author of over 50 children's books including Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket, How to Trap a Leprechaun, Mary Had a Little Lab, Rumble and Roar, the Beatrice Bly's Rules for Spies series, the Kid Scientist series, the Magical Creatures and Crafts series, and many Little Golden Books. Her books have sold over 850k copies worldwide and have been translated into many languages. In our interview we celebrate the publication of her newest picture book, Octopus Acrobatics, illustrated by Gareth Lucas and just published by Albert Whitman & Company (2024).

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Emily Barth Isler, "The Color of Sound" (Carolrhoda Books, 2024)

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Emily Barth Isler is the author of AfterMath, an award-winning middle grade novel, and of the forthcoming picture book Always Enough Love. In our interview, we celebrate the publication of her second middle grade novel, The Color of Sound (Carolrhoda Books, 2024), the story of Rosie, a musical prodigy with synesthesia. We talk about her transformation from child actor to blogger to author, and the unique perceptions of each and every one of us.

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A Chat with a Children's Book Illustrator: Erin Kraan

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Erin Kraan has illustrated over half a dozen children's books, with more on the way. In our interview we celebrate her latest illustrated picture book, Buffalo Fluffalo (Random House Studio, 2024) written by Bess Kalb. Erin talks about her life and career, and explains her unique process of carving her characters into wood and seeing how their quirky and whimsical identities come to life through the ink in the prints. We talk about the role played by the illustrator in making picture books come true.

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Suzanne Slade, "The Music in George's Head: George Gershwin Creates Rhapsody in Blue" (Astra, 2021)

Sat, 09 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Suzanne Slade is the Sibert Honor author of more than 170 books for children. A mechanical engineer by degree, Suzanne writes about STEM topics, fascinating figures in history, and occasionally lyrical fiction. Her newest books include Some Days are Yellow, Shining Star: Vera Rubin Discovers Dark Matter, Behold the Octopus!, and Dazzilin' Dolly: The Songwriting, Hit-Singing, Guitar-PIcking Dolly Parton.

In our interview we talk to Suzanne about her new books, and celebrate the centenary of the first performance of Rhapsody in Blue, beautifully recounted in her award-winning book The Music in George's Head: George Gershwin Creates Rhapsody in Blue (Calkins Creek, 2016).

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Heather L. Montgomery, "Sick!: The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs" (Bloomsbury, 2024)

Sat, 02 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Heather L. Montgomery writes for kids who are wild about animals, masterfully employing yuck appeal to engage young minds. Her 17 nonfiction books include Something Rotten: A Fresh Look at Roadkill, What's in your Pocket? Collecting Nature's Treasures, and Bugs Don't Hug: Six Legged Parents and their Kids. Here we celebrate Heather's brand new book, Sick!: The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs (illustrated by Lindsey Leigh, Bloomsbury Children's Books) and talk about her life and career, why she loves to write, and her advice for up-and-coming children's authors.

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Get Signed: A Chat with Literary Agent Lucinda Halperin

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Lucinda Halpern is a literary agent with over 15 years’ experience in both the publicity and agency sides of publishing. Before founding Lucinda Literary, she worked in the Publicity division of HarperCollins, where she assisted on the media campaign for Freakonomics among other New York Times bestsellers. She currently represents authors writing in the categories of business, health, lifestyle, popular science, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and upmarket fiction. Here, we celebrate the launch of her brand new book, Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author (Hay House, 2024). Lucinda shares her experience as an agent, her advice for authors, and her own (unagented!) journey in getting a publishing deal.

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Laurie Wallmark and Raakhee Mirchandani, "Journey to the Stars: Kalpana Chawla, Astronaut" (Beaming Books, 2024)

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Laurie Wallmark is the award-winning author of picture book biographies of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) as well as fiction. In our second interview, we celebrate Laurie's new picture book, Journey to the Stars: Kalpana Chawla, Astronaut, co-written with Raakhee Mirchandani, illustrated by Maitreyi Ghosh (Illustrator) , published by Beaming Books (February 13, 2024).

We also talk about other recent books including The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgár Changed the Game (July 2023), Rivka's Presents (July 2023), and Dino Pajama Party: A Bedtime Book (2021), attempting to understand the differences and commonalities between non-fiction and fiction, including the universal importance of passion and storytelling.

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My Friends Maurice Sendak and Leonard Bernstein

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Christopher Swann is an award-winning producer and director of documentaries, a playwright, author and editor. In our lively interview we discuss his career, his thoughts on creativity, his friendship with two legendary geniuses: author-illustrator Maurice Sendak, and composer conductor Leonard Bernstein, and the monumental films which these friendships led to.

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Rebecca Gardyn Levington, "Afikoman, Where'd You Go?: A Passover Hide-and-Seek Adventure" (Rocky Pond Books, 2024)

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this wonderfully candid conversation with children's book author Rebecca Gardyn Levington, we celebrate her new book Afikoman, Where'd You Go?: A Passover Hide-and-Seek Adventure from Rocky Pond Books (2024) and illustrated by Noa Kelner. This is her third published picture book (her previous books are Brainstorm! and Whatever Comes Tomorrow), with six additional rhyming picture books forthcoming. Her poetry and articles have appeared in various anthologies, newspapers, and magazines.

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Talk to the Literary Agent: A Discussion with Victoria Selvaggio

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

For Victoria Selvaggio, books have always played an important role in her life. From an early age, she could easily be found reading in a corner with stacks of books or the opposite, crafting her own.

Victoria was introduced to SCBWI (The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). Once again, she was hooked! Like all passions, Victoria immersed herself in all things publishing. She volunteered for her local SCBWI chapter and subsequently became a Regional Advisor, a role that also empowered her and provided a new path of becoming a literary agent.

After interning for The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency, she joined the agency in 2013 as an associate agent and subsequently joined the Storm Literary Agency as agent, and then as owner in 2022. Her list features both debut and award-winning authors. She represents all age categories and all genres except Erotica Romance. Currently, she is closed to submissions but does plan to open for a limited time in 2024 (Victoria does accept and opens for submissions as a presenter at conferences).

In our discussion, we talk about how she managed to combine her business acumen with her love for books and the publishing industry, and her advice for authors seeking to become traditionally published.

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What Makes A Great Picture Book?

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Betsy Bird is the Collection Development Manager of Evanston Public Library and the former Youth Materials Specialist of New York Public Library. She writes for the School Library Journal blog A Fuse #8 Production and reviews for Kirkus. She is the host of the Story Seeds podcast as well as the co-host of the Fuse 8 n' Kate podcast that she creates with her sister. Betsy is the author of nonfiction, picture books, anthologies, and the historical middle grade novel Long Road to the Circus (Knopf, 2021), illustrated by David Small. Her new picture book Pop Goes the Nursery Rhyme is out Fall 2024. You can follow Betsy @fusenumber8 on Instagram, Threads and TikTok or @fuse8.bsky.social on BlueSky. In our animated conversation, we talk about what makes a great picture book.

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Meet the Literary Agent: A Chat with Leslie Zampetti

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Today I speak to the wonderful literary agent Leslie Zampetti, who recently launched her own agency, Open Book Literary. A former librarian in special, public, and school libraries, Leslie’s focus is on the right book at the right time for the reader. We talk about her 'chocolate box' experiences as a champion of great children's stories.

Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 260,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos.

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Miriam Halahmy, "A Boy from Baghdad" (Green Bean Books, 2024)

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Miriam Halahmy has published 9 novels for children and teens. Her new book A Boy from Baghdad (Green Bean Books, 2024), tells the story for children the first time in English, of the exile of the Iraqi Jewish community 1949-1951 to Israel and their subsequent difficulties in the Promised Land. The book was inspired by Miriam's husband's family who are all Babylonian Jews born in Baghdad. About the book:

It's 1951, and twelve-year-old Salman Shasha is happy with his life in Baghdad. But trouble is brewing. Salman and his family are Iraqi Jews and their government has been turning against their community for years. Things become so dangerous that the whole family are forced to leave Iraq for Israel, the "Promised Land".

Once they arrive, however, they realize that things are not what they dreamed they would be. Taken to a refugee camp, the Shasha family try to make the best of their situation. But the dominant group in the country - the Ashkenazi Jews - look down on families like Salman's and treat them horribly. Salman decides to focus on his greatest passion, swimming, and beating his rivals in a race. Facing taunts from his bullying peers, Salman feels defeated, but he soon realizes that with hard work and determination anything is possible.

An inspiring, atmospheric tale about the power of perseverance, friendship and family in the face of hardship, hatred and change, A Boy From Baghdad is an important story of diversity in the modern world. Essential reading for any child 8 years and over.

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Meet the Librarian

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Louise Lareau is the award-winning Managing Librarian at The New York Public Library and currently leads the Children’s Center team at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library. She calls herself a 'book detective. We talk about makes a great picture book, differences among cultures and languages, the role of the library in bringing books to the children of their community, and how silliness, and theatricality prevail!

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Renée LaTulippe, "The Crab Ballet" (Abrams, 2022)

Sat, 13 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this fun interview, we celebrate Renée M. LaTulippe's wonderful poem picture book The Crab Ballet (Cameron Kids/Abrams, 2022) and talk about her career and thoughts about children's literature, the importance of poetry in lyrical writing, her love for theater, and advice for aspiring authors.

Renée's upcoming book is Limelight: Theater Poems to Perform (Charlesbridge, 2025). She also has poems published in many anthologies including the upcoming No World Too Big (Charlesbridge, 2023) as well as Night Wishes and School People (ed. Lee Bennett Hopkins), National Geographic’s The Poetry of US and NatGeo’s Book of Nature Poetry (ed. J. Patrick Lewis), One Minute Till Bedtime (ed. Kenn Nesbitt), Poems Are Teachers (ed. Amy Ludwig VanDerwater), ThankU: Poems of Gratitude (ed. Miranda Paul), A World Full of Poems (ed. Sylvia Vardell), several editions of The Poetry Friday Anthology books (ed. Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong), nine award-winning leveled educational readers (Moonbeam Children’s Books Silver Award, Mom’s Choice Gold Awards), a collection of poetry titled Lizard Lou: a collection of rhymes old and new (Moonbeam Children’s Books Silver Award for poetry), and the workbook All About Homophones (Finalist, IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards) for All About Learning Press, where she is also the editor. Renée developed and teaches the online course The Lyrical Language Lab, provides free lessons and Peek & Critique sessions for children’s writers on her YouTube channel, and blogs on children’s poetry at NoWaterRiver.com. She earned her BFA in acting/directing from Marymount Manhattan College and her MA in English Education from NYU; worked and played in the theater for almost two decades; and taught English, theater arts, and public speaking in NYC. Originally from upstate New York, she lives by the sea in Italy with her family.

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Isabel Estrada, "La Mariachi" (Sleeping Bear Press, 2023)

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Isabel Estrada, Ph.D., is an author and speaker with an extensive background in music and education. Today we celebrate her recently-published picture own-voices book, La Mariachi (Sleeping Bear Press, 2023), and talk about rerouting her original hope of becoming an opera singer to her dream-come-true publishing journey.

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Charlotte Offsay, "Challah Day!" (Holiday House, 2023)

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Charlotte Offsay was born in England, grew up in Boston, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. In our conversation, we celebrate her new picture book Challah Day, illustrated by Jason Kirschner (Holiday House, 2023) and talk about her author journey and advice for aspiring picture book writers. Charlotte is also the author of Eight Sweet Nights, A Festival of Lights, illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2024), The Quiet Forest, illustrated by Abi Cushman (SSBFYR/Paula Wiseman Books, 2024), A Grandma’s Magic, illustrated by Asa Gilland (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2022), The Big Beach Cleanup, illustrated by Kate Rewse (Albert Whitman, 2021), and How to Return a Monster, illustrated by Rea Zhai (Beaming Books, 2021).

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Lita Judge, "Don't Worry, Wuddles" (Atheneum, 2023)

Sat, 09 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Lita Judge is the award-winning author and illustrator of three dozen children’s books (!) including Flight School, Penguin Flies Home, Red Sled, Red Hat, Good Morning to Me!, Born in the Wild, Even the Smallest Will Grow, When You Need Wings, as well as her much celebrated, illustrated young adult novel, Mary’s Monster. In our conversation, we celebrate her new picture book,

Don't Worry, Wuddles (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023) and also discuss another recent children's book from this year, Dogs: A History of Our Best Friends which launched on April 18, 2023 from Harry N. Abrams. Lita talks about her personal journey from a small island in Alaska to her highly successful career as an author and illustrator.

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Tara Lazar, "Flat Cat" (Flamingo Books, 2023)

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this, our second interview, I talk with award-winning children's author Tara Lazar about her new picture book, Flat Cat (Flamingo Books, 2023), illustrated by the also-illustrious Pete Oswald. We talk about where ideas come from, and the process by which the finished text leaves the author's hands and becomes an illustrated picture book. We also discuss her fabulous children's (everyone's, actually) dictionary of absurd words, published last year, and her Storystorm project in which thousands of writers come up with thirty ideas for new stories each January.

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Donating Books to Children: A Chat with Alex Zablotsky of PJ Library

Sat, 25 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Alex Zablotsky is the Managing Director of PJ Library, a philanthropy that donates millions of books on Jewish themes to children around the world every year. We talk about the confluence of Jewish and universal themes, the similarities and differences between PJ Library and its Israeli sister, Sifriat Pajama, which shares hundreds of thousands of picture books in Arabic, as well as in Hebrew, the process by which books are chosen, and the importance of sharing books on Jewish themes with non-Jewish families who wish to hear more about Jewish culture and values.PJ Library has its own publishing arm and welcomes submissions according to its guidelines.

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Talk to the Agent: A Discussion with Jennifer Unter

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Jennifer Unter has worked in many aspects of the publishing industry for over three decades. After graduating from the University of Michigan, she began her career at Henry Holt & Co. in the editorial department before moving on to the Karpfinger Agency as a junior literary agent, while also attending law school at Fordham University School of Law. In 2008, she started The Unter Agency, LLC, a full-service boutique agency specializing in quality fiction, nonfiction and all types of children’s literature. In addition to placing projects at domestic and foreign publishers, she also sells to audio, film and television. We had a wonderful conversation talking about why she does what she does, the relationship between story and message, and her advice for aspiring authors. Jennifer is open to queries! Make sure to add that you heard our conversation in the subject line.

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Talk to the Publisher: A Chat with Sandra Shutter

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Sandra Sutter is the owner/publisher at Gnome Road Publishing (aka "Top Gnome"). A former attorney, counselor and author, she has found her way to making great books with great people. The key concept at Gnome Road is "re-readability". Sandra is also a mom and chauffeur to two curious kids, a crazy cat lady, and a fan of kind people.We talked in detail about her publishing process, the books she loves, and her advice to authors as a publisher of picture books.

Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos.

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Meet the Literary Agent: A Chat with Marisa A. Corvisiero

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Marisa A. Corvisiero is the founder and CEO of the Corvisiero Literary Agency, and its Senior Literary Agent. During the few years prior to starting her own agency, Marisa worked with another well known New York City Literary Agency, where she learned invaluable lessons and made a name for herself in the industry. She is also a Literary Consultant, Speaker, Author and continues to practice law in New York City She has attended over 100 conferences and workshops, and continues to present on webinars, tutorials, and bootcamps for Writer's Digest among other reputable sources, as well as hosting her own Author Preneur Workshops, where she teaches and coaches authors on writing, mindset, and publishing as a business. In our frank conversation, Marisa talks about her life and career and suggests that writing from the heart and perseverance are key factors to success. She is open to queries and is supportive of authors who wish to pursue non-traditional and hybrid publishing routes.

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Bea Birdsong, "Boop!" (HarperCollins, 2023)

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Bea Birdsong is the internationally-celebrated author of I Will Be Fierce! (illustrated by Nidhi Chanani), Sam’s First Word (illustrated by Holly Hatam), and How to Spot a Best Friend (illustrated by Lucy Fleming), In this, our second conversation, we celebrate her new interactive picture book (illustrated by Linzie Hunter) Boop! (HarperCollins, 2023). We talk about the pros and cons of writing fiction for children, and Bea provides sage advice for aspiring authors.

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Autism in Children's Literature: A Discussion with Jen Malia

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

An autistic mom of three autistic kids, Dr. Jen Malia is the author of the children’s chapter book series The Infinity Rainbow Club and the picture book Too Sticky! Sensory Issues with Autism. Jen is Professor of English and Creative Writing Coordinator at Norfolk State University. She has a Ph.D. in English from the University of Southern California. We talk about her books, and her advocacy to discuss neurodivergence in children's literature.

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What Do Literary Agents Do?

Sat, 28 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Liza Fleissig, with her partner Ginger Harris-Dontzin, opened the Liza Royce Agency (LRA) in early 2011. From picture books through adult projects, fiction and non-fiction, LRA welcomes strong voices and plot driven works.

In our animated and exciting conversation Liza and I discuss her career, some of the books she has sold recently, her advice for aspiring authors, and her thoughts about the role of the literary agent.

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Illustrating Children's Books: A Discussion with Amanda Hall

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 04:00:00 -0000

Amanda Hall has been a children’s book illustrator since the mid-1980s, with some fifty books published in 26 countries. After a period in London and abroad, she returned to live in Cambridge, England, where she had trained. In our animated interview, we discuss the recent book (by Jennifer Berne) which she illustrated, How the Sea Came to Be (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2023) her life (starting with the magical thatched hut she grew up in) and career as a leading illustrator of children's books.

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Melissa Stewart, "Thank You, Moon: Celebrating Nature's Nightlight" (Knopf, 2023)

Sat, 14 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Melissa Stewart has written more than 200 science-themed nonfiction books for children, including the Sibert Medal Honoree Summertime Sleepers: Animals that Estivate, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen. In our interview, we celebrate the launch of her wonderful new book Thank You, Moon: Celebrating Nature’s Nightlight (Knopf, 2023), illustrated by Jessica Lanan. We also talk about her advocacy for more children's books on non-fiction, alongside their fiction 'cousins'.

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Free Books for the Children of Chicago

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

A wonderful interview with Kristen Daniels, Executive Director of Bernie's Book Bank. Since 2009, Bernie's Book Bank has provided 24 million books free of charge to children in the Chicago area. In our conversation, Kristen talks about what they do, how they do it, and how we can help out with this incredible initiative. Before joining Bernie’s Book Bank, Kristen held a variety of leadership roles at non-profits including Clearbrook, YMCA and USA Swimming Foundation.

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Julie Hedlund, "Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews" (Little Bee Books, 2023)

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Julie Hedlund is back as our guest on New Books Network to talk about her brand new picture book, Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews published on Sept 5th by Little Bee Books. It recounts, with love and lyricism, Julie Andrew's childhood leading to her breakthrough as a young teenager. Julie shares the story of how the book came to be, as well as her thoughts and advice on the challenges of becoming a published children's book author.

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Mónica Mancillas, "How to Speak in Spanglish" (Penguin Workshop, 2023)

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Mónica Mancillas authors books for children of all ages, as well as adult fiction. In our lively interview, Mónica discusses two of her picture books that launched during the summer: How to Speak in Spanglish (Penguin Workshop, 2023) and The Worry Balloon (Roaring Brook Press, 2023). Monica received her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley before pursuing a decade-long career in the recording industry, followed by her rapid rise as a highly successful children's author.. She currently teaches piano in Burbank, California, where she resides with her husband and daughter.

The interview ends with a surprise duet - Don't miss it!

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A Discussion with Jannie Ho, Illustrator and Author

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Philadelphia, Jannie Ho is the illustrator of the early reader graphic novel Fry Guys (Andrews McMeel Publishing, launching September 26, 2023) written by Eric Geron, which will launch in just a few days. She is also the author/illustrator of Happy Chinese New Year, A Festive Counting Story, Bear and Chicken, and The Lost Mitten. Jannie is the creator of the comic Super Chicken and Shelly, which is a regular feature in Highlights for Children's High Five Magazine. She lives in the greater Boston area with her family. We discuss her childhood journey from Hong Kong to Philadelphia and her professional journey as a children's author and illustrator.

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Michael Leventhal, "The Chocolate King" (Green Bean Books, 2021)

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Michael Leventhal is the publisher of Green Bean Books, which focuses on Jewish children’s books. He is author of The Chocolate King and co-author of Jews in Britain, After twenty years publishing military history books, he wanted to try something new and work on books that his own young children would enjoy reading. In our interview we discuss Michael's journey towards become a successful kidlit publisher and his advice for prospective authors (yes, he is looking for manuscripts, written by anybody, but with a Jewish angle).

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Brides of Christ (with Sr Mary Josefa of the Eucharist)

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Sister Mary Josefa of the Eucharist is a Benedictine nun in Missouri; she and the sisters of her community recently wrote a charming children’s book, Brides of Christ (Sophia Institute Press, 2023), which invites the reader into the rhythms of their contemplative life through the course of the day and cycle of the year. She talks about this life with me and also the discernment that drew her into it.

We also discuss the late Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster who founded their community who drew the attention of the world earlier this year when her exhumed body was miraculously not corrupted four years after death, nor her garments (though the fabric of her coffin was completely rotted away).

Finally, we discuss the special charism and Marian consecration of this Benedictine community who emulate the quiet, loving role of the Mother of God in the years between the Ascension of Jesus and her own Assumption, supporting the Early Church.

The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles website
The new book, Brides of Christ, from Sophia Institute Press
Articles about Sr Wilhelmina Lancaster’s uncorrupted remains: in the New York Times, in the Catholic News Agency, and in the Catholic Review.

Krzysztof Odyniec is a historian of Medieval and Early Modern Europe; he is also the host of the 'Almost Good Catholics' podcast.

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A Better Way to Buy Books

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Bookshop.org is an online book retailer that donates more than 80% of its profits to independent bookstores. Launched in 2020, Bookshop.org has already raised more than $27,000,000. In this interview, Andy Hunter, founder and CEO discusses his journey to creating one of the most revolutionary new organizations in the book world. Bookshop has found a way to retain the convenience of online book shopping while also supporting independent bookstores that are the backbones of many local communities.

Andy Hunter is CEO and Founder of Bookshop.org. He also co-created Literary Hub.

Caleb Zakarin is the Assistant Editor of the New Books Network.

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A Chat with a Literary Agent: Savannah Brooks

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Savannah Brooks started her agenting career as an intern with the Jennifer De Chiara team in 2017, moving to associate agent in 2018. In 2022, she joined the KT Literary as an agent, where she now works full-time representing all of kid lit and most adult fiction. She’s especially interested in stories that teach her something new, add to a larger sociopolitical conversation, and highlight underrepresented identities and cultures. In our wonderful and candid conversation, we talk about her life, career and her thoughts on agenting and children's literature in general. Oh yes, and what she is looking for these days.

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Laurie Wallmark, "Rivka's Presents" (Random House Studio, 2023)

Sat, 26 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark writes mostly picture book biographies of women in STEM. Her titles include Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars; Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code; and Hedy Lamarr's Double Life. In our discussion, we discuss her brand new book, Rivka's Presents (Random House Studio, 2023)), a heartwarming fictional story of a young Jewish girl living on the Lower East Side who can't start school because her father is sick, so she makes a trade with her neighbors: chores for lessons.

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Lisa M. Bolt Simons, "The Vanished Northwest Passage Arctic Expedition" (Capstone, 2022)

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Lisa M. Bolt Simons has published over 60 children's nonfiction books, with many more in preparation. In our conversation we talk about two of her recent "Curious About" books, but focus on her recent historical fiction graphic novel The Vanished Northwest Passage Arctic Expedition (Capstone, 2022), illustrated by Eugene Smith Both and published by Capstone Press. Lisa talks about her childhood, her outstanding success as an educational writer, and the challenges of publishing the stories of her heart.

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Leslie Kimmelman, "Ready, Set, Run!: The Amazing New York City Marathon" (Random House Studio, 2023)

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Today I speak to the wonderful Leslie Kimmelman, as we celebrate her brand new picture book, Ready, Set, Run!: The Amazing New York City Marathon, published by Random House Studio, (and also A Book about Bupkes, published by Kar-Ben). Both books launched on August 1st! Leslie is author of over forty picture books under her own name and many more written under a pseudonym (revealed in our conversation!). She was also an editor at Sesame Workshop so she knows how to get to Sesame Street. Join us for a fun, animated conversation about her career, her books, and her thoughts on children's literature.

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Anna Olswanger, "Greenhorn" (NewSouth Books, 2012)

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Anna Olswanger is an award-winning children's author and highly regarded literary agent, with clients include the New York Times best-selling author Michael Hall and the Newbery Honor Book winner Vince Vawter. Anna's middle grade novel Greenhorn (2012) is based on the true story of a young Holocaust survivor that she heard from Rabbi Rafael Grossman. Anna is also the author of Shlemiel Crooks (2005), a Sydney Taylor Honor Book and PJ Library Book, and a graphic novel titled A Visit to Moscow (2022). Anna is also curator of her dad's (Berl Olswanger's) jazz career and music, all wonderful reasons to interview her about her careers and life.

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The Children's Books Business: A Discussion with Elizabeth Law

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Elizabeth Law has worked in the publishing field her whole life, first as an Editor at Viking Children’s Books and Puffin Books, as Associate Publisher at Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, then later as Publisher at Egmont USA, and more recently as the backlist and special projects editor at Holiday House Books for Young Readers. Elizabeth has also works as a professional consultant with writers and artists. In this wonderful follow-up interview, we talk about the advantages (and tribulations) of traditional publication, to those of self-publishing. You are welcome to contact Elizabeth at ElawReads.com, and Twitter, @ElawReads. And if you find the 'mistake' in Bemelman's Madeline, don't tell me. I'm not sure I want to know.

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Sarah Sassoon, "Shoham's Bangle" (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2022)

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In our interview, Sarah Sassoon celebrates the success of her award-winning children's book, Shoham's Bangle, published by Kar-Ben (2022), and discusses her life journey and career from Australia to South Africa and now as an author and poet in Jerusalem.

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Shelli R. Johannes and Chelsea Clinton, "She Persisted: Florence Nightingale" (Philomel Books, 2023)

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

This is my second interview with the wonderful Shelli R. Johannes, who is the author of 18 books with more due out in 2024. She is the co-author (with Kimberly Derting) of the popular Cece Loves Science series and Penny (An Engineering Tale of the Fourth Pig). In addition to her tween and teen novels, she is also the author of the Theo Thesaurus series and Shine Like a Unicorn. In our interview we talk about her new chapter book Florence Nightingale which just came out in in Chelsea Clinton’s “She Persisted” series (Philomel Books, 2023)). We also discuss the questions of whether authors should 'write for the market' and whether independent publishing is a viable option to traditional publishing.

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Ariel Bernstein, "You Go First" (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2023)

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Today I get to interview one of my favorite children's book authors, Ariel Bernstein, and celebrate her new book, You Go First, which was published only two weeks ago by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (June 13, 2023). We talk about her rapid rise from anonymity to international success and acclaim starting with her first picture book, I Have a Balloon. Ariel shares her thoughts about writing for young children and her sage advice for aspiring. authors.

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Jewish Children's Books: A Chat with Lili Rosenstreich

Sat, 17 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this funny, engaging and candid interview Lili Rosenstreich talks about her career leading up to her current role as founder, publisher, and creative director at Kalaniot Books, an up-and-coming US-based publisher of books for Jewish children. We discuss her wishlist for manuscripts, and her thoughts on the publishing industry. Prior to founding Kalaniot Books, Lili was the design director of Children’s Books at Farrar, Straus and Giroux and has designed and art directed books for HarperCollins, Macmillan, Henry Holt, Charlesbridge, and Holiday House. She has had the honor of collaborating with such widely recognized talent such as Jon Agee, Siona Benjamin, Alice Blumenthal McGinty, Menahem Halberstadt, Rashin Kheiriyeh, Shoshana Nambi, Eric Rohmann, Peter Sis, David Small, Chana Stiefel, Liza Wiemer, and Ed Young.

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Illustrating Children's Books: A Discussion with Holly Hatam

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Holly Hatam is illustrator of several dozen children's books, published by Random House, Harper Collins and others. She is also author-illustrator of Unicorns are Real and several other board books. In our lively and candid conversation, we discuss her career, her breakthrough, her thoughts as an illustrator, her illustration process and advice for aspiring writers and illustrators. Holly is the illustrator of the recent book A Good Deed Can Grow by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman and published by Christy Ottaviano Books in 2023.

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Anne Roos Kleiss, "When a Friend Needs a Friend" (Scholastic Press, 2023)

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In our wonderful conversation, Anne Roos Kleiss, a Dutch author-illustrator based in Rotterdam, and I talk about her new book, When a Friend Needs a Friend (which just launched in February, 2023 (Scholastic). Her pen name, which is the name appearing on her children's books is Roozeboos. We talk about how she was discovered at an exhibition featuring her work as an MA student in the Children’s Book Illustration of the Cambridge School of Art (Angela Ruskin), her process as an author-illustrator and her tips for aspiring authors and illustrators.

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Anna Lazowski, "Dark Cloud" (Kids Can Press, 2023)

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

This is my second interview with the wonderful children's author Anna Lazowski, this time celebrating the launch of her new picture book Dark Cloud, published last month by Kids Can Press. Anna Lazowski wrote her first picture book for a class assignment in the sixth grade and has been creating stories ever since. Now an award-winning radio producer whose journalistic work has been published in various newspapers and magazines, Anna is also the author of T. Rexes Can’t Tie Their Shoes. She lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with her husband, kids and dogs.

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Martin Lemelman, "The Miracle Seed" (Eerdmans Young Readers, 2023)

Wed, 31 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In our animated discussion, Martin Lemelman and I discuss his latest graphic novel, The Miracle Seed (Eerdmans Young Readers, 2023), which was published only two months ago. It is the thrilling true story of an ancient plant, wonderfully reborn in the modern era through the hard work of two female scientists. It is a Junior Library Guild, as well as, a PJ Library Selection.

Martin Lemelman, the child of Holocaust survivors, is the author of two award winning graphic memoirs. His first, Mendel’s Daughter (Free Press/ Simon & Schuster) was ranked by Entertainment Weekly as number eight in their 10 Greatest Graphic Novels. His graphic memoir, Two Cents Plain: My Brooklyn Boyhood (Bloomsbury USA) was selected as one of the best memoirs of 2010 by Kirkus Reviews and was a winner of the 2010-2011 New York City Book Award. Martin is retired from the Communication Design Department at Kutztown University where he was Full Professor. He lives in Florida with his wife Monica. They are the proud parents of four sons and nine grandchildren.

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Hanoch Piven and Shira Hecht-Koller, "Dream Big, Laugh Often: And More Great Advice from the Bible" (FSG, 2023)

Tue, 30 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Hanoch Piven is an Israeli collage artist whose colorful and witty portraits have appeared over the last 30 years on both sides of the Atlantic: in most major American magazines and newspapers such as Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone and in many European publications.

Piven has written and illustrated eight award-winning books for children, as well as Apps, TV programs and exhibitions. He received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators of New York and Parent’s Choice Award for his iPad App, Faces iMake, Right Brain Creativity. In our interview, Hanoch talks about his latest book for children Dream Big, Laugh Often (FSG Books for Young Readers, 2023) authored with Shira Hecht-Koller, his philosophy and how he came upon his unique artistic language which has made him internationally famous. His methods for creating art and fostering creativity have been implemented in many kindergartens and schools.

Piven’s art, made with everyday found objects, stimulates the viewer to look at the world in a playful new way, to engage in active participation and practice the basic principles of creativity, which can later be implemented in any art form or pursuit.

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Sophia Gholz, "A History of Toilet Paper (and Other Potty Tools)" (Running Press Kids, 2022)

Sat, 27 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Since Sophia Gholz’s highly successful debut book, The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng, appeared four years ago, she has published with several exceptional picture books for children, notably her two recent books from 2022, Bug on the Rug (Sleeping Bear) and A History of Toilet Paper (and Other Potty Tools) (from Running Press Kids). In our interview we talk about her career, how she broke into the traditional publishing world, her insistence on writing both nonfiction and fiction ("it's the story that counts") and her advice for aspiring authors.

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Lee Wardlaw, "Won Ton and Chopstick: A Cat and Dog Tale Told in Haiku" (Henry Holt, 2015)

Sun, 21 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this interview we celebrate Lee Wardlaw's writing career, over thirty books ranging from board books to YA, with over a million copies sold! We focus on two of her many books, Won Ton and Chopstick: A Cat and Dog Tale Told in Haiku (Henry Holt, 2015) and First Steps (Harperfestival, 1999). We discuss her new award for children's books in which cats play a role, and her sage advice for authors hoping to get their stories published.

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Jennifer Swanson, "Footprints Across the Planet" (Reycraft, 2022)

Fri, 19 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In our conversation, award-winning author Jennifer Swanson’s talks about her love for communicating science through award-winning children's books (almost fifty, and counting!). We celebrate her most recent book, Footprints Across the Planet (Reycraft, 2022) and get a sneak preview of her upcoming book Space Care. Jennifer shares her path to becoming a highly successful children's author, and provides excellent tips for the up-and-coming.

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Jennifer Berne, "How the Sea Came to Be (and All the Creatures in It)" (Eerdmans, 2023)

Sat, 13 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this wonderful interview with Jennifer Berne we celebrate the launch of her epic picture book How the Sea Came to Be: (And All the Creatures In It), published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers in 2023, which amazingly covers the four plus billion years from the beginning of the oceans to the present day." Jennifer talks about her love for dance, music poetry, advertising and science and how all these interests merged when she decided to pursue a career as a children's book author. Jennifer has written many award-winning picture books, including On a Beam of Light, Manfish, On Wings of Words (all Chronicle), and Look Up with Me (Katherine Tegen Books). She has been fascinated by the ocean since her childhood, and "How the Sea Came to Be" is based on her countless hours of research about evolution and the undersea world. Jennifer lives in countryside and spends her summers sailing.

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Katey Howes, "Woven of the World" (Chronicle Books, 2023)

Tue, 02 May 2023 04:00:00 -0000

Katey Howes is a highly successful, multiple-award winning picture book author, doing things her way. She writes books in meticulous rhyme. She writes stories with clear messages. In our illuminating interview, we talk not only about her new multi-starred book, Woven of the World (Chronicle, 2023), which sold out in two months, but also about her life story as a 'science nerd' who originally wanted to publish a single children's book and call it a day, and her advice for aspiring authors.

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Advice from a Literary Agent

Sat, 29 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this intriguing and fun interview Stephen Fraser talks about his love for children's books, his careers as editor at HarperCollins Children's Books and as executive agent at the Jennifer de Chiara Literary Agency, and his premise that "Joy should drive the publishing industry." Along the way, he shares great advice to aspiring picture book authors: Picture book manuscripts are a 'launch pad for the illustrations.' Write out of joy and passion (not towards a trend), make every word count, have your manuscripts read to you aloud, make room (lots of room) for the role of the illustrator, concentrate more on the manuscript (and less on the query letter), avoid art notes, be theatrical and love what you're doing. And, towards the end, there is even a musical surprise!!! Enjoy!

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Noa Nimrodi, "Not So Shy" (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2023)

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In my conversation with author-illustrator Noa Nimrodi we celebrate the launch of her first Middle Grade book in English, Not So Shy which published just two weeks ago by Kar-Ben. As a young Mom, Noa fell in love with picture books and decided to try and write her own. It was definitely harder than it seemed. After many drafts and countless rejections, Noa finally got a publishing deal for her first two picture books (in Hebrew). In 2009 Noa’s husband was offered a job in San Diego, and with three kids and a dog they moved (Noa breaking a promise not to put her kids through the moves she experienced as a child). Her children’s challenges mirrored some of her own and brought back memories of when she moved to the US. And that was the seed for Not So Shy.

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Chris Haughton on Writing and Illustrating Children's Books

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Since Chris Haughton begun writing and illustrating children's books about a dozen years ago, he has conquered the heart of millions with his engaging stories and unique, beautiful artwork. His first book, A Bit Lost has been translated into 35 languages and has won awards in 12 countries including the Dutch Picture Book of the Year. Oh No George! came out in 2012, SHH! We Have a Plan in 2014, Goodnight Everyone in 2016, Don't Worry, Little Crab in 2019, and Maybe in 2021. In this wonderfully frank conversation, we discuss his life, his publishing career (beginning in South Korea), his craft, advice to aspiring writers and illustrators, and celebrate his most recent book, Well Done, Mummy Penguin (Candlewick Press, 2022).

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Shelly M. Jones, "Women Who Count: Honoring African American Women Mathematicians" (American Mathematical Society, 2019)

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

African-Americans and women are increasingly visible in professional mathematical institutions, organizations, and literature, expanding our mental models of the mathematics community. Yet early representation also matters: We begin building these models as soon as we begin seeing and doing mathematics, and they can be slow to adapt. In her wonderful activity book Women Who Count: Honoring African American Women Mathematicians (MAA Press, 2019), Dr. Shelly Jones invites children, and their parents and educators, to immerse themselves in the lives and deeds of Black women mathematicians.

The 29 profiles trace back to "the Firsts" in their fields, such as early PhD awardee Evelyn Boyd Granville; the "Pioneers" of emerging fields and programs, including ethnomathematics co-founder Gloria Gilmer; through "Unhidden Figures" like Dorothy Johnson Vaughan of recent biopic fame; and to "Contemporary Firsts" who are living, working, and opening new doors today. Along with their mathematical contributions, Dr. Jones shares details of these mathematicians' early lives, their hobbies and interests, and how they have been shaped by and in turn shaped their communities. Each mini-biography introduces a whole person whom readers new to mathematics can relate to and be inspired by.

Each profile is accompanied by a pencil-and-paper activity that brings to life the some part of their story. Some are classics, including word searches and I-Spy, while others introduce readers to mathematical and educational concepts explored by their subjects—coloring tessellations, for example, or solving equations to decode messages. The text and activities are targeted to grades 3–8, and are ideal for elementary and middle school classrooms.

In our conversation, Dr. Jones described how she conceived the book, assembled the stories and activities, and connected with illustrator Veronica Martins. I came away with a richer perspective on the state of the field for aspiring mathematicians—in addition to a perfect gift for my second-grade nephew.

Suggested companion works:

Dr. Shelly M. Jones is a Professor of Mathematics Education at Central Connecticut State University. She has been an educator for 30 years and currently teaches undergraduate mathematics content and methods courses for pre-service teachers as well as graduate level mathematics content, curriculum and STEM courses for in-service teachers. Dr. Jones serves her community by working with various professional and community organizations. You can see her CCSU TEDx talk on YouTube where she talks about culturally relevant mathematics. She is also a contributing author to The Brilliance of Black Children in Mathematics: Beyond the Numbers and Toward a New Discourse and co-author of Engaging in Culturally Relevant Math Tasks: Fostering Hope.

