The Children's Book Podcast

Ryan Andrews (@HeyRyanA) shares THIS WAS OUR PACT, a graphic novel about a band of friends determined to see where the lanterns end up after being sent down the river by the folks in their town as part of the Equinox Festival. There's a legend that they turn into stars, but no one has actually ever followed them to see. Where the river and these lanterns lead Ben and Nathaniel is beyond anything you could ever dream. I found Ryan's story to be moving and wondrous and beautiful. It's by far one of the best graphic novels I've read, both in it's fantastical story arc and also in Ryan's command of color in telling the story. In short, I cannot wait for you and for all readers to experience this story. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Thank you to this week's sponsor: The Complete Picture Book Submissions System Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

I cohost a podcast on Book Riot called Kidlit These Days, where we examine the intersection between current events and children's literature. It's a lot of fun and feels like the most NPR thing I've ever done, which is pretty awesome in my mind. We're about to record an episode celebrating our first anniversary of the show, but I thought I'd invite you to listen to an episode we just recorded in response to what's on all of our minds right now. On this episode Nicole Young, that's my cohost, and I discuss the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of racism and social media, how the virus is impacting school kids and families, and how the kidlit community is responding. Already information is changing, but I think this conversation will give you a great light into what the show is all about, plus you'll walk away with a bunch of resources, books, and authors related to the topic doing cool things. If you like the episode, I encourage you to subscribe to Kidlit These Days using your favorite podcast app or go to BookRiot.com/listen where you can listen to all 25 episodes of Kidlit These Days, ranging from topics including activism, xenophobia, and body positivity., all thru a lens of what's going on in the world of kidlit today. Okay. Enjoy the show! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Deborah Marcero (@deborahmarcero) shares IN A JAR, a picture book about storing memories, shared or gathered on your own. It's about making what's distant near. There's something very special about experiencing something with someone else and Deborah's book speaks to being present, to stopping and noticing. I know we're distant now, but I hope you can call on those memories and feelings you've stored in jars and I hope they can make you feel comforted. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Thank you to this week's sponsor: The Complete Picture Book Submissions System Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Recorded live at ALA Midwinter 2020, Scott Simon shares SUNNYSIDE PLAZA, his middle grade debut about a group home for developmentally disabled adults. The story is loosely based on Scott's own childhood experiences and I think it says a lot about who we see and who we make invisible in our society. We recorded this conversation in front of a packed audience in a very, very noisy exhibit hall, but I think our voices come through clearly above the din of the giant room. And it's a good conversation about a seldom-discussed representation in children's literature. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Thank you to this week's sponsor: The Complete Picture Book Submissions System Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Little Feminist Book Club (@Little_Feminist) team founder Britt Murlas and educational director Archaa Shrivastav join me to share the WE ARE LITTLE FEMINISTS board book series, including HAIR, FAMILIES, and ON-THE-GO. Each board book is full of beautiful photos depicting all kinds of kids and families from all different backgrounds, traditions, ages, shapes, and skin tones. The accompanying text in each book is pragmatic and joyful, creating a board book that transcends age. Seriously. I read this set of book to my 4th graders and they were transfixed! Britt and Archaa also talk a bit about the founding of LITTLE FEMINIST and how they hope the monthly book boxes from this intersectional feminist company are reaching readers of all ages. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Thank you to this week's sponsor: The Complete Picture Book Submissions System Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

This is a dedication to the life and light of Charlene Willing McManis, and the story she told the world. Traci Sorell (@tracisorell) joins me to share INDIAN NO MORE, a debut middle grade novel by the late Charlene Willing McManis with Traci Sorell. Charlene poured a lot of life and a lot of history we don't get taught in schools into the writing of her debut novel. The result is an unforgettable protagonist named Regina Petit who has always been Umpqua and has always lived with her family on the Grand Ronde Tribe's reservation. Following true events, the federal government enacts a law determining that it will no longer acknowledge the existence of the Umpqua or several other tribes on this land. Regina's family moves to Los Angeles as part of the federal Indian Relocation Program and the family attempts to start life anew amid the backdrop of the Civil Rights era. I reference in our conversation an outstanding review of INDIAN NO MORE on the blog Indigo's Bookshelf by a 13 year old member of the Children of the Glades group of Seminole and Miccosukee teens and I've linked that review in the show notes for this episode. Hearing how this author processed this book profoundly affected the way I read it. And I loved reading this book. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Thank you to this week's sponsor: The Complete Picture Book Submissions System Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Margarita Engle (@margaritapoet) shares DREAMS FROM MANY RIVERS: A HISPANIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TOLD IN POEMS. Margarita blends voices of real people with fictionalized accounts in order to create a book of many voices and many experiences in order to represent hispanic history in the U.S. Choosing poetry as her vessel helped to make the history personal, bringing us closer to the characters and speaking to our present through moments of the past. It's quite an exceptional work and I hope you'll be equally moved when you read it, let alone from this conversation. Something that really stuck with me is Margarita's reminder that we often fail to acknowledge the diversity within the diversity. DREAMS FROM MANY RIVERS does an outstanding job of doing exactly that through intimacy and a shared historical context. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Helena Ku Rhee (@HelenaRhee) shares THE PAPER KINGDOM, a new picture book illustrated by Pascal Campion. In our conversation Helena talks about the invisible people of our society or, rather, those that we have a tendency to make invisible. Helena's parents were night janitors, much like the parents in THE PAPER KINGDOM, and Helena recounts stories of going into work late at night with her parents and the fantastical stories they would make up about the people who worked in the offices during the day. I had a lot of fun recording this conversation and I hope you enjoy listening! You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Weshoyot Alvitre (@weshoyot) shares AT THE MOUNTAIN'S BASE, a poetic story written by Traci Sorell and illustrated by Weshoyot about a family nervously awaiting the return of a family member serving in WWII. This is a story where you notice the silence. The large illustrations and colorful thread framing and connecting the art draw eyes to the hands and faces we meet in a cabin at the base of a mountain, but the waiting and the working in silence builds such terrific tension that I personally found myself at a loss of breath by the story's end. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Nikki Grimes (@nikkigrimes9) shares ORDINARY HAZARDS, a memoir in verse that has not only garnered six starred reviews on top of being named a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, and a Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book, but it is also without question one of the most beautiful, heart-breaking and heart-mending audiobooks I have ever heard. For those familiar with Grimes' body of work, you will find through lines throughout pointing back to childhood trauma, family separation, and yearning to be cared for, but also a fierce resilience earned by assurance of the strength found within. For those new to Grimes' work, it is a powerful reminder of the influence of adults in a child's life and our ability to protect and nurture or to inflict harm. It had me thinking about my family as well as my students throughout. Nikki also shares her latest picture book, BEDTIME FOR SWEET CREATURES and the great fun she's having writing stories. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Kat Leyh (@kaymlay) shares SNAPDRAGON, solo debut graphic novel about a girl named Snap, an old lady named Jacks (who might actually be a witch), and a favor that turns into something of an apprenticeship. Snapdragon is a kid who's not afraid to question or explore an ominous setting or situation, being a bit of an outcast herself. Her curiosity leads to a kind of compassion and affinity toward those lucky few in her life and, I think, after reading SNAPDRAGON you'll know just how lucky it would be to be friends with someone like Snap. A mystery of magic and of familial connection pervades throughout this graphic novel, but you'll have to read the book to find out more about that. Enjoy! You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Today I'm welcoming Arthur A. Levine (@ArthurALevine1), head of Levine Querido and a publisher and advocate responsible for bringing many widely loved books in our world and in front of our readers. Arthur previews his Fall 2020 titles as well as what else is to come from Levine Querido. Our conversation looks broadly at publishing and at the world, but it also focuses on that one reader that needs the book you're publishing. The one that needs to know they're not alone in their experiences or in the world. To quote Arthur, "sometimes healing the world is healing one person." Joining us also is Susan Kusel (@susankusel), synagogue librarian, book seller, and author. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

