Imagining Yoko Ono: Lisa Tolin on Bringing a Misunderstood Artist to Young Readers

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze interviews author Lisa Tolin about her picture book biography Can You Imagine?: The Art and Life of Yoko Ono. They discuss Tolin's creative process, her admiration for Yoko Ono's resilience and artistry, and how she approached introducing conceptual art to young readers.

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

Highlights:

• Finding Balance: Tolin discusses juggling her full-time job, motherhood, and writing books
• The Reading-Writing Connection: Thoughts on why writers must first be readers
• Meeting Yoko: How interviewing Yoko Ono changed Tolin's perception of her
• Misunderstandings: Common misconceptions about Yoko Ono that the book addresses
• Artistic Vision: Collaborating with illustrator Yas Imamura to bring Yoko's story to life
• Handling Difficult Topics: Approaching themes of war and John Lennon's death for young readers
• Conceptual Art: Making abstract artistic concepts accessible to children
• Peace and Imagination: Why Yoko's message remains relevant for today's children

Notable Quotes:

• "I think it's really important to not just read, but read widely and currently." —Lisa Tolin on becoming a writer
• "The instant I met her, I just knew she had been fully misunderstood." —Lisa Tolin on Yoko Ono
• "She talked about being a small pebble person... if you have a small pebble, you can see it ripple out and understand that you're making a difference." —Lisa Tolin on Yoko's philosophy
• "I wasn't like because children everywhere are demanding this book... it was because it interested me and I think that comes across in writing." —Lisa Tolin on writing about Yoko Ono

Books Mentioned:

• Can You Imagine?: The Art and Life of Yoko Ono by Lisa Tolin, illustrated by Yas Imamura: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠
• How to Be a Rockstar by Lisa Tolin: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠

About Lisa Tolin: Lisa Tolin is a journalist and editor who has covered arts and entertainment, lifestyle, health, and breaking news for major news organizations. Her years as a journalist gave her the opportunity to interview Yoko Ono in her home. Lisa lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and two sons.

Connect and Follow:

• Learn more about Lisa Tolin at ⁠LisaTolin.com⁠
• Visit ⁠The Children's Book Review⁠ website for more episodes

Credits:

• Host: Bianca Schulze
• Guest: Lisa Tolin
• Producer: Bianca Schulze

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

Keywords: Lisa Tolin, Growing Readers podcast, Yoko Ono, picture book biography, children's literature, conceptual art, imagination, peace activism, Yas Imamura, illustration, creative process, motherhood, writing life, Beatles, John Lennon, children's books, artist biography