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Lindsay Bonilla, "The Note Who Faced the Music" (Page Street Kids, 2023)

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Lindsay Bonilla is the author of Polar Bear Island (Union Square, 2018) and I Love You With All of My Hearts (Creative Editions, 2021). In our lively and candid interview, we celebrate the launch of Lindsay's new book, The Note Who Faced the Music (Page Street Kids, 2023). Lindsay talks about her childhood challenges and her penchant for storytelling which turned into a passion for writing picture books. She recounts the path from hybrid to traditional publishing, lessons learned along the way, and gives sage advice for aspiring authors.

Lindsay is a member of the National Storytelling Network (NSN) and the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Learn more at lindsaybonilla.com.

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Susan Johnston Taylor, "Animals in Surprising Shades: Poems about Earth's Colorful Creatures" (Gnome Road Publishing, 2023)

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Susan Johnston Taylor dreamed of writing since the age of nine, when she won a magazine contest. In our interview we celebrate the launch of her picture book, Animals in Surprising Shades: Poems about Earth’s Colorful Creatures (Gnome Road Publishing, 2023). Her book is composed of poems (each in a different style), each about a colorful animal. As a freelance writer for over a decade, Susan's written over a dozen titles for the educational market and published nonfiction articles in children’s magazines including FACES, Highlights for Children and Scout Life. In our conversation, we talk about her journey in publishing her debut book with a traditional publisher, and her tips for aspiring authors.

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Talk to the Children's Lit Agent: A Discussion with Melissa Edwards

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In our interview, Melissa Edwards provides an insightful look at children's publishing from the viewpoint of a successful agent who left her legal career in order to pursue her passion for children's books. Melissa Edwards joined Stonesong as a literary agent in August 2016. Previously, she was a literary agent at the Aaron Priest Literary Agency, where she managed the foreign rights for a forty-year backlist. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis and Vanderbilt Law School, Melissa began her career as an attorney before transitioning into publishing. She is a tireless advocate for her clients and a constant partner during the publication process and beyond. Melissa also acts as a contract consultant for authors and agents under the business MLE Consulting. She can be found on Twitter @MelissaLaurenE. Melissa represents our past interviewee Bea Birdsong and our upcoming interviewee Noa Nimrodi.

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Cathy Stefanec Ogren, "Pew! The Stinky and Legen-Dairy Gift from Colonel Thomas S. Meacham" (Sleeping Bear Press, 2023)

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this interview with third time author Cathy Stefanec Ogren, we celebrate the launch of her new picture book, Pew! The Stinky and Legen-Dairy Gift from Colonel Thomas S. Meacham (Sleeping Bear Press, 2023). Cathy talks about how her love for writing plays as a child led her down the path of becoming an educator and teacher. PEW is the unlikely tale of publicity-hungry Colonel Meachem who, almost 200 years ago, wanted to impress the US president with a special 600 kg gift of ripe cheese. In our conversation, Cathy stresses the importance of entering contests, writing through passion, and never ever giving up.

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Publishing Jewish Children's Books: A Chat with Joni Sussman

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Joni Sussman talks about her love for children's books and for everything Jewish and how she found her life's mission combining these passions as publisher of Kar-Ben, (part of Lerner Publishing Group), which is dedicated to creating great children's books related to Judaism for Jewish and non-Jewish children in North America and beyond. Now publishing over 20 titles a year, Joni shows us several of her upcoming books and gives excellent tips for writers who wish to submit picture book manuscripts. There is also a bonus for authors who want to submit manuscripts for publication to Kar-Ben, after listening to our interview!

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Ned Bustard, "Saint Patrick the Forgiver: The History and Legends of Ireland's Bishop" (InterVarsity, 2023)

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Ned Bustard is the author of a new children’s book, Saint Patrick the Forgiver: The History and Legends of Ireland's Bishop (InterVarsity, 2023). We talked about the book, the life of St. Patrick, and the conversion of Ireland. The day after the interview, during his Ash Wednesday homily, Pope Francis said, “the Gospel is not an idea, the Gospel is not an ideology: the Gospel is a proclamation that touches your heart and makes you change your heart.” That’s exactly what St Patrick showed by returning to pagan Ireland where he’d been a slave for six years. When a slave, he had been a shepherd. Now free, he became the shepherd of a nation.

IVP Kids imprint webpage.
Square Halo Books webpage.
World End Images webpage.
St. Patrick’s writings, the Confessio and the Epistola, in English and Latin.
EWTN Ireland documentary, Discovering St. Patrick
Pope Francis’s homily on Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2023.

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Kirsten W. Larson, "The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of" (Chronicle Books, 2023)

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Last year I interviewed the amazing author Kirsten Larson on her picture books Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane, illus. Tracy Subisak (Calkins Creek, 2020) and True Wonder: The Comic Book Hero Who Changed Everything, illus Katy Wu (Clarion, 2021).

Today, we talked about her new picture book, just out, entitled, The Fire of the Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars are Made Of, illus. Katherine Roy (Chronicle, 2023). We also discussed the makings of a scientist vs. the makings of an author, the respective roles of the author and illustrator, the importance of art notes, and the concept that fiction writers seek an emotional truth. I can't wait to interview next year for her upcoming This is How You Know, illus. Cornelia Li (Little, Brown, 2024).

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Emma Bland Smith, "Mr. McCloskey's Marvelous Mallards: The Making of 'Make Way for Ducklings'" (Calkins Creek Books, 2022)

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Emma Bland Smith is the award-winning author of Journey: Based on the True Story of OR7, the Most Famous Wolf in the West, as well as many other fiction and nonfiction books for children. In our interview we talk about her life and writing career and celebrate her recent book, Mr. McCloskey's Marvelous Mallards: The Making of Make Way for Ducklings (Calkins Creek, 2022).

While writing and illustrating the beloved picture book Make Way for Ducklings, Robert McCloskey brings a flock of ducklings into his tiny New York City apartment. But an artist + a bunch of ducklings in his apartment = chaos! There are ducklings in the bathtub and ducklings in the kitchen, quacking at dawn and sitting on his desk. Can he learn to draw them just right before they grow too big?

This glimpse into the creation of a much-loved story for kids is a must-read for fans of children's books, or for anyone who is interested in the creative process and the importance of persistence.

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James McGowan, "Good Night, Oppy!" (Astra Young Readers, 2021)

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 10:00:00 -0000

James McGowan is literary agent at Bookends, where he represents many award-winning authors and illustrators. He focuses on illustrated projects for young readers (board books, picture books, chapter books, and middle grade) as well as adult nonfiction and mystery/suspense novels. In addition to being an agent, James is a children’s author. His debut picture book Good Night, Oppy! (Astra Young Readers, 2021) launched from Astra BFYR in 2021. In our lively conversation we talk about his life and career as both author and agent, his new book, the realities of publishing for children, and his tips for aspiring writers.

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Philip Nel, "Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children's Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books" (Oxford UP, 2017)

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Racism is resilient, duplicitous, and endlessly adaptable, so it is no surprise that America is again in a period of civil rights activism. A significant reason racism endures is because it is structural: it's embedded in culture and in institutions. One of the places that racism hides-and thus perhaps the best place to oppose it-is books for young people.

Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children's Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books (Oxford UP, 2017) presents five serious critiques of the history and current state of children's literature tempestuous relationship with both implicit and explicit forms of racism. The book fearlessly examines topics both vivid-such as The Cat in the Hat's roots in blackface minstrelsy-and more opaque, like how the children's book industry can perpetuate structural racism via whitewashed covers even while making efforts to increase diversity. Rooted in research yet written with a lively, crackling touch, Nel delves into years of literary criticism and recent sociological data in order to show a better way forward. Though much of what is proposed here could be endlessly argued, the knowledge that what we learn in childhood imparts both subtle and explicit lessons about whose lives matter is not debatable. The text concludes with a short and stark proposal of actions everyone-reader, author, publisher, scholar, citizen- can take to fight the biases and prejudices that infect children's literature. While Was the Cat in the Hat Black? does not assume it has all the answers to such a deeply systemic problem, its audacity should stimulate discussion and activism.

Philip Nel is University Distinguished Professor of English at Kansas State University. His many books include Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Children's Literature (UP Mississippi, 2012), Tales for Little Rebels: A Collection of Radical Children's Literature (NYU Press, 2008, co-edited with Julia Mickenberg), The Annotated Cat: Under the Hats of Seuss and His Cats (Random House, 2007), and Dr. Seuss: American Icon (Continuum, 2004).

Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel.

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Jean Reidy, "A Grand Day" (Simon and Schuster, 2022)

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 04:00:00 -0000

Jean Reidy’s best-selling and award-winning picture books have earned their spots as favorites among readers and listeners of all ages and from all over the world. She is honored to be a three-time winner of the Colorado Book Award, a Parent’s Choice Gold Award Winner, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor winner and recognized on “Best of” lists by School Library Journal, the New York Times, NPR and Amazon.

Originally from Highland Park, Illinois, Jean earned a BBA from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from New York University. She spent the first years of her professional career in Chicago, New York and Denver before leaving the business world to raise her family and to write. Jean has four children, five grandchildren and hordes of nieces and nephews who provide her endless inspiration. And over several years, she also had four foster children filling both her home and her heart.

In our conversation we talk about her 'not run of the mill' path to being a highly successful picture book author, and celebrate her newest books, including ‎ A Grand Day, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (July 5, 2022).

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A Chat with Children's Lit Agent Debbie Bibo

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Born in Los Angeles to a Japanese mom and American Jewish dad, Debbie Bibo grew up in a sleepy suburb of Northern California. After earning a degree in Political Science at the University of California in San Diego, and working at a language school in San Francisco, she moved to Italy to teach English in 1992. After twelve years of publishing and two years of project management for a design studio, she founded the Debbie Bibo Agency in 2011. The agency represents leading children's books illustrators and authors, and has sold titles to publishers in numerous countries. In our interview we talk about her career and vision in selecting those selected books and illustrators which she is excited to represent.

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Tammi Sauer, "The Underpants" (Scholastic Press, 2022)

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Tammi Sauer is a full-time picture book author who has sold 35 picture books to major publishing houses (Bloomsbury, Disney, Hyperion, HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, and Sterling) and spoken at hundreds of schools and conferences.

In our conversation, we celebrate her new picture book, The Underpants (Scholastic Press, 2022), and talk about as many of her wonderful books as possible, including Wordy Birdy, The Bear Came Back, her new book No Bunnies Here and her very first book, Cowboy Camp. Tammi shares her road to success, with tips for authors at different stages of their journeys.

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Child's Play: The Seriousness of Children's Literature

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

We shouldn’t be dismissive of the popularity of children’s literature among adults, as it is often in these works of fiction that powerful themes such as death, love, and virtue are most deeply and imaginatively explored.

Guests

Christina Phillips Mattson, Scholar of Children’s Literature
Casper ter Kuile, Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity
School and co-host of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text
MG Prezioso, Contributing writer for Harvard Political Review

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Tara Lazar, "Time Flies: Down to the Last Minute" (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2022)

Sat, 31 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today my incredible guest is the quirky, pun-derful, award-winning picture book author, Tara Lazar who is celebrating her dozenth (!) book, Time Flies: Down to the Last Minute

(Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2022). We talk about her path to success, her craft and her tips for aspiring writers (concentrate on the story, not the query letter; learn all about the craft, create dummy books, find critique partners who can teach you, make a digital note of all your ideas, never give up). Tara is also the creator and motivator of Storystorm, the highly successful free initiative in which authors come up with thirty story ideas throughout January.

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Elena Goodwin, "Translating England into Russian: The Politics of Children's Literature in the Soviet Union and Modern Russia" (Bloomsbury, 2021)

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

From governesses with supernatural powers to motor-car obsessed amphibians, the iconic images of English children's literature helped shape the view of the nation around the world. But, as Translating England into Russian: The Politics of Children's Literature in the Soviet Union and Modern Russia (Bloomsbury, 2021) reveals, Russian translators did not always present the same picture of Englishness that had been painted by authors.

In this book, Elena Goodwin explores Russian translations of classic English children's literature, considering how representations of Englishness depended on state ideology and reflected the shifting nature of Russia's political and cultural climate. As Soviet censorship policy imposed restrictions on what and how to translate, this book examines how translation dealt with and built bridges between cultures in a restricted environment in order to represent images of England.

Through analyzing the Soviet and post-Soviet translations of Rudyard Kipling, Kenneth Grahame, J. M. Barrie, A. A. Milne and P. L. Travers, this book connects the concepts of society, ideology and translation to trace the role of translation through a time of transformation in Russian society. Making use of previously unpublished archival material, Goodwin provides the first analysis of the role of translated English children's literature in modern Russian history and offers fresh insight into Anglo-Russian relations from the Russian Revolution to the present day. This ground-breaking book is therefore a vital resource for scholars of Russian history and literary translation.

Polina Popova is a Ph.D. student at the history department of the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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What Makes a Book, Song or Movie Popular? A Conversation with Noah Askin

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this conversation (one of my favorite interviews ever), I talk with Noah Askin of the University of California at Irvine about why some popular children's books, songs, and movies seem to last forever. Is it because the successful ones are similar but different? Is it a fluke? Is it the marketing? Or is it the story that the song/book/movie/anything tells, or is, or is it perhaps the story we make of it.

Noah Askin is Assistant Professor of Teaching Organization and Management at UC-Irvine in the Paul Merage School of Business. Prior to his arrival in Southern California, he was an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD, where he directed and taught multiple Executive Education programs in addition to teaching the organizational design and leadership core course in the MBA program. He has a popular TEDx talk on what makes popular songs succeed.

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Ken Schept, "A Gift of Feathers" (Feiwel & Friends, 2023)

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

When she finds a feather, Grandma Dot adds it to her collection. Feathers, she tells her two granddaughters, remind Grandma Dot of people she’s lost. At first, the girls see the feathers as fun to play with. But soon, Grandma Dot’s feathers take on larger meanings – of comfort, remembrance, and love.

A Gift of Feathers (Feiwel & Friends, 2023) will inspire readers of all ages to make memories and traditions part of their own family stories.

ken Schept received his MFA from Columbia University, enjoyed a successful career as a journalist and business writer, and now writes children’s books and literary fiction.

Schneur Zalman Newfield is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York, and the author of Degrees of Separation: Identity Formation While Leaving Ultra-Orthodox Judaism (Temple University Press, 2020).

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Julia Richardson, "Little Dandelion Seeds the World" (Sleeping Bear Press, 2021)

Sun, 04 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Julia Richardson is an award-winning children’s book author. Today we talk with her about her debut picture book, Little Dandelion Seeds the World (Sleeping Bear Press, 2021), which won the Growing Good Kids Book Award from the American Horticultural Society and the Junior Master Gardener Program for connecting children to nature. When Julia was young, she was in the lowest reading group and wrote every letter upside down and backwards. Today she is an established author with another new book just out, and hopefully many more on the way. She also shares her advice for upcoming authors hoping to break into the traditional publishing world.

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Helen Wu on Writing Children's Books for Chinese and American Audiences

Sat, 03 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Helen H. Wu is a children's book author and illustrator, author of Tofu Takes Time, illustrated by Julie Jarema (Beaming Books, 2022) and Long Goes To Dragon School, illustrated by Mae Besom (Yeehoo Press, 2023). In this, our second interview, we talk about her role as publisher of Yeehoo books, and the challenge of creating books that appeal to both Chinese and American children and culture.

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Ourboox: A Conversation with Mel Rosenberg

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this interview, Mel Rosenberg discusses his love for children's literature, what makes for a memorable picture book, and the company he created, Ourboox. Ourboox is a free site that allows people to create online flipbooks and picture books. Mel's collection is available here.

Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos.

Caleb Zakarin is the Assistant Editor of the New Books Network (Twitter: @caleb_zakarin).

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Writing for Young People, Being a Literary Agent, and Success

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In our exciting conversation with author-agent Jonathan Rosen we talk about his recent anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B'nai Mitvah Stories (Albert Whitman & Company, 2022), his funny and scary middle grade horror book, Night of the Living Cuddle Bunnies, and his new career as a literary agent for the Seymour Agency, where he helps other writers achieve the same dream of publication that he has fulfilled.

Jonathan grew up in Brooklyn, Mexico and Israel and now makes his home in southern Florida, where he is agent by day and writer by night. Late night.

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Carrie Finison, "Lulu and Zoey: A Sister Story" (Running Press Kids, 2022)

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Carrie Finison writes picture books with humor and heart, including Dozens of Doughnuts (Putnam, 2020), a Junior Library Guild selection, Don’t Hug Doug (Putnam, 2021), an ALA Notable Children’s Book, which received starred reviews from both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, and Lulu & Zoey: A Sister Story (Running Press Kids, 2022). In our interview we talk about her career and celebrate her most recent picture book Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School! (Random House Studio, 2022) in which Little Tortoise tries his best to arrive to school in time, and not be the last one there. Carrie lives outside of Boston with her husband, son, and daughter, and two cats who permit her to work in their cozy attic office. Visit her online here and or follow her on Twitter & Instagram @CarrieFinison.

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Annette Bay Pimentel, "Before Music: Where Instruments Come From" (Abrams, 2022)

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today I speak with Annette Bay Pimentel about her writing career, and celebrate her new book, Before Music: Where Instruments Come From (Abrams, 2023). Annette grew up mostly in Utah in a large, boisterous family. She graduated with an undergraduate degree from University of California Berkeley and a graduate degree from Brandeis University in English literature. She and her husband raised six musical-instrument-playing children.

Annette’s books are often on state young reader’s lists and have been Junior Library Guild Selections. All the Way to the Top won a Schneider Honor from the American Library Association. Pura’s Cuentos won the Goddard/Riverside Social Justice Award. Mountain Chef won the Carter G. Woodson Award. She is also the author of Girl Running. She is represented by Kathleen Rushall of Andrea Brown Literary.

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Shelli R. Johannes, "Theo TheSaurus and the Perfect Pet" (Viking, 2022)

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Shelli R. Johannes is the prolific author of almost twenty books for youngsters (and more on the way!). In our interview, we celebrate the recent launch of Theo TheSaurus and the Perfect Pet (Viking, 2022), the second in her Theo TheSaurus series. We discuss her path to writing success, her creative process, and her sage advice for aspiring authors.

Other books by Shelli include the Cece Loves Science series (with Kimberly Derting), and Penny (An Engineering Tale of the Fourth Pig) that also came out this summer. Her new chapter book in Chelsea Clinton’s “She Persisted” series on Florence Nightengale comes out in March 2023.

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Rose-Ann Smith, "The Day I Became a Hurricane" (Hooked on Books Jamrock, 2022)

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

The Day I Became a Hurricane (Hooked on Books Jamrock, 2022) is a children's educational book on hurricanes written by Dr. Rose-Ann Smith. Based on current research on natural disasters and disaster risk management, the book aims to educate children on the development of a hurricane and its impacts. It introduces them to hurricane preparedness while seamlessly interweaving an underlying story about self-acceptance and self-identity. The book therefore manages to accomplish a lot, not only imbuing practical knowledge about hurricanes, but also teaching children important life lessons concerning the perils of peer pressure and getting carried away with power, as well as the importance of accepting yourself for who you are. The book is meant for children in grades 1 to 5 but can be enjoyed by persons of any age who wish to learn more about hurricanes, serving as a very creative means of information dissemination on the topic.

Dr. Smith holds a PhD in Human Geography. She is a lecturer and consultant in disaster risk management and climate change adaptation based at the Department of Geography and Geology, the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. Dr. Smith is passionate about community development and community-based disaster risk management, with a strong focus on resilience building and sustainable livelihoods. Her other areas of interest include cultural tourism, eco-tourism, environmental management, and issues faced by indigenous populations and other highly vulnerable groups. She also believes that children are central to disaster risk reduction. The Day I Became a Hurricane is her first piece of children's literature, and marks the first in a series of books she hopes to develop to educate children on disasters.

Aleem Mahabir is a PhD candidate in Geography at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. His research interests lie at the intersection of Urban Geography, Social Exclusion and Psychology. His dissertation research focuses on the link among negative psychosocial dispositions, exclusion, and under-development among marginalized communities in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. You can find him on Twitter.

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Bea Birdsong, "How to Spot a Best Friend" (Rodale Kids, 2021)

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Bea Birdsong is the author of I Will Be Fierce! (illustrated by Nidhi Chanani), Sam’s First Word (illustrated by Holly Hatam), How to Spot a Best Friend (illustrated by Lucy Fleming), and several forthcoming books, including Boop! (illustrated by Linzie Hunter) and Goat Is the Goat (illustrated by Kelly Murphy). In our interview we talk about her life, her writing career, her books and her tips for aspiring children's authors.

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91* Leah Price on Children’s Books: Turning Back the Clock on “Adulting” (EF, JP)

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

What do children love most about books? Leaving their mark on inviting white spaces? Or that enchanting feeling when a book marks them as its own, taking them off to where the wild things are? Back in 2021, Elizabeth and John invited illustrious and illuminating book historian Leah Price to decode childhood reading past and present. The conversation explores the tactile and textual properties of great children’s books and debate adult fondness for juvenile literature. Leah asks if identifying with a literary character is a sign of virtuous imagination, or of craziness and laziness. She also schools John on what makes a good association copy, and reveals her son’s magic words when he wants her to tell a story: Read it!

For many years an English Professor at Harvard, Leah is founder and director of the Rutgers Initiative for the Book, and she tweets at @LeahAtWhatPrice. Her What We Talk About When We Talk About Books recently won Phi Beta Kappa’s Christian Gauss Award.

Sometime around the turn of the millennium, the concern about distinguishing between juvenile and adult books seemed to shift from moral panic about speeding up sexual maturity to worry about turning back the clock on what we now call adulting through the mainstreaming of young adult literature.

Mentioned in the episode:

Patrick Mc Donnell, A Perfectly Messed-Up Story
“Association copy”–e.g. Frida Kahlo’s goofily annotated and illustrated Works of Edgar Allen Poe.
Mo Willem, We Are in a Book! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
Manners with a Library Book
Dorothy Kunhardt, Pat the Bunny
Erica Carle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Peggy Rathmann, Ten Minutes Till Bedtime
Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are
Richard Wilbur, The Disappearing Alphabet
Dr. Seuss, On Beyond Zebra!
Miguel Cervantes, Don Quixote
Charlotte Lenox, The Female Quixote

Recallable Books: what else should I read if I enjoyed this episode?

(Leah) Francis Spufford, The Child that Books Built: A Life in Reading
(Elizabeth) E. Nesbit The Railway Children: not to mention The Phoenix and the Carpet and Five Children and It
(John) Wanda Gag, Millions of Cats: it’s The Road for cats…
John also wrote a children’s book, back when his kids were tiny: Time and the Tapestry: A William Morris Adventure

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Robyn McGrath, "Dolly!: The Story of Dolly Parton and Her Big Dream" (Little Brown, 2022)

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

I'm talking with Robyn McGrath about her new picture book, Dolly!: The Story of Dolly Parton and Her Big Dream (Little Brown, 2022) which launched Jun 7, 2022. Robyn spent her career working with children as a dance and yoga instructor, reading teacher, school counselor, play therapist, and now . . . children’s author. Whether she’s writing fiction or nonfiction, Robyn believes that books help us navigate life experiences while fostering an understanding of self and others. Her upcoming books include There’s Always Room for One More, illustrated by Ishaa Lobo and A Mind of Her Own, The Story of Agatha Christie, illustrated by Liz Wong. Robyn lives in Austin, TX with her husband, two children, a Labrador retriever, and a friendly cat they found camping.

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Elaine Kachala, "Superpower?: The Wearable-Tech Revolution" (Orca Book Publishers, 2022)

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Elaine Kachala is a strategic thinker and writer with over twenty-five years of healthcare experience with governments, agencies, and associations. She is also a children's book author. Her nonfiction book for middle-grade readers, Superpower? The Wearable-Tech Revolution, will debut with Orca Book Publishers on October 18, 2022. In her illuminating book young readers discover how technological wearable innovations can help people survive and thrive. In our interview we talk about Elaine's professional and writing career. We talk at length about the pros and cons of wearables, whether children should use them, and where we might be headed.

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Publishing Children's Books: A Chat with Meira Firon

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Meira Firon is an award-winning Israeli children's author, publisher, translator, editor, and most recently, owner of a flagship bookstore on Allenby Street in Tel Aviv. In 2004 she established Tal-May, a traditional publishing house which publishes 10-15 children's books in Hebrew each year, including both locally-written books, as well as translated classics such as "The Paper Bag Princess". Meira has translated many books, including "The Velveteen Rabbit". Meira has written a dozen children's books, most recently "The Revolving Dress". Meira and her chief editor Yotam Shwimmer accept submission of children book manuscripts to talmay.text@gmail.com.

In our stimulating discussion, Meira talks about her passion for children's books and the many facets of her work as a publisher.

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Debra Kempf Shumaker, "Peculiar Primates: Fun Facts About These Curious Creatures" (Running Press Kids, 2022)

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Debra Kempf Shumaker is author of three children's books. In this, our second interview (our first was almost two years ago with release of Freaky, Funky Fish) we talk about her new book, Peculiar Primates: Fun Facts About These Curious Creatures (Running Press Kids, 2022) which is launches on October 11. We talk about her life, writing journey, her initiative to help agents discover authors (pbpitch) and her tips for aspiring children's writers. Debra writes from her home in North Virginia where she lives with her husband, three sons and two cats.

Mel Rosenberg is a professor of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is also the founder of Ourboox, a web platform that allows anyone to create and share awesome flipbooks.

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A Life in Children's and YA Publishing: A Discussion with Elizabeth Law

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Elizabeth Law has worked in the publishing field her whole life, first as an Editor at Viking Children’s Books and Puffin Books, as Associate Publisher at Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, then later as Publisher at Egmont USA, and most recently as the backlist and special projects editor at Holiday House Books for Young Readers. Elizabeth has also works as a professional consultant with writers and artists. In addition, she is a maven and great lover of musical theater. In this inspiring interview, we talk about her life, and her thoughts about the publishing world and her advice for aspiring authors. Oh, and just a bit at then about the genius of Stephen Sondheim. You are welcome to contact Elizabeth at ElawReads.com, and Twitter, @ElawReads.

