Episodes

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

    Cathey Stefanec Ogren, "The Little Red Chair" (Sleeping Bear Press, 2024)
    Sep 14 2024
    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?). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • On Haya Shenhav's "100 Rooms"

    On Haya Shenhav's "100 Rooms"
    Sep 8 2024
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 mins
  • Ruth Spiro, "One Small Spark: A Tikkun Olam Story" (Dial Books, 2024)

    Ruth Spiro, "One Small Spark: A Tikkun Olam Story" (Dial Books, 2024)
    Sep 7 2024
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • Dan Gutman, "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" (Holiday House, 2024)

    Dan Gutman, "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" (Holiday House, 2024)
    Aug 4 2024
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 mins
  • Muslimness in Books for Young Readers: A Chat with A. M. Dassu

    Muslimness in Books for Young Readers: A Chat with A. M. Dassu
    Jul 25 2024
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • Charly Palmer and Karida Brown, "The New Brownies' Book: A Love Letter to Black Families" (Chronicle Books, 2023)

    Charly Palmer and Karida Brown, "The New Brownies' Book: A Love Letter to Black Families" (Chronicle Books, 2023)
    Jul 15 2024
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 mins
  • Don Tate, Children's Book Illustrator and Author

    Don Tate, Children's Book Illustrator and Author
    Jul 13 2024
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    49 mins
  • Bonni Goldberg, "Doña Gracia Saved Worlds" (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2023)

    Bonni Goldberg, "Doña Gracia Saved Worlds" (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2023)
    Jul 7 2024
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins