The Children's Book Podcast

Jane Yolen is the beloved and prolific author of over 365 books for children and teens, including this year's releases of A BEAR SAT ON MY PORCH TODAY, MAPPING THE BONES, and MEET ME AT THE WELL. To celebrate such a milestone publication year, Jane and daughter Heidi have kicked off #Yolen365, a daily celebration and book pairing of each title in Jane's catalog to a calendar holiday, festivity, or fun fact. Our conversation includes stories that span of Jane's experiences in publishing that span her career so far. Rest assured, we were in no shortage of things to talk about in laughs and wonder, reflection and celebration. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Kate Hoefler and Noah Klocek are the author and illustrator of Great Big Things, a picture book about a mouse who journeys beyond great obstacles and ever greater distance to deliver something to the one love. Kate talks about how picture books are all about the space between and how it's up to the reader to fill in the gaps. They both share how every book, in some way, is about perspective. This is a quiet picture book with a whole lot to say. You can access more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James are the award-winning author and illustrator of Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, recently the recipient of the Newbery Honor, the Caldecott Honor, the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. And no wonder! The heart and voice both Derrick and Gordon poured into every page of this story gives it presence. In our conversation Derrick talks about writing a story of self-affirmation for black boys to see themselves and feel good about themselves. The story taps into a universal feeling, and the work affirms the truth that everyone wants to feel valued. You can access more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Lee Wind is the author of Queer as a Five Dollar Bill, a novel for teens about a boy named Wyatt, some little known research about our 16th president, and a social media post that goes viral. In this conversation Lee talks about his Kickstarter campaign for the book, a decision he made after the publisher that previously acquired his manuscript dropped the book just a few months prior to production. You're going to love hearing Lee tell that story. It was a total surprise to me. Lee also talks openly about being a gay teen who became a gay adult and struggled throughout much of his teens and twenties to be authentic to himself and, more importantly, to love himself. You can access more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast and you can support Lee's Kickstarter directly by visiting https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1325588893/queer-as-a-five-dollar-bill-empower-lgbtq-and-alli. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Kobi Yamada is the author of What Do You Do with a Chance?, the final picture book in a best-selling series including What Do You Do with an Idea? and What Do You Do with a Problem?. In this conversation Kobi talks about the varied languages of creativity and how we're all finding our way through life. One of the most important concepts Kobi emphasizes in this conversation, to me, is that a book is incomplete without the reader. The implicit responsibility a reader has to trust the story and to invest a piece of themselves in the story is something that is at the center of the stories he writes. You can access more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Seghal are the authors of Festival of Colors, a new picture book celebrating Holi, the traditional Hindu spring festival. In this conversation Kabir and Sue talk about the celebration as a representation of true Indian culture. The share the harmony and respect for others that's at the heart of Holi and Kabir and Sue lift up the colors as the star character of the story. You can access more information about this book and its authors by going to www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Dear readers, listeners, and friends, For over two years, our team has celebrated great children's books and their creators by building what we hope has been a trusted resource for parents, teachers, and librarians. The website has been a labor of love, but in light of shifting demands on our time and energy, we've made the difficult decision to end the project. Therefore, on February 1, 2018, All The Wonders will publish its final post. Please note, this does not affect our podcasts: All The Wonders, Picturebooking, and Books Between will immediately resume production at new homes (see below). Behind the scenes, All The Wonders has been like a family. Our team is made up of authors and illustrators, most of whom are also working parents. We are teachers, librarians, and media professionals. We are activists and volunteers. In many ways, the world shifted on its axis this past year, and so too did our individual lives. We were forced to reflect on how we spend our time and consider where our energy might best serve our families, our communities, and ourselves. We are so thankful to the amazing group of people who donated their time to this cause—our past and present team, contributors, and bookmakers—and are grateful to you, our audience. Thank you for appreciating the importance of delivering beautiful, meaningful, and diverse books into the hands of children. And thank you for trusting us as a conduit. We have appreciated every moment. Please note that allthewonders.com and its current content will remain online in perpetuity so that it may continue to serve as a resource for the books and artists already celebrated. For future podcast episodes, please visit: All The Wonders (rebranded: The Children's Book Podcast with Mathew Winner): www.matthewcwinner.com Picturebooking: www.picturebooking.com Books Between: www.booksbetween.com And now we say goodbye—not forever, but to this particular chapter in our team's shared pursuit of making great content for children. We have much work yet to do. Please keep in touch. For a complete list of our current team members and their personal websites, please see our about page here. Keep reading. Keep sharing. Keep creating. Love and respect, Blake and Matthew Co-Founders --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Susan Hood (@sHood125), author of Shaking Thing Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World, stops by the podcast to talk about standing up, speaking out, and opening up the conversation to other women by commemorating in poetry the lives and accomplishments of a selection of historically impactful girls and young women. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Hey there, podcast listeners! Can you spare 5 minutes? I've made a survey in an effort to better know who listens to the show, how you're reacting to the episodes, and what you'd like to see more of. In just 5 questions and 5 minutes or less you can help me in a big, big way. And to to thank you, I'm going to give away a set of some recent favorite books including picture books, middle grade, and graphic novels. In fact, the greater number of people who take the survey, the more books I'll give away. Simply go to tinyurl.com/atwsurvey18. I promise it will take you less than 5 minutes. The survey closes at the end of the month. Thank you in advance (and always). --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Dashka Slater (@DashkaSlater) and The Fan Brothers (@opifan64 and @igo2cairo), author and illustrators respectively of The Antlered Ship, stop by the podcast to talk about the spirit of asking questions, a thread of melancholy, and how sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Vanessa Brantley-Newton, author and illustrator of Grandma's Purse, stops by the podcast to talk about connecting with her readers, kids giving their parents a do-over, and the universal quest to give others what you never got. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

David Barclay Moore (@dbarclaymoore), author of The Stars Beneath Our Feet, stops by the podcast to talk about art's healing ability, Harlem as a symbol for blackness, and being different as an act of resilience. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Bryan Collier, author and illustrator of It's Shoe Time (Elephant and Piggie Like Reading series) and illustrator of Hey Black Child, stops by the podcast to talk about being different, beautifully perfect flaws, and creating the world you want to be in. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Ben Hatke (@BenHatke), cartoonist of Mighty Jack and the Goblin King, stops by the podcast to talk about his modern retelling of a classic fairy tale, an overgrown, scrappy garden, and a tale that grew in the telling. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Susanna Reich (@ReichWriter), author of Stand Up and Sing! and Fab Four Friends, stops by the podcast to talk about really enjoying the hunt of research, singing for a purpose, and the experience of how people become who they are. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Drew Daywalt (@DrewDaywalt), author of The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors and BB-8 On The Run, stops by the podcast to talk about writing things that all kids have access to, kids loving to be the villain, and trying to lose with all your might. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Penny M. Thomas, author of Nimoshom and His Bus, stops by the podcast to talk about Cree becoming a lost language, the respect shown toward elders among First Nation people, and her grandfather, a very resilient man who was always her favorite person. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Katherine Roy (@KRoyStudio), author and illustrator of How To Be an Elephant, stops by the podcast to talk about learning by copying, finding the balance and letting the watercolor do the talking. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Matt Tavares (@tavaresbooks), author and illustrator of Red and Lulu, stops by the podcast to talk about dealing with change, words (where they feel necessary), and filling the bird feeder. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Vashti Harrison (@VashtiHarrison), author and illustrator of Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, stops by the podcast to talk about finding the truth in her subjects' stories, seeking a language for serenity and happiness, and how being true means something. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Shawn Harris, illustrator of Her Right Foot, stops by the podcast to talk about the importance of balancing text and art, helping to create a casual text book, and reminding us what She means now. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Melissa Stewart (@mstewartscience), author of Can an Aardvark Bark?, stops by the podcast to talk about good solid science, layered text, and the pacing of nonfiction picture books. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Jannie Ho (@JannieHo), author and illustrator of Bear and Chicken, stops by the podcast to talk about having the sensibility of a kid, getting over fears, and loving colors. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Bao Phi, author of A Different Pond, stops by the podcast to talk about expressing gratitude, a generation working hard invisibly, and being thankful for having distance from childhood attitudes. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Live onstage at the Baltimore Book Festival with Ronald L. Smith (@RonSmithbooks), Renee Watson (@reneewauthor), and Carole Boston Weatherford. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Toni Yuly (@toniyuly), author and illustrator of Thank You Bees, stops by the podcast to talk about her simple and spontaneous message of gratitude. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Jared Reck (@reckj), debut author of A Short History of the Girl Next Door, stops by the podcast to talk about writing in front of students, books that can make you a sniveling mess, and the sting of unrequited love. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Julie Segal Walters (@J_S_Dub) and Brian Biggs (@mrbiggsdotcom), author and illustrator of This is Not a Normal Animal Book, stop by the podcast to talk about creating a metafiction book over animal classifications, incorporating the voices of a parent and a precocious child, and asking "what the heck is going on here?" --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Tillie Walden (@TillieWalden), cartoonist of Spinning, stops by the podcast to talk about creating love and empathy with other people, the strong feeling of not wanting to be in fear of your own story, and the difficulty of defining coming out in any universal way. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Melissa Iwai (@meliwai), author and illustrator of Pizza Day, stops by the podcast to talk about a past life full of syllable structure, learning from Marla Frazee, and having a different world to explore. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Sharee Miller (@coilyandcute), author and illustrator of Princess Hair, stops by the podcast to talk about creating a self-affirming book, incorporating the twelve styles of natural hair, and promoting a positive representation of self image. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Duncan Tonatiuh (@duncantonatiuh), author illustrator of Danza!: Amalia Hernandez and Mexico's Folkloric Ballet, stops by the podcast to talk about folkloric dances, an expression of nationalism, and important things shown in a way that feels new and interesting. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Julie Kim, author illustrator of Where's Halmoni?, stops by the podcast to talk about being a bridge to bank of experience, the revealing nature of folk tales, and the experience of the 2nd generation immigrant. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Debbie Ridpath Ohi (@inkyelbows), author illustrator most recently of Sam & Eva, stops by the podcast to talk about figuring out how to collaborate, proving your own lightning rod, and being able to interact with people of the same interests. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Monica Brown (@monicabrownbks) and John Parra (@johnparraart), author and illustrator of Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos, stop by the podcast to talk about a mother's muse, paralleling an artist's life with her pets, and the extraordinary life of the great artist before she was famous. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Nidhi Chanani (@nidhiart), debut cartoonist of Pashmina, stops by the podcast to talk about working within an economy of words, the burden of the art, and never wanting to use an asterisk. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Dan Santat (@dsantat), author illustrator most recently of After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again), stops by the podcast to talk about overcoming obstacles, an obsession with negative space, and a story synonymous with falling. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Todd Parr (@toddparr), author illustrator of Love The World, stops by the podcast to talk about confidence, denial, and never forgetting what it means to need someone. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Laurie Berkner (@LaurieBerkner), children's singer songwriter and author of Pillowland, stops by the podcast to talk about giving as much freedom as possible to concert attendees, exponential expansion, and one of the most wonderful things about preschool. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Monique Gray Smith (@ltldrum), author of Speaking Our Truth and You Hold Me Up, stops by the podcast to talk about moral courage, living with what you learn, and the gift of the wind. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Michael Mahin (@MahinWriter) and Evan Turk (@evanturkart), author and illustrator respectively of Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters, stop by the podcast to talk about stumbling through life, hearing the blues in the place it was born, and the structure and motifs overlayed by improvisation. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Susan Middleton Elya (@susanpolkadot) and Juana Martinez-Neal (@juanamartinez), author and illustrator respectively of La Princesa and the Pea, stop by the podcast to talk about wanting the character in their story to be everybody/anybody. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Victoria Jamieson (@JamiesonV), cartoonist of All's Faire in Middle School, stops by the podcast to talk about childhood nuances, bringing things to a low point, and just wanting to fit in. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

John Rocco (@johnroccoart), illustrator of Big Machines: The Story of Virginia Lee Burton, stops by the podcast to talk about the responsibility to create a promise, projecting yourself onto the cover, and how a good book for you is good for a reason. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Ruth Spiro (@RuthSpiro) and Irene Chan, author and illustrator respectively of the Baby Loves... board book series, stop by the podcast to talk about science topics relating to baby's world, inspiration at Jane Yolen's picture book boot camp, and making science accessible for small children. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Rebecca Green, debut author illustrator of How To Make Friends with a Ghost, stops by the podcast to talk about world building, finding greys you really love, and tying the book together. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Katey Howes (@Kateywrites), author of Grandmother Thorn, stops by the podcast to talk about letting go of things you fear, feeling lucky as a picture book author, and the balance between order and chaos. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Roxie Munro, author illustrator most recently of Masterpiece Mix, stops by the podcast to talk about designing a book from the title alone, letting intuition take over, and never having a job in all her life. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Pam Smy (@pam_smy), author illustrator of Thornhill, stops by the podcast to talk about reading pictures and symbols, decoding the world through visuals, and the critical point of learning that life is not ideal. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Mike Curato (@MikeCurato), author illustrator of Little Elliot Fall Friends and illustrator of All The Way to Havana, stops by the podcast to talk about asking yourself the big questions, the vehicle through which we explore Cuban culture, and those days when the big city is just a little too much. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message