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Rosie J. Pova, "The School of Failure: A Story about Success" (Yeehoo Press, 2022)

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In today's interview we welcome Rosie J. Pova to talk about her latest picture book The School of Failure: A Story about Success (Yeehoo Press, 2022) which is available in both China and the USA. Rosie shares her journey from Bulgarian immigrant to multi-published and award-winning author, talking about the importance of grit, persistence, and learning from mistakes and multiple (116) rejections.

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Rena Rossner, "The Light of the Midnight Stars" (Redhook, 2021)

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Rena Rossner is a literary agent at The Deborah Harris Agency, based in Jerusalem, Israel, which represents Israeli, Palestinian and other Internationally-based authors. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University’s Writing Seminars Program, studied at Trinity College, Dublin and holds an MA in History from McGill University. She is the author of the cookbook Eating the Bible (Skyhorse, 2014) and the novel, The Sisters of the Winter Wood (Redhook/Orbit, 2018). In our interview we talk about her most recent novel, The Light of the MIdnight Stars (Redhook/Orbit, 2021) and her career as a literary agent.

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Hannah Holt, "A History of Underwear with Professor Chicken" (Roaring Brook, 2022)

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Hannah Holt is a children's author with a civil engineering degree. Her picture books weave together her love of literature and lifelong learning. They include The Diamond and the Boy (HarperCollins) and A Father's Love (Penguin). In our interview we talk about her brand new pun-derful book, A History of Underwear with Professor Chicken (Roaring Brook, 2022). Her writings have been selected for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, won the Flame Challenge from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, and received starred reviews from publications like Booklist and School Library Journal.

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Sylvia Liu, "Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation" (Razorbill, 2022)

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Sylvia Liu grew up with books and daydreams in Caracas, Venezuela. Once an environmental attorney protecting the oceans, she now spins stories for children, inspired by high tech, ghost crabs, and strong girls. She is also co-founder of KidLit411, an informational website and FB group with over 15,000 writers and illustrators. In our interview we celebrate her new brand new sci-fi middle grade book, Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation (Razorbill, 2022).

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Candid Advice for Would-Be Children's Books Authors

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Harold Underdown is currently Executive Editor of Kane Press. In our candid and informative interview, Harold talks about the details of how he goes about looking for his next book/series acquisition, and gives sage wisdom to the 99+% of children's authors who haven't yet found a traditional publisher or literary agent.

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Megan Hoyt, "The Greatest Song of All: How Isaac Stern United the World to Save Carnegie Hall" (Quill Tree Books, 2022)

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

I talk with prolific children's author Megan Hoyt on her new non-fiction picture book, The Greatest Song of All: How Isaac Stern United the World to save Carnegie Hall, published by Harper Collins Children's Books' new imprint, Quill Tree Books less than two weeks ago. Megan is also author of Bartali's Bicycle, published last year with the same publisher. Three more non-fiction picture books are forthcoming, also with Quill Tree: A Grand Idea: William Wilgus and his Grand Central Terminal, and Kati's Tiny Messengers: How Dr. Katalin Kariko Developed an mRNA Vaccine to Fight Covid 19.

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Michelle Knudsen and Chelsea Clinton, "She Persisted: Nellie Bly" (Philomel, 2021)

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Michelle Knudsen is the New York Times best-selling author of fifty books for young readers of all ages, including the award-winning picture book Library Lion and Marilyn's Monster (one of NPR's Best Books of 2015). In our interview we talk about her most recent publication, She Persisted: Nellie Bly (Philomel, 2021), a chapter book biography of the groundbreaking American journalist, and her path to becoming a highly acclaimed children's author. Her next book involves a giant spider who is mistaken for a kitten. Michelle teaches writing at Lesley University and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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Rosemary Mosco, "Flowers Are Pretty . . . Weird!" (Tundra Book, 2022)

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Here I talk to Rosemary Mosco about her career and brand new book, Flowers are Pretty . . . Weird (Tundra, 2022). Rosemary makes books, articles, cartoons and graphics that connect people with the natural world. Her nature comics were the subject of an award-winning museum exhibit and are collected in a book that was a 2019 ALA Great Graphic Novel for Teens. She co-wrote the New York Times bestseller The Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide for the World's Most Adventurous Kid. Flowers are Pretty . . . Weird explores the science of flowers and shows that these plants are not always stereotypically pretty and harmless as we often think they are -- they are fascinating, disgusting, complicated and amazing.

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Leah Henderson, "Daddy Speaks Love" (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2022)

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Leah Henderson is the author of several critically acclaimed books for young readers including Daddy Speaks Love, A Day for Rememberin’, Together We March and The Magic in Changing Your Stars. Leah holds an MFA in Writing and is on faculty in Spalding University's graduate writing program.

We talk about her new book Daddy Speaks Love (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2022).

What does a daddy do? From day one, this daddy speaks love to his little one. And along with that love, his words and actions speak many other things, too: like truth, joy, comfort, and pride. Like many dads, he answers a million questions and tries to make sure that days are full of fun adventures, giggles, and hugs. Dads are good at scaring away imaginary monsters, and honest about how to confront the real ones too. They set an example for the future, speaking out for equality and justice, while sharing lessons from the past. But most of all, daddies encourage their young ones to fight for a better world, with the comfort of knowing their dads are right beside them.

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Michal Babay, "Incredible Shrinking Lunchroom" (Charlesbridge, 2022)

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

n our interview we talk about modern retellings of a classic Yiddish folktale and celebrate Michal Babay's upcoming book The Incredible Shrinking Lunchroom (Charlesbridge, 2022), illustrated by the late Paula Cohen

The students at Parley Elementary have a hard time using the space in their lunchroom efficiently. When they get tired of shoving and arguing, they write a letter to their principal asking for help. She responds by moving all the science projects into the lunchroom. Now it’s even more crowded! Through a series of letters and increasingly hilarious scenarios, the lunchroom gets more and MORE chaotic. When the principal finally announces that the lunchroom is once again only to be used for lunch, the students are overjoyed with the result.

Michal Babay is a former teacher and elementary school specialist. She is the author of I'm A Gluten-Sniffing Dog (Albert Whitman) and On Friday Afternoon... (Coming Fall 2023 from Charlesbridge). Michal lives in her own incredibly shrinking house in California with her husband, three kids, three dogs, one cat, and a bearded dragon named Gus Pirate Potato. www.michalbabay.com

Joining us for the interview is Karen Rostoker-Gruber whose recent book, A Crowded Farmhouse Folktale, appeared in 2020 (Albert Whitman).

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A Chat with Lisa Varchol Perron, Childrens' Book Author and Lover of Patterns

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Lisa Varchol Perron has written children's poetry for numerous anthologies and magazines (including Highlights Hello, High Five, The Caterpillar, Blast Off, and Countdown). Her debut picture book, Patterns Everywhere (Lerner/Millbrook), about patterns in nature, will be released next spring, and she has additional publications scheduled for 2023, 2024, and 2025. She often finds inspiration when exploring outdoors with her two children and husband, an earth and planetary scientist. With training in child and adolescent development and over fifteen years of experience as a mental health clinician, Lisa is passionate about creating books that spark curiosity and respect young readers' abilities to comprehend, learn, and grow.

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An Early Morning Interview on the Tel Aviv Beach with Maira Kalman

Wed, 25 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Maira Kalman was born in Israel and moved to New York at the age of five where she fell in love with America (Coca Cola and the smells of street food, in particular). Maira is the author and illustrator of over thirty children's books (with three new ones coming out this year), starting with the iconic Staying Up Late in 1987. Maira is currently working on an animated movie script. We talk about her career path and her thoughts on writing, illustrating and the life and calling of an author.

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Alysson Foti Bourque, "Alycat and the Cattywampus Wednesday" (Arcadia/Pelican, 2022)

Fri, 20 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Alysson Foti Bourque began her career as a teacher and subsequently an attorney. After practicing law for six years, she traded in writing trial briefs for writing children’s books. Her new picture book, Alycat and the Cattywampus Wednesday is the fifth book of The Alycat Series, and was released by Arcadia Publishing/Pelican Publishing (2022).

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Salma Hussain, "The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan" (Tundra Books, 2022)

Wed, 11 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this interview we talk to Salma Hussain about her surprisingly candid and revealing middle grade book, The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan (Tundra Books, 2022). Mona Hasan is a young Muslim girl growing up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when the first Gulf War breaks out in 1991. The war isn’t what she expects — “We didn’t even get any days off school! Just my luck” — especially when the ground offensive is over so quickly and her family peels the masking tape off their windows. Her parents, however, fear there is no peace in the region, and it sparks a major change in their lives. Over the course of one year, Mona falls in love, speaks up to protect her younger sister, loses her best friend to the new girl at school, has summer adventures with her cousins in Pakistan, immigrates to Canada, and pursues her ambition to be a feminist and a poet.

SALMA HUSSAIN, author, grew up in the U.A.E., and immigrated to Canada when she was thirteen years old. Her short stories and poems have been published in filling Station, West Coast Line, Other Voices, and in the anthology Homebound: Muslim Women Poetry Collection (Outburst Press). She lives with her family in Toronto.

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Cindy Williams Schrauben, "This Could Be You" (Cardinal Rule Press, 2022)

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Cindy Williams Schrauben lives in Michigan where she writes stories for kids that range from the truly serious to the seriously silly. Before embarking on this path, she held positions as a preschool administrator, teacher, and assistant director of a children’s museum -- always striving to empower kids. When not writing or honing her craft, Cindy might be found dissecting her grandsons’ shenanigans for story ideas, reading on the floor in the bookstore, or eating ice cream. Her first picture book, This Could be You (Cardinal Rule Press, 2022) was just published by Cardinal Rule Press and is the main subject of our engaging conversation.

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Helen H. Wu, "Tofu Takes Time" (Beaming Books, 2022)

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Helen H. Wu is a children’s book author, illustrator, and translator. She is the author of TOFU TAKES TIME, illustrated by Julie Jarema (Beaming Books, 2022) and LONG GOES TO DRAGON SCHOOL, illustrated by Mae Besom (Yeehoo Press, 2023). Helen is the Associate Publisher of Yeehoo Press, a San Diego based children’s book publisher. Being fascinated by the differences and similarities between cultures, Helen loves to share stories that can empower children to understand the world and our connections. Born and raised in Hefei, China, Helen moved to the US in her 20s. Currently, she lives in San Diego, California, with her family and two kids. Learn more about Helen at helenhwu.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @HelenHWu.

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James Michael Thibeault, "Melanie and the Box" (2021)

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Today I talked to James Michael Thibeault, the author of the lovely children's book Melanie and the Box (2021).

Melanie wants to be just like her mother: someone who wears a giant box whenever they go out. In fact, everyone wears a giant box when they are old enough. Now that Melanie is the appropriate age to start wearing a box, what design will she pick and does she even want to wear one?

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Jennifer Wolf Kam, "Until the Blueberries Grow" (PJ Publishing, 2022)

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Jennifer Wolf Kam has been writing since she could hold a crayon. Today she holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her young adult supernatural novel, Devin Rhodes is Dead, winner of the NAESP Award, was published by Charlesbridge and nominated to Voya Magazine's Top Shelf for Middle School Fiction. Jennifer’s debut picture book, Until the Blueberries Grow, will be published by PJ Library in May 2022, and will join the PJ Library family of books.

Jennifer is a five-time finalist for the Katherine Paterson Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing, and winner of the Writers’ League of Texas Manuscript Contest for Middle Grade Fiction. Her supernatural short stories have appeared in the journal, Hunger Mountain. She lives in New York with her family, her rescue kitty, KitKat, and a love of history and chocolate. Visit Jennifer at www.jenniferwolfkam.com.

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Pat Zietlow Miller, "In Our Garden" (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2022)

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In our interview Pat Zietlow Miller and I talk about her path to fame and fortune as a children's author, the story behind her classic (and premier) children's book, Sophie's Squash, and her advice to aspiring writers. We are also celebrating the very recent (three weeks ago) launch of her new book,

In our Garden (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2022) is an uplifting classroom tale about students who create a vegetable garden on their school's rooftop.

Millie has recently moved to a new city, from a place more than an ocean away. More than anything she misses the garden where her family used to grow food. Then one day she has an idea—the school has a fine flat roof, perfect for a garden. Soon her teacher and classmates are on board, but it takes more than ideas to build a garden. It takes supplies and hard work; it takes a lot of learning; and it takes a whole school—a whole community—coming together to help. And of course, it also takes a lot of waiting. But as Millie's teacher Miss Mirales says, “Be patient. Good things take time.”

From building the beds and planting the seeds to the first glorious harvest, here's the story of a garden—and a girl—in bloom, and what it takes for a new place to finally feel like home.

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Kelly Herold et al., "Growing Out of Communism: Russian Literature for Children and Teens, 1991-2017" (Brill, 2021)

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Growing Out of Communism: Russian Literature for Children and Teens, 1991-2017 (Brill, 2021) explores the rise of a new body of literature for children and teens following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent transformation of the publishing industry. Lanoux, Herold, and Bukhina first consider the Soviet foundations of the new literature, then chart the influx of translated literature into Russia in the 1990s. In tracing the development of new literature that reflects the lived experiences of contemporary children and teens, the book examines changes to literary institutions, dominant genres, and archetypal heroes. Also discussed are the informal networks and online reader responses that reflect the views of child and teen readers.

Marshall Poe is the founder and editor of the New Books Network. He can be reached at marshallpoe@newbooksnetwork.com.

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Laurie Smollett Kutscera, "Maya's Treasure" (Peter Pauper Press, 2021)

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In my conversation with author-illustrator Laurie Smollet Kutscera we celebrate the launch of her new picture book, Maya's Treasure (Peter Pauper Press, 2021), published just five months ago by Peter Pauper Press. "Keeping close the words and memories of her grandmother, a young girl is determined to craft a treasure from cast-off bits of shell."

Laurie Smollett Kutscera was born in New York City, and studied fine art and children’s book illustration at Queens College. Her love for art, storytelling, and most of all those stories representing characters who discover hidden strength flourished throughout her graphics design career, leading her to illustrate Ravita and the Land of Unknown Shadows. Maya’s Treasure, her second solo project after middle-grade novel Misadventures of a Magician’s Son, also shares a story inspired by a dear friend. Laurie lives on the north shore of Long Island with her husband, and rescue dog Abby, where she continues to bring her stories to life.

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Beth Ferry, "No Nibbling!" (Roaring Brook Press, 2022)

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0000

On the eve of her new book release, I talk to bestselling children's author Beth Ferry about No Nibbling! (Roaring Brook Press, 2022), a tale filled with fantastic word play that will have kids laughing and insisting,

One warm spring day, Derwood the goat planted a garden and patiently tended it as it grew. On that very same day, he noticed a dandelion puff--it was too early in the season, but Derwood was taking no chances. Growing a garden is risky business, after all. But as Derwood inspected the dandelion, he realized it wasn't a weed. It was a bunny! With Tabitha, a precocious bunny who is very interested in all the tasty vegetables, hopping on the scene, what ensues is a pun-filled tale that will leave you saying, "No nibbling!"

Beth Ferry lives in New Jersey with her husband, three children, and two bulldogs.

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Katelyn Aronson, "Clovis Keeps His Cool" (Page Street, 2021)

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0000

I spoke with Katelyn Aronson about life and her wonderful new children's book Clovis Keeps His Cool (Page Street, 2021). Clovis used to struggle with his temper, but ever since he took over his late grandmother’s china shop, he’s been learning how to manage it. He pours tea, listens to soothing music, and always keeps Granny’s words in mind: “Grace, grace, nothing broken to replace.” But when rivals from his football days come to heckle him at the shop, Clovis faces a big challenge that even Granny’s words and deep breaths might not be enough for.

Katelyn Aronson grew up in Southern California, where she went on to work in independent children's bookshops. She won her first trip to Paris in a bookstore window display contest, and the rest is history. Today, Katelyn lives between France and Switzerland and works as a language instructor. She is completing her MA on English/French translation (what else?) at the Sorbonne (where else?).

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Amalia Hoffman, "Masha Munching" (Yeehoo Press, 2022)

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Author-illustrator Amalia Hoffman is back with her three-day old book, Masha Munching (Yeehoo Press, 2022), a hilarious tale about a goat with an insatiable appetite and her journey to finding the best meal ever! When Masha discovers The Bistro Magnifique, where waiters serve fancy meals in bow ties, Masha thinks it’s her lucky day! But at a proper restaurant, can Masha satisfy her desire for wonderful food while staying true to herself?With colorful, intricate paper-cut art to amuse readers on every page, this timeless tale follows a young goat discovering that the best meal is the one shared with good friends. Amalia was previously on NBN with her recent book, My Monsterpiece, which was a 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Award gold medal winner.

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PJ McIlvaine, "Little Lena and the Big Table" (Big Belly Book Co., 2019)

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 09:00:00 -0000

PJ McIlvaine's debut picture book Little Lena and the Big Table (June 2019, Big Belly Book Co.), illustrations by Leila Nabih, is about a determined little girl tired of eating with her annoying cousins at the kid’s table, only to discover that the big table isn’t much better. PJ’s second picture book, Dragon Roar (MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing, October 2021), art by Logan Robers, is about a lonely, sick dragon who has lost his mighty roar, and the brave village girl who helps him find it again. PJ is currently under contract with Oghma Creative Media for three picture books for a Creature Feature series and a standalone (pub date 2023-2024). PJ's middle grade supernatural historical fantasy Violet Yorke, Gilded Girl: Ghosts in the Closet is also out this week. PJ is also a co-host and founding member of #PBPitch, the premiere Twitter pitch party for picture book creators. PJ has been published in numerous outlets including The New York Times and Newsday, and is a regular contributor for The Children’s Book Insider newsletter (paid firewall), writing about the path to publication and interviews with established and debut kid lit authors. Also, PJ’s critically acclaimed Showtime original family movie My Horrible Year with Mimi Rogers, Karen Allen, and Eric Stoltz, was nominated for a Daytime Emmy.

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Laura Sassi, "Bunny Finds Easter" (Zonderkidz, 2022)

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Laura Sassi has a passion for telling stories in prose and rhyme. She is the author of five picture books including the best-selling Goodnight, Ark (Zonderkidz, August ’14). In our interview we discuss her two recent books, Little Ewe: The Story of One Lost Sheep (Beaming Books, Spring ’21)and her new board book with Zonderkidz, Bunny Finds Easter (Zonderkidz, Spring ’22) ! In addition to books, she’s published over one hundred poems, stories, crafts, and articles in various children’s publications.

She’s been a teacher, homeschool mom, children’s ministry director, historic museum interpreter, and more.

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Linda J. M. Holloway, "Little Miss Linda Speaks Out About Diversity" (2021)

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

We live in a society that is extremely diverse, and we must find ways to treat each other with love and respect despite our differences. Little Miss Linda is a dark-skinned girl who has been treated cruelly because of the color of her skin. Her father is in the military, so she has had the privilege of living in various places around the world including Japan, Korea, Philippines, Alaska, and Germany. Often, she and her siblings would be the only African American children in their classes.

Little Miss Linda was full of excitement when her father told the family he was retiring and moving to Mississippi. She thought that the mean words about her dark skin would stop. She imagined her family would be surrounded by people who were like her, but to her surprise, she continued to be teased and taunted about the complexion of her skin.

Linda J. M. Holloway's Little Miss Linda Speaks Out About Diversity (2021) illustrates how Little Miss Linda was able to turn a negative situation into a positive one. She did this through teaching her class, school, and community the power of appreciating and celebrating people regardless of their skin color.

The power and effectiveness of Little Miss Linda’s diversity story is made practical by the “Skittles Story.” Yes, if only Skittles could talk right? They do in this book!

Through this elementary story all children can relate to the simple truth that people are more alike than they are different and diversity is to be celebrated.

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Mike Malbrough, "Love Is Here" (Penguin, 2021)

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today I talked with author/illustrator Mike Malbrough about his new book Love is Here (Penguin, 2021).

Told through poetic and lyrical text and accompanied by lush watercolor illustrations, a child takes a magical journey in search of love, only to find that it lived everywhere, in everything, even in one’s own backyard. A celebration of the interconnectedness of our lives and proof that love is all around you–if you look closely enough for it. Even when the world feels darkest, love is here. Perfect for those looking to teach kindness and empathy to little ones.

Mke is also ithe author of Marigold Bakes a Cake and Marigold Finds the Magic Words, and the illustrator of the Warren & Dragon chapter book series by Ariel Bernstein. When he isn’t in his studio, Mike spends time educating and mentoring young and emerging artists in his community. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two adventurous kids.

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Christine Taylor Butler, "The Get-Together" (Reycraft Books, 2022)

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Christine Taylor-Butler is the author of more than 90 books and articles for children and young adults, including her newest title The Get-Together (Reycraft Books, 2022). A graduate of MIT, she holds degrees in both Civil Engineering and Art and Design. Her interests ranges from writing nonfiction to science fiction. Christine lives in Kansas City, Missouri.

She also wrote The Lost Tribes series (middle grade) published by Move Books, a small independent publisher It's science fiction about a multicultural group of children who discover their science geek parents might not be who they claim to be.

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Anne Renaud, "Gwendolyn's Pet Garden" (Penguin, 2021)

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Anne Renaud is an award-winning children’s author who writes in both French and English. Today we talk about her recent picture book, Gwendolyn's Pet Garden (2021). She has written more than 20 publications feature picture books and historical non-fiction books, and several more are due out this year. Her picture book biographies include: The True Tale of a Giantess: The Story of Anna Swan, The Boy who Invented the Popsicle: The Cool Science Behind Frank Epperson's Famous Frozen Treat and Mr. Crum’s Potato Predicament. She is also a regular contributor to children’s magazines. Anne lives and writes in Westmount, Quebec.

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Janie Emaus, "Latkes for Santa Claus" (Sky Pony Press, 2020)

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Janie Emaus joins us to discuss her debut picture book, Latkes for Santa Claus which was released late in 2020 from Sky Pony Press. Her next blended holiday story, Easter Eggs and Matzo Balls will be released in spring 2023. In addition, Janie is the author of the young adult novel, Mercury in Retro Love and has a time travel romance forthcoming from Wild Rose Press. In 2016, she won honorary mention in the Erma Bombeck Writing Competition.

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Amalia Hoffman, "My Monsterpiece" (Yeehoo Press, 2021)

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today I talked to Ameliia Hoffman, author of My Monsterpiece (Yeehoo Press, 2021)

A kid-artist wants to frighten family members and friends by creating the scariest, meanest, most terrible monsters ever. A green tongue, pointy horns, sharp teeth, and terrible claws are sure to make everyone scream! But what happens when rather than running away in fright, they smile, laugh, and absolutely LOVE the monsters? Join the frustrated artist on this hilariously hair-raising journey where the scary and not scary meet and mingle, embarking on an adventure that reveals that overcoming fear and prejudice can lead to a wonderful friendship.

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Risa Cohen: Creative Director of "Sing into Reading"

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Risa Cohen is the Creative Director of Sing into Reading, where she teaches children to read with music and love. In this interview, we talk to Risa about her life, musical career, and her success in teaching reading through music.

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Rotem Omri on Illustrating Children's Books

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Rotem Omri is an award-winning children's book illustrator from Israel. Today we discuss her life, career and thoughts about illustrating for children (disclosure: Rotem has illustrated many of my online children's stories).

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Ruth Spiro, "Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever" (Dial/PRH, 2021)

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Ruth Spiro writes innovative books for children on the topics of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Her areas of interest include the many benefits of introducing STEM subjects and makerspace activities to even the littlest learners. We discuss her recent book, Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever (Dial/PRH, 2021) and how she came to inspire youngsters with her many popular books.

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Colleen Paeff, "The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s Poop Pollution Problem" (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2021)

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Colleen Paeff writes picture books from a book-lined office in an old pink house with a view of the Hollywood sign. She is the author of The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s Poop Pollution Problem (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2021) and Rainbow Truck, co-authored with Hina Abidi (Chronicle Books, 2023). Find her online at www.colleenpaeff.com and on Twitter and Instagram @ColleenPaeff.

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Rajani LaRocca, "Bracelets for Bina's Brothers" (Charlesbridge, 2021)

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Dr. Rajani LaRocca is a prolific children's author and also an esteemed physician. In our conversation we discuss her recent book Bracelets for Bina's Brothers (Charlesbridge, 2021), her life and craft, and juggling between careers and cultures.

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Anna Lazowski, "T. Rexes Can't Tie Their Shoes" (Doubleday, 2021)

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Anna Lazowski is an award-winning Senior Producer at CBC Radio, based in Winnipeg. She has an MA in journalism from the University of Western Ontario and a BFA (Honours) degree from the University of Manitoba. T. Rexes Can't Tie Their Shoes is her first book (2021, Published by Doubleday Books for Young Readers) . Her second book, Dark Cloud, will be published by Kids Can Press in spring of 2023.

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Kirsten W. Larson, "A True Wonder: The Comic Book Hero Who Changed Everything" (Clarion Books, 2021)

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Kirsten Williams Lawson used to work with rocket scientists at NASA. Now she writes books for curious kids. Kirsten is the author of the picture book released several months back, A TRUE WONDER: The Comic Book Hero Who Changed Everything, illustrated by Katy Wu (Clarion, 2021). She is also author of WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: EMMA LILIAN TODD INVENTS AN AIRPLANE, illustrated by Tracy Subisak (Calkins Creek, 2020), and THE FIRE OF STARS: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of, illustrated by Katherine Roy (Chronicle, 2023), and the middle grade, graphic nonfiction, THE LIGHT OF RESISTANCE, illustrated by Barbara McClintock, (Roaring Brook, 2023). Kirsten lives near Los Angeles with her husband, lhasa-poo, and two curious kids. Her house is filled with LEGOs, laughter, and lots of books!

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Pamela Moritz, "If I Lived with Noah" (Apple and Honey Press, 2020)

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today I talked to Pamela Moritz about her charming rhyming story If I Lived with Noah (Apple and Honey Press, 2020).

