In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze interviews award-winning author-illustrator Jon Agee about his latest picture book George and Lenny Are Always Together. They discuss Agee's creative process, his evolution from writing about middle-aged protagonists to child characters, and how he infuses gentle humor and nuanced storytelling into his work about friendship, independence, and the delicate balance between togetherness and solitude.

Transcription: You can read the transcription on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Children's Book Review⁠⁠⁠

Highlights:

Creative Solitude: Why Agee guards his story ideas like "living little creatures" and rarely shares them until fully formed
Character Development: The organic process of how George the bear and Lenny the rabbit emerged from simple dialogue sketches
Artistic Process: His traditional art approach using paper and paint, then scanning into computer
Humor Craft: The delicate art of infusing subtle, nuanced humor that works for both children and adults
Illustration Philosophy: When to let pictures do the work instead of words, creating space for reader interpretation
Emotional Storytelling: How he almost came to tears reading his own goodbye scene to school children
Literary Influences: Current inspiration from Beatrice Alemangna and childhood impact of Edward Lear's limericks

Notable Quotes:

"John Agee has made a career out of chronicling the masculine midlife crisis for preschool readers." —Emily Jenkins review that Agee never forgot
"I guard ideas almost like a living little creature that could dissolve. So I don't want to share it with anybody until it's more than just a little embryo." —Jon Agee on protecting creative ideas
"I think there's parts of both characters in me...I can identify with both George and Lenny, that very naive childlike bear and that kind of analytical, intelligent, questioning rabbit." —Jon Agee on character development
"Even if they're a bear or a rabbit or a grumpy old guy on a marooned island, I need to be engaged with the characters." —Jon Agee on storytelling
"My motivation is to engage with them, to make them think, to make them laugh...but also to expand their imagination too." —Jon Agee on his goals for young readers

Books Mentioned:

George and Lenny Are Always Together by Jon Agee: ⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠
Pepper and Me by Beatrice Alemangna: ⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠
Things That Go Away by Beatrice Alemangna: ⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠
Terrific by Jon Agee: ⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠
The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee: ⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠
The Nonsense Book by Edward Lear
The Friendly Book by Margaret Wise Brown

About Jon Agee: Jon Agee is an award-winning author and illustrator with over 40 years in children's publishing. Known for his distinctive humor and storytelling style, Agee has created numerous beloved picture books. His career evolved from writing about adult protagonists in the 1990s to focusing on child characters, adapting to industry changes while maintaining his signature blend of gentle humor and meaningful themes. He has also written lyrics and stories for children's musicals.

Connect and Follow:

Learn more about Jon Agee at ⁠⁠⁠his website⁠⁠⁠: https://www.jonagee.com/
Visit ⁠⁠⁠The Children's Book Review⁠⁠ website⁠ for more episodes

Credits:

Host: Bianca Schulze
Guest: Jon Agee
Producer: Bianca Schulze

The Growing Readers Podcast celebrates children's literature and its power to inspire a lifelong love of reading.

Keywords: Jon Agee, Growing Readers podcast, George and Lenny Are Always Together, picture book, children's literature, friendship, independence, bear and rabbit, humor, illustration, creative process, traditional art, character development, publishing industry, Harry Potter impact, Edward Lear, Margaret Wise Brown, Beatrice Alemangna, storytelling, emotional connection

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