There are countless individuals working throughout publishing to center historically marginalized voices. Perhaps none do it more publicly or with greater lasting impact than those serving on award committees through the Association for Library Service to Children, or ALSC. That's the branch of the American Library Association responsible for awarding medals such as the Newbery, the Caldecott, the Coretta Scott King, the Pura Belpré, the Stonewall, and many others. These medals often have direct correlation to what librarians purchase for their libraries. These medals drive book sales. These medals help to assure the book's availability in print for years to come. Today's episode features the 2020 Sydney Taylor Book Award Chair along with a handful of the award winners named by the Association of Jewish Libraries, an affiliate of the ALA. I've linked to the full list of winners and honors in the show notes and I encourage you to check out this exceptional list of books recognized by the committee. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Elizabeth Lilly (@elizabethmlilly) shares GERALDINE, a picture book about a giraffe whose family moves to a new town where they are the only giraffe family. Geraldine tries to fit in as much as she can, but an encounter with a schoolmate and a conversation centered on labels gives new light to what it looks like to see and make space for another. Elizabeth Lilly is local to our school and so my 3rd graders had the chance to interview her in person. We also went totally off script, asking Elizabeth questions on the fly. The end result was what I think is a sincere and genuine conversation between a bookmaker and her readers. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Last November I had the esteemed privilege of moderating a panel at NCTE, the annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of English. The panel was titled "Redefining the Boy Hero: Empowering Sensitive Boys and Bucking Gender Stereotypes Through Middle Grade Fiction". Sitting on the panel among a standing room only crowd were four exceptional children's book authors: Elana K. Arnold, Erin Entrada Kelly, Kekla Magoon, and Katherine Marsh. We only had one mic and it was affixed to the podium, so I wasn't sure how this recording would turn out. Thankfully my Zoom H4n Pro went above and beyond, allowing this panel and the noteworthy thoughts of my panelists to be recorded for others to hear. It gives me great pleasure to share this conversation with you. I sincerely hope you enjoy listening. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Today I am joined by a team of 3rd graders at my school. Specifically, these are 3rd graders who signed up to take a podcasting class with me. You may have heard them on previous episodes interviewing Ricardo Cortes about his illustrations in PARTY: A MYSTERY or asking Adam Rex about ARE YOU SCARED, DARTH VADER? or writing PLUTO GETS THE CALL, which is illustrated by Laurie Keller. I've got one more episode with them after this where they interview debut picture book author Elizabeth Lilly. GERALDINE, her debut, is one we all loved quite a lot and we had the special opportunity to interview her in person. But today is a little different. I reached out to all of you over Facebook and asked what questions about books, podcasting, and, most importantly, being a reader you might have for a class full of 3rd graders. We had a lot of fun recording this episode and I hope you enjoy listening. And if you submitted a question, listen for your name! Please welcome my 3rd graders, here to take your questions! You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Frané Lessac (@franelessac) shares UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS and UNDER THE MILKY WAY. Frané has made many beautiful books, but it was Traci Sorell's debut picture book, WE ARE GRATEFUL: OTSALIHELIGA, in 2018 that really made me sit up and pay attention. Today Frané brings two picture books about the stars, both sharing a U.S. publication date. Frané tours the northern skies over our United States in UNDER THE MILKY WAY, highlighting different activities and occurrences that happen beneath the stars. In UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS she turns to the southern skies and a series of stars that point to True South. There are tiny turtles scrambling down the beach, shooting stars, clouds of bats, Nations coming together, and even a staircase of gold, and they are all visible beneath our skies. It's enough to make anyone want to get out a night and experience all that's going on in the world. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Elizabeth Zunon (@ElizabethZunon) shares BEDTIME FOR SWEET CREATURES, which is written by Nikki Grimes. It is a bedtime story of a parent telling the story of putting her child to bed. Elizabeth's illustrations play alongside the text in enticing the child to bed by likening the child to different animals throughout this bedtime process. It's just the right amount of silly with a sincere through line that's caught in the parent's eyes at the hand of Elizabeth's brush. And it's become our bedtime story companion of late. Elizabeth also shares GRANDPA CACAO, her author-illustrator debut. A whole family history of farmers and chocolate and working the land is shared between father and daughter while they bake a chocolate cake for a special visitor. I loved this one and it's a story I still carry with me, sharing it often with readers. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Angela Joy shares BLACK IS A RAINBOW COLOR. This beautiful book, illustrated by one-to-watch and the one-to-wow Ekua Holmes, is Angela's debut to the children's book world. The book answers a question from her daughter, and it also bears witness to history, to legacy, and to community. Angela included robust back matter, incorporating an author's note, an explanation of phrases referenced, a selection of poems from poets mentioned, a timeline entitled "And What Shall We Call You?", and a playlist. This picture book has its own playlist! But what I will also say is that this picture book has its own presence, and it's one that I hope many, many adults will welcome into their reading spaces and those spaces they share. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Ann Braden (@annbradenbooks) shares THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS. This is a story about the strength of a 12-year-old girl named Zoey, even from before the moment when she realized she possessed such strength. It is a story about the things people tell us about ourselves and others, and how those things can become truths if we believe them, for good or for harm. It is a story about depending on someone to provide for you, and being taken advantage of and degraded because of your dependence. But most of all, it is a story that is true for many, many children and families. And it's on us to see these children. It's on us to see these families. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Rajani LaRocca (@rajanilarocca) shares MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM. Mimi, the main character in Rajani's middle grade debut, enters a baking competition at her town's newest sweet spot, but things aren't quite as they appear. The baked goods they sell are awful and overpriced, the employees seem to be speaking exclusively in rhyme, and crowds of locals are inexplicably showing up in droves for the bakery's latest confections. Mimi's dad is a food writer and has just returned from a trip abroad, but he won't be any help to her because he's not acting himself, though Mimi seems to be the only one to notice. Has he completely lost his sense of taste? It's not long before everyone around her is just acting… off, but Mimi is determined to let nothing distract her from creating the most inventive and memorable treats this bakery has ever known. I've been waiting a long while to read this book and it's just so good, there's no way I could resist kicking off the new year with a read so sweet! You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Let's get up-to-date on plans for the podcast in 2020, including the introduction of Matthew In The Stacks, a brand new podcast available to Patrons. This show follows an ask-me-anything style format in which authors and illustrators submit questions they have about the libraries, librarians, and all things bookish. It's a chance to turn the tables and for me to offer insight into how libraries work from the perspective of one school librarian. The episodes are about 10-minutes in length and they release on the 15th and 30th of every month exclusively on Patreon. The first two episodes are already up and I'm including one here for you to enjoy with a question submitted by Margarita Engle, renowned poet and children's book author. She asks, "Are librarians aware that some authors are wounded by the phrase "weeding?" Is there a less demeaning word that could be used for removing our older books?" Enjoy listening! Visit our Patreon --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Jin Xiaojing shares I MISS MY GRANDPA. This stunning picture book examines remembering a lost loved one through the memories and characteristics of other family members. It is without doubt a book that will stop you in your tracks, without question one of the most stunning and memorable picture books I read this year. This is our last interview episode of the year, and it's one I hope that will carry you into the new year with the promise and hope and wonder of all that children's publishing has to offer. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Julie Fogliano (@oneredhen) shares JUST IN CASE YOU WANT TO FLY, illustrated by Christian Robinson. Julie's stories express themselves in poetic verse and they are some of my most beloved on our bookshelves. JUST IN CASE YOU WANT TO FLY grew from a playful game she used to engage her daughter. It's lines and page turns are filled with sincerity and humor. IF I WAS THE SUNSHINE, illustrated by Loren Long, praises the way our love and presence in one another's lives has the power to complete and complement the other unmatchingly. And we also talk about the origins of WHEN GREEN BECOMES TOMATOES: POEMS FOR ALL SEASONS, illustrated by the incomparable Julie Morstad. But mostly, we talk poetry. And we talk it a lot. Do enjoy. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Today I invited contributors of THANKU: POEMS OF GRATITUDE to share their work with you today. This picture book, beautifully illustrated by Marlena Myles and edited by Miranda Paul, is something really special and I credit that to the exceptional list of contributors that made it possible. Each poet used a different poetic style and each gives thanks in a uniquely personal way, but I'll let them tell you about that. Contributors on today's episode (as they appear): Joseph Bruchac Kimberly Blaeser Padma Venkatramen Janice Scully Charles Waters Carole Lindstrom Carolyn Dee Flores Sarvinder Naberhaus JaNay Brown-Wood Diana Murray Megan Hoyt Jamie McGillen Vanessa Brantley-Newton Traci Sorell Edna Cabcabin Moran Liz Garton Scanlon You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Adam Rex (@MrAdamRex) shares ARE YOU SCARED, DARTH VADER?, which is nominated for our state book award. Adam also shares PLUTO GETS THE CALL, which is illustrated by Laurie Keller. Exploring fear, identity, and value through the context of humor (and Star Wars) takes just the right touch, and these books do so in wonderful ways. I've been working with a group of 3rd graders in a special podcasting seminar. Students nominate books for us to consider. Once we select the book and reach out to the author for an interview we begin creating questions based on the books on which our episode will focus. Our students had their fingers crossed about this particular interview and we all had a really, really great time interviewing Adam. We hope you enjoy! You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Gilly Segal (@really_gilly) shares I'M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT. This episode was recorded live at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland as part of the Baltimore Book Festival. Kimberly Jones, Gilly's co-author, had to cancel at the last minute and was sorely missed in this conversation. I'M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT is a YA novel told in two voices about two high school students, Lena and Campbell, who are forced to flee their school football game when a fight breaks out and a student is shot. Their path home sends them downtown through a coalescing riot akin to that of the 2015 riots in Baltimore in response to the death of Freddie Gray. It's a powerful and compelling novel that confronts racism and racial bias, all the while exploring what it looks like to be a survivor. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Tiffany Jewell (@tiffanymjewell) shares THIS BOOK IS ANTI-RACIST, her debut book. Listeners, I cannot even do this interview justice in this intro. Tiffany Jewell is an anti-bias, anti-racist educator and leader. This book dropped like a bomb into my professional learning and having the opportunity to interview Tiffany was both an inspiration and an education. Tiffany speaks on allowing her students to show her where to go. That's something I've been working hard on as well. I'm going to keep on learning, and it's in no small way because of the work that Tiffany and others are doing to help show the way. By the way, I highly recommend participating in the Anti-Racist Book Club Tiffany co-hosts with Britt Hawthorne on Instagram. As Tiffany puts it regarding doing the work of anti-racism, we can't not talk about it. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Paula Chase shares DOUGH BOYS, her latest novel and a companion to SO DONE. There are not an abundance of stories reflecting the diversity of black identity. Many stories being published today center on black pain. They take place in similar settings. They portray characters in similar ways. But there are many, many talked authors who are black and who are portraying black lives in ways communicate the complexity and diversity of blackness. Wait. Let me back that up. These diverse stories are being published. The question I want us to consider is, are we centering, purchasing, and celebrating these books? DOUGH BOYS, in my humble opinion, is a book that deserves to be read and celebrated widely. It centers on two boys, Rollie and Simp, whose friendship grows more complex as each boy's interests pull them through life. Simp wants to be captain of the basketball team and stands a shot. He also wants to provide for his mom and four brothers, something that he's able to do from the cash he gets from playing lookout for Coach Tez's drug ring. Rollie loves basketball, too, but his talents as a drummer have earned him a chance to audition for an up-and-coming go-go band. We meet the boys at a crossroads, and that's exactly where I'm going to leave you as you prepare to listen to this conversation. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Mina Javaherbin (@minajuna) shares MY GRANDMA AND ME, her latest picture book. The story weaves memories from Mina's own childhood with the observation of what your heritage brings to a place. Mina's grandmother was a devout Muslim and this story speaks to the revelation that everyone, no matter what religion you observe, what part of the world you live in, or what time in history you observe… everyone wants to teach love. Not a bad thought to carry you through your week. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Ricardo Cortés (@Rmcortes) shares PARTY: A MYSTERY. When my students first read PARTY: A MYSTERY they were stunned, they had lots and lots of questions, and they were each confident that he or she knew the solution to the mystery. But the more we discussed the book, the more their predictions changed. It was the perfect candidate for a group interview. Ricardo discovered Jamaica Kincaid's "PARTY" in a book of her essays, a collection of New Yorker "Talk of the Town" pieces she wrote in the beginning of her career. In the story three girls are hanging out at an extravagant book party celebrating the Nancy Drew novels. Two of the girls see something that shocks and shakes them and the third is left as in the dark as the readers. The mystery is over as abruptly as it starts and the youngest girl, as well as the reader, is left not seeming to learn the explanation of what was just experienced. Definitely a context that's enough to drive a reader wild with guesses, perhaps by design or perhaps as the clues are laid out in front of us. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Joanna Rudnick shares STORY AND PICTURES BY, a feature-length documentary exploring the power and reach of children's picture books through the lens of three of today's most original authors/illustrators: Mac Barnett, Christian Robinson, and Yuyi Morales. Joanna is the film's director and producer and she's also a mom of two really adorable readers. The project launched on Kickstarter at the end of October and as of posting this they are in their final week of raising funds for the project. With over 70% of funds raised and an end date of Friday, November 22nd, I felt this was a story, a mission, and a project many of you might stand behind. I've linked to the Kickstarter in the show notes so that you can see the trailer, but be warned. It's gonna make you feel all the feels. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Karina Yan Glaser (@KarinaYanGlaser) shares THE VANDERBEEKERS TO THE RESCUE. In her third and latest installment in the VANDERBEEKERS series the five Vanderbeeker children find themselves in dire circumstances when new pets begin mysteriously arriving at their door. This might not seem like trouble alone, but the timing is less than ideal when the inspector shows up at their door in order to assess if the premises is up to regulation standards for mom to open her at-home bakery. And it really is top priority they get the house in order before the photo crew come to shoot for the article that will feature mom and her glorious baked goods. I would say what could possibly go wrong, but there is no wrong where the Vanderbeekers kids won't feel called to the rescue. It's exactly this earnestness and sincerity and stick-with-it-ness that keeps me coming back to the Vanderbeekers over and over and over. As Karina points out in our conversation, it can be really hard to follow your dreams. But with any luck, you've got good people by your side as you try. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Meenal Patel shares PRIYA DREAMS OF MARIGOLDS AND MASALA. In this picture book, a life is India is recounted through an intergenerational connection between Priya and her Babi Ba, her grandmother. There is an intimacy evident in their relationship and a fondness for where you come from and where you call home. The answer is not always straightforward, of course, but helping make a house a home for those around you is a love that goes beyond words. Meenal has filled this story with those moments, providing space both for memory and longing as well as for acts of welcoming and family. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Joyce Wan (@joycewanbooks) shares DREAM BIG. This new board book engages our youngest readers with affirming language to take on the world, and it does so through micro-biographies of women who have done exactly that. As we discuss in our conversation, Joyce used DREAM BIG as a means to help give parents the tools for discussing the lives of these women throughout the world and throughout history. This isn't just for the benefit of our youngest readers, of course, but also for the adults reading aloud the story and for the big siblings and older listeners who might be within earshot. The 0-3 age is such a sweet spot, and I think this conversation and Joyce's books help make it easy to see why. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Highlights Foundation Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Hena Khan (@henakhanbooks) shares MORE TO THE STORY, a novel is inspired by Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and centering on a Pakistani-American family with four daughters: Jameela, Aleeza, Bisma, and Maryam. We experience the story through Jameela, a writer and budding journalist who passionately wants to make her mark on the school's newspaper. The story is a lens through which readers experience that how we are in the world and how we react and respond to things going on in the world has everything to do with who we are and who we are becoming. There are so many moments throughout MORE TO THE STORY where a side of our characters is revealed and they must confront what this truth means. Fairness, microaggressions, exploitation, trauma. They are part of life, and our reactions to them communicate our values. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Little Feminist Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Laurel Snyder (@LaurelSnyder) and Chuck Groenink (@ChuckGroenink) share HUNGRY JIM. In this new picture book, a boy awakens to realize that he is a lion... and that he is hungry. Moreover, his appetite seems insatiable and his urges irresistible. If you detect a hint of Sendak, you won't be wrong. But this is the kind of story where Sendak and childhood and relationships and all of the little bits that make up you were all swallowed up. And the story that's been churning inside feels a bit subversive and yet totally relatable. You're gonna like this one. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Little Feminist Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Celia C. Pérez (@CeliaCPerez) shares STRANGE BIRDS: A FIELD GUIDE TO RUFFLING FEATHERS. Celia's sophomore release is about four girls and one hat that bonded them in sororal friendship. It's about the Floras and how traditions are made to be challenged. It's about activism and how others will stand in your way. And as Celia says, it's about how small actions can lead to big changes. Celia's characters unite around a common cause, but their success depends on something more than friendship; it depends on each member's ability to be an ally. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Little Feminist Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic (@grubreport) shares THE END OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL. Stephanie's debut takes on a challenging topic through a compassionate voice. The death of a pet can be practice for children for when a family member passes, but it can also be an opportunity for a child to care deeply for another living thing. This is a big, awful thing, regardless of the fortitude or strength it may lend itself to later in life. Stephanie's approach to the loss of your something wonderful is, in my opinion, the way we should always be seeking to respond: by seeing the child and by meeting them in their grief. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Little Feminist Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Tonya Engel (@tonyaengel) shares RISE! FROM CAGED BIRD TO POET OF THE PEOPLE, MAYA ANGELOU, written by Bethany Hegedus. Tonya talks about allowing her stream of consciousness to guide her when creating the art for RISE!. The result is a series of paintings rich in imagery and an inner strength that undeniably links that artist to her subject. Tonya speaks on how illustrating Maya Angelou's life was like telling the story of one of her ancestors and how this book project shed light on how she and Angelou's life somewhat mirrored one another. Like a beautifully crafted poem, there's a lot to take in here in this conversation. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Daria Peoples-Riley (@dariaspeoples) shares I GOT NEXT. In her sequel to THIS IS IT, Daria explores allyship through a coming-of-age story on a community basketball court where decisions are made in a moment, and where how you play and what space you make for others is on display for all to see. Daria's beautiful, layered work says volumes on how she sees children, development, activism, and resilience among failure. I hope this conversation resonates with you as it did me. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Raakhee Mirchandani (@Raakstar) joins the podcast to share SUPER SATYA SAVES THE DAY. When readers meet Satya, the story's namesake, we have only to take Satya at her word that her beloved cape makes her super. Unfortunately, her cape is still at the dry cleaners and Satya will need to face a day of school without it. Lots of things go wrong for Satya, leading the reader to acknowledge alongside Satya that maybe this cape really does contain some super special powers. Or maybe what we all need is a chance to step back and reframe these circumstances with a fresh perspective. Raakhee has poured a whole lot of love and truth-seeing into her debut and it translates to a story that meets children where they are, makes space for them to feel and believe whatever they choose, and is there to celebrate the child's affirmation of their inner strength and fortitude. In short, we need a whole lot more people like Raakhee in front of children. Lucky us, we have this beautiful book. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Ishta Mercurio (@IshtaWrites) and Jen Corace (@corachacha) share SMALL WORLD, their new picture book. The story circles around Nanda, a girl who dreams of space. As Nanda grows, her experience of the world and also her view of the world grows. In that way it's a story of expanding circle, like tossing a stone into a pond and observing the ripples outward. Ishta talks of searching for those right words that feel good in your mouth. The result is a poetic text that mimics in feeling the patterned and precise and vibrant illustrations Jen created. Jen comments that the work she was doing at the time on the book felt innate and that she had in mind the science and math that surrounds us all the time. What we are left to hold in our hand is a book and a story that resonates out to readers and out through readers. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. You can support The Children's Book Podcast through: PayPal (one time donation of support) Patreon (sustaining support) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Kevin Noble Maillard (@noblemaillard) and Juana Martinez-Neal (@juanamartinez) share FRY BREAD, their upcoming picture book. We talk about culture and tradition and family and history. We also talk a lot about Kevin's Aunt Fannie. There is a story behind the entire nature of fry bread and the way Kevin's text approaches that story is through affirmation statements of what fry bread is and what it means. The book's narrator walks the readers from the concrete and tangible into the abstract and ineffable, and the journey is helped along with great care from Juana's beautiful illustrations. The way this book's characters are in relation to one another, at times following, or playing, or participating, or listening draws out an intimacy in their togetherness, and it's in that intimacy that the reader is invited into this experience. Kevin reminds us all in this conversation that there are many different ways that people can be Native, and I think it's fair to say that this author-illustrator pairing accomplishes that message beautifully. There is also wonderful and robust narrative back matter waiting for readers of any age to explore and expand their knowledge even further. In short, this book has a bounty of goodness to go around and I think you will find yourself quite comforted and cared for and brought into the story, allowing space for you, in turn to comfort and care for and bring closer those cultures and customs of our Indigenous brothers and sisters so that they may be honored and respected. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. You can support The Children's Book Podcast through: PayPal (one time donation of support) Patreon (sustaining support) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Illustrator Keith Henry Brown shares BIRTH OF THE COOL, which is written by Kathleen Cornell Berman. This picture book biography of the great jazz legend Miles Davis and his journey to find a sound that was beautifully and uniquely his own. That sound took him places. That sound was the birth of the cool. Keith's depiction of Miles Davis is art that shouts music, and art that lives and breathes its subject matter. We follow Miles through childhood and into his formative years, through success to the threat of being forgotten to history and back out again on the stage of the Newport Jazz Festival. It's a story rich with means and desire and the reminder that we all have to face something in this life. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. You can support The Children's Book Podcast through: PayPal (one time donation of support) Patreon (sustaining support) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Miranda Paul (@Miranda_Paul) joins to share LITTLE LIBRARIES, BIG HEROES. With more than 75,000 registered Little Free Libraries (LFLs) in eighty-eight countries around the world, there is great chance you've passed an LFL in your neighborhood at some point. This simple idea designed to build and support community around reading provides no-cost access to books any time of day and they've been popping up in some really unexpected locations, including restaurants, grocery stores, and barbershops as well as those you'll find nestled into neighborhoods. I was not aware of LFLs' founders, Todd Bol and Rick Brooks, or that the idea took some time to finally take root. Reading Miranda's story feels part love letter to the LFL founders and part reminder that we all have the capacity to be heroes in our neighborhoods. The text in this story is straightforward and empowering, and John Parra's art brings something more in the form of seamlessly blending together the dreaming and the doing. It's a book you will want to put in readers' hands over and over. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. You can support The Children's Book Podcast through: PayPal (one time donation of support) Patreon (sustaining support) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Shannon Hale (@haleshannon), Dean Hale (@Halespawn), and LeUyen Pham join to share their bestselling PRINCESS IN BLACK series. There's a bit of a conference din hovering throughout the background of this recording, but there is also a whole lot of humor and a whole lot of heart. As Shannon shares about making books with Dean, "we coauthor a lot of things, and some are alive"! We were in the middle of a very huge exhibit hall at the American Library Association's annual conference in Washington DC this past June. We had just recorded a live episode with Cece Bell and Kate DiCamillo on a great big stage in front of a whole bunch of super nice people who got up early in the morning to join us. The exhibit hall was just getting busy with crowds and signing lines and giveaways and sales pitches. And we snuck into some unmarked tabled area behind some big heavy curtains, because that's how we roll. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Candlewick Press And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Theresa Thorn (@theresathorn) and Noah Grigni join to share IT FEELS GOOD TO BE YOURSELF: A BOOK ABOUT GENDER IDENTITY. There are more conversations about gender going on than perhaps ever before, but there are also lots and lots of adults and kids alike who are not quite sure exactly how to talk about gender. In Theresa and Noah's debut picture book, readers meet four different children who each identify differently from one another in terms of gender. The narrator introduces each child by sharing how that child identifies now and how that may have changed, then the narrator provides language to help describe each of these varying gender identities. As we discuss in the conversation, the narrator is that of a guide and onlooker with us, the readers, but the narrator also uses lots of non-definitive language in order to help communicate the fluidity and varied nature of gender identity. Theresa puts it best when she says, "We all have a sense of gender that belongs to us". I hope that you, dear listener, find that there is space for you in this conversation as well. And for your students, your friends, and your family members. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Libro.fm Storyteller Academy And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Dallas Hunt (@Dallas_Hunt) shares AWASIS AND THE WORLD-FAMOUS BANNOCK. Awâsis is bringing some of her Kôhkum's bannock to a relative but she accidentally drops the world-famous bannock off a bridge. She meets several forest relatives on her way back to Kôhkum including a duck, a rabbit, a frog, an owl, and a bear. And while each is not able to provide bannock, one-by-one the forest relatives offer comfort and generosity in the form of ingredients. Dallas speaks to me about the importance of putting Cree first when writing this story. He also shares a brief and complex history of bannock, an important food to Indigenous people, both now and during historic times of massive and purposeful starvation. There is so much to talk about in this beautiful, beautiful picture book. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Libro.fm Storyteller Academy And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Adib Khorram (@adibkhorram) shares DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY. In Adib's debut novel we meet Darius, a nerdy, overweight, Iranian-American boy who you will love deeply from the outset. I was rooting for Darius hour by hour as I listened to this audiobook, and what I was left with each time I paused to step away from the story was the picture of a complex if not broken kid who is seeking the realest connection to those around him, but feels perhaps like he'll be denied it because he's not what he thinks others want him to be. But perhaps I'm putting too much of myself onto the story and onto my description here. Because Darius was a character with whom I identified with strongly. The book, as Adib puts it, is a love story of a friendship. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Libro.fm Storyteller Academy And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message