A young boy imagines being sequestered with Noah and all the animals on the ark. When the story begins, the protagonist is distracting his stuffed animal friends with a story as they shelter in a blanket tent during a big rainstorm. In the story, Noah (his family is absent in text and illustrations) welcomes the boy onto the ark. Some of the narrator s tasks on the ark are predictable, like bathing the animals, sweeping, and mopping, but others, such as building a diving platform on the ark so bored animals can play in the sea, are unexpected and entertaining, if not in keeping with the usual Bible story. The boy imagines learning how to speak. That's a good thing, since Noah and the protagonist need the animals to help fix a leak in the ark and, later, to hand out the tissues and tea to a boatload of sick animals. Brightly colored animals with cuddly stuffed-animal appeal fill the pages. Even the snake and toothy alligator seem friendly. Finally, a speck of land is sighted and confirmed, but the animals love the boy so much that he must encourage them to leave the ark and build new homes. Both boy and Noah have pale skin. An author s note explains the mitzvah of treating animals and one another kindly.

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Nicholas Jubber, "The Fairy Tellers: A Journey into the Secret History of Fairy Tales" (John Murray, 2022)

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In The Fairy Tellers: A Journey into the Secret History of Fairy Tales (John Murray, 2022), Nick Jubber unearths the lives of the dreamers who made our most beloved fairy tales: inventors, thieves, rebels and forgotten geniuses who gave us classic tales such as 'Cinderella', 'Hansel and Gretel', 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Baba Yaga'. From the Middle Ages to the birth of modern children's literature, they include a German apothecary's daughter, a Syrian youth running away from a career in the souk and a Russian dissident embroiled in a plot to kill the tsar. Following these and other unlikely protagonists, the book travels from the steaming cities of Italy and the Levant, under the dark branches of the Black Forest, deep into the tundra of Siberia and across the snowy fells of Lapland.

“This is how the history of fairy tales operates: stories splintering along zigzagging pathways, carrying long-sounding echoes that turn down narrative alleyways suggested elsewhere or replicate each other with astonishing exactitude.”

In the process, Jubber discovers fresh perspectives on some of our most frequently told stories. Filled with adventure, tragedy and real-world magic, this bewitching book uncovers the stranger lives behind the strangest of tales.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, focusing on qualitative analyses of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. However, she is also a life-long lover of fairy tales & fantasy; her father continues to be surprised that her PhD did not once mention dragons, elves, or castles.

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Karen Rostoger-Gruber, "The Family (and Frog! ) Haggadah" (Behrman House, 2017)

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

I talked with Karen Rostoger-Gruber and her sidekick, Maria (Karen is a ventriloquist) on her career and writing process and celebrated her Passover hagaddah (prayer book) with an amphibian twist: The Family (and Frog!) Haggadah (Behrman House, 2017).

Take a traditional Haggadah text, and add vibrant and historical artworks, engaging activities, and compelling thought questions and activities to it. Then add a hopping, wise-cracking frog to its pages, and you'll get the Family [and Frog!] Haggadah. Frog has lots to comment on, and much to do throughout the seder. He ll say the four questions, take a bath in the salt water, run from the ten plagues, pop up from behind the pages, demand more grape juice, (followed by spilling said grape juice all over the page), and generally make the whole seder more fun for everyone. But even though frog is the star of this Haggadah, (just ask him, he'll tell you so) its underlying text and content is itself wonderfully compelling, with clear instructions, fun game suggestions, checklists, transliterations, and everything else one might need to create a traditional (but not too long!-Frog) and enjoyable seder experience.

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Nancy Churnin, "Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing" (Creston Books, 2018)

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today I talked to Nancy Churnin about her book Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing (Creston Books, 2018).

Irving Berlin came to the United States as a refugee from Tsarist Russia, escaping a pogrom that destroyed his village. Growing up on the streets of the lower East Side, the rhythms of jazz and blues inspired his own song-writing career. Starting with his first big hit, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Berlin created the soundtrack for American life with his catchy tunes and irresistible lyrics. With "God Bless America," he sang his thanks to the country which had given him a home and a chance to express his creative vision.

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Julie Hedlund, "Over, Bear! Under, Where?" (Philomel Books, 2021)

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Julie Hedlund and I talked about the trials and tribulations of being an author and how patience and perseverance led her to her recent success, Over, Bear! Under, Wear? (Philomel Books, 2021).

Over and Under are two friends, and they're enjoying a day at the park. They go on the swings (Over goes over Under) and the seesaw (Under is under Over). They meet a hot-dog dog (who joins them for a hot dog). And then they spot . . . a bear! (Unbearable!) But is he really the overall scary creature they first understand him to be? In this hilariously punny story that will have readers laughing out loud as they pick apart the wordplay, a pair of pals overcome their fears as they discover that friendship underpins all.

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Chana Stiefel Chana, "Let Liberty Rise!: How America’s Schoolchildren Helped Save the Statue of Liberty" (Scholastic Press, 2021)

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Chana Stiefel Chana and I talked about her new book Let Liberty Rise!: How America’s Schoolchildren Helped Save the Statue of Liberty (Scholastic Press, 2021).

On America's 100th birthday, the people of France built a giant gift! It was one of the largest statues the world had ever seen -- and she weighed as much as 40 elephants! And when she arrived on our shores in 250 pieces, she needed a pedestal to hold her up. Few of America's millionaires were willing to foot the bill.

Then, Joseph Pulitzer (a poor Hungarian immigrant-cum-newspaper mogul) appealed to his fellow citizens. He invited them to contribute whatever they could, no matter how small an amount, to raise funds to mount this statue. The next day, pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters poured in. Soon, Pulitzer's campaign raised enough money to construct the pedestal. And with the help of everyday Americans (including many thousands of schoolchildren!) the Statue of Liberty rose skyward, torch ablaze, to welcome new immigrants for a life of freedom and opportunity!

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Atara Ofek on What Makes a Children's Book Good

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Atara Ofek is a leading editor and translator of children's books in Israel. We talked about "what makes a good children's book good?"

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Elaine Kiely Kearns, "Noah Noasaurus" (Albert Whitman and Company, 2019)

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Elaine Kiely Kearns writes picture book and middle grade stories. A former elementary school teacher, she now writes books for children and co-runs the website for writers, KidLit411.com. We discussed her journey as an author, and celebrated her recent book Noah Noasaurus (Albert Whitman and Company, 2019).

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Alayne Kay Christian, "The Weed That Woke Christmas: The Mostly True Tale of the Toledo Christmas Weed (Blue Whale Press, 2020)

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Alayne Kay Christian is the content and developmental editor for Blue Whale Press and an award-winning children's book author. We talked about her recent book, The Weed That Woke Christmas: The Mostly True Tale of the Toledo Christmas Weed and discussed the trials and tribulations of running a publishing house.

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Miri Leshem-Pelly, "Penny And The Plain Piece Of Paper" (Philomel Books, 2020)

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today I talked to Miri Leshem-Pelly about her book Penny And The Plain Piece Of Paper (Philomel Books, 2020). Penny lives on a plain piece of paper, with just one problem--she's bored. There's nothing to do, no one to talk to, not a single way to keep herself entertained Not one to wallow, Penny makes a decision: it's high time she ventured out into the world and explored other types of paper. But when she's not serious enough for the newspaper, not angular enough for the graph paper, and not repetitive enough for the wrapping paper, Penny doesn't know where she belongs. With some help from the friends she's met along her journey, though, she comes up with the perfect paper plan for herself.

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Vivian Kirkfield, "Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe" (Little Bee Books, 2020)

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today I talked to Vivian Kirkfield about her book Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little Bee Books, 2020).

Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe. On the outside, you couldn't find two girls who looked more different. But on the inside, they were alike--full of hopes and dreams and plans of what might be. Ella Fitzgerald's velvety tones and shube-doobie-doos captivated audiences. Jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington couldn't wait to share the stage with her, but still, Ella could not book a performance at one of the biggest clubs in town--one she knew would give her career its biggest break yet. Marilyn Monroe dazzled on the silver screen with her baby blue eyes and breathy boo-boo-be-doos. But when she asked for better scripts, a choice in who she worked with, and a higher salary, studio bosses refused. Two women whose voices weren't being heard. Two women chasing after their dreams and each helping the other to achieve them. This is the inspiring, true story of two incredibly talented women who came together to help each other shine like the stars that they are.

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Mike Malbrough, "Marigold Bakes a Cake" (Philomel Books, 2017)

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today I talked to Mike Malbrough about his book Marigold Bakes a Cake (Philomel Books, 2017). Marigold the cat loves Mondays, for that is when he bakes cakes With his favorite recipe in front of him, he rolls up his sleeves and gets down to it. He whips up egg whites . . . Easy. He adds a cup of milk . . . Peasy. Then he sprinkles in just a pinch of . . . of finch? That's not right at all Neither are the smidgeons of pigeons or the spoonsfull of loons. Clearly a chase is in order Yet all that leads to is a spectacularly messy kitchen. And no cake. With a recipe comprised of equal parts humor and charm, author-illustrator Mike Malbrough has cooked up a scrumptious laugh-out-loud addition to the great tradition of interruption books.

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Melissa Stoller, "Sadie’s Shabbat Stories" (Spork, 2020)

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today I talked to Melissa Stoller about her book Sadie’s Shabbat Stories (Spork, 2020). Sadie loves listening to Nana's tales, especially about the traveling candlesticks, kiddush cup, and challah cover they use every Friday night. Will Sadie ever be able to tell her own special Shabbat stories, just like Nana? Based on true stories in the Author Melissa Stoller's family, this book celebrates family history and connections.

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Lydia Lukidis, "No Bears Allowed" (Blue Whale Press, 2019)

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today I talked to Lydia Lukidis about her book No Bears Allowed (Blue Whale Press, 2019). Rabbit is afraid of many things, but most of all he's afraid of gigantic, monstery, BEARS! The very nervous Rabbit is soon confronted by his worst fear who appears to be far more interested in making new friends than causing Rabbit any real harm. Despite his apprehension, Rabbit agrees to join his jovial new acquaintance for dinner, but wait a minute . . . is Bear planning to "have" Rabbit for dinner? In this tender story about a very nervous rabbit and a lovable bear, Rabbit discovers that things aren't always as scary as they seem, and sometimes you may just have more in common with others than you think.

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Julie Hedlund on Writing Children's Books

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today I talked to Julie Hedlund. Julie is an award-winning children’s book author, founder of the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge, co-founder of Picture Book Summit, co-creator with Emma Walton Hamilton of the Complete Picture Book Submissions System, and a frequent speaker at industry events such as SCBWI conferences.

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Harold Underdown on Writing and Publishing Books for Children

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

A wonderful conversation with renowned editor Harold Underdown who founded and runs The Purple Crayon, a respected website with information about the children's publishing world talks about his favorite children's books growing up, his original plan of becoming a school teacher which morphed into an unexpected role as assistant editor. He discusses the importance of reader response (including those responses unanticipated by the author). Harold explains why during his career he preferred helping hundreds of authors publish children's books rather than write his own and how his career as a teacher helped him understand the needs of children to see themselves in the books. Note: Since the interview took place, Harold has taken on a new position as executive editor at Kane Press.

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Ellen Leventhal, "A Flood of Kindness" (Worthy Kids, 2021)

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

The night the river jumped its banks, everything changed." So begins A Flood of Kindness (Worthy Kids, 2021) , a poignant picture book that addresses grief and loss and demonstrates how kindness can bring hope. Written in spare prose and told from an intimate first-person point of view, the story follows Charlotte, a young girl who watches floodwaters rise in her home and is forced to evacuate to a shelter with her parents. Kind people she doesn't know give her food, socks and shoes to keep her feet warm, and a place to sleep. As Charlotte adjusts to the shelter--a strange, crowded place that is not home--she grapples with feelings of anger and sadness. But as the days go by, Charlotte starts to realize how grateful she is for the things that she does have--her parents, a cot to sleep on, food to eat--and starts looking for ways to help others in the shelter.

All children deal with sadness and loss in some way, whether it stems from a natural disaster, the death of a pet, or moving to a new place. A Flood of Kindness acknowledges those difficult feelings and helps readers process them in a healthy way. Children will be encouraged to be kind to those who need a friend and to help others in whatever way they can, no matter how small.

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Annette Whipple, "Whooo Knew?: The Truth about Owls" (Reycraft Books, 2020)

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Today I talked to Annette Whipple about her book Whooo Knew? The Truth About Owls (Reycraft Books, 2020)

How do owls see in the dark? Can owls spin their heads all the way around? Why do owls puke? These and other questions are answered by an owl expert, along with some extra information provided by the owls themselves!

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Joyce Lapin, "The Little Spacecraft That Could" (Sterling Children's Books, 2021)

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

Our current podcast features the nonfiction picture book The Little Spacecraft That Could by Joyce Lapin, illustrated by Simona Ceccarelli, and the recipient of a *starred* review from Kirkus Book Reviews (Sterling, 2021).

"The exploration of Pluto was a landmark event. This fascinating book tells the whole amazing story!" - Dr. Alan Stern, leader, NASA's New Horizons mission.