The Children's Book Review: Growing Readers Podcast

In this episode, I talk with super talented and award-winning picture book creator Molly Idle about her new and poignant story Witch Hazel. Molly Idle is the award-winning creator of many books, including the mermaid tales Pearl and Coral. Molly’s work as an author-illustrator also includes the Tea Rex series and the Caldecott Honor Book Flora and the Flamingo. Molly lives in Arizona with her family. Order copies: Witch Hazel on Bookshop.org and Amazon Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Resources: Molly Idle invites you to visit her at idleillustration.com. Discussion Topics: About Witch Hazel Molly Idle's journey of an animator to picture book creator How Molly's relationship with her grandmother led to the creation of Witch Hazel The power of sharing stories and intergenerational stories The process of creating a picture book The celebration of memories while processing grief The healing properties and symbols of botanicals I Don't Care by Julie Fogliano, Juana Martinez Neal, and Molly Idle --- This episode is sponsored by · Jennifer Swanson: Footprints Across the Planet.  https://jenniferswansonbooks.com/footprints-across-the-planet/

In this episode, I talk with two incredible award-winning guests, author Trudy Ludwig and illustrator Kathryn Otoshi, about their picture book Calling the Wind: A Story of Healing and Hope. TRUDY LUDWIG is a nationally acclaimed speaker and an award-winning author of numerous children’s books, including The Invisible Boy, a School Library Journal Best Picture Books Selection and a recommended back-to-school book by USA Today and Scholastic Teacher.  Her books and presentations focus on promoting kids’ social-emotional learning skills and help empower them to be kinder, more compassionate, and more inclusive in their social world. Trudy has collaborated with leading experts and organizations, including Sesame Workshop, the International  Bullying Prevention Association, Committee for Children, and  ConnectSafely.org.  KATHRYN OTOSHI is an award-winning author/illustrator, best known for her character-building number/color book series: One, Zero, and Two. She is also the co-author of Beautiful Hands,  a book about possibilities and reaching your dreams. She travels across the country to encourage children to develop strong character traits and to help readers and teachers find creative methods to engage and connect with their students through the power of reading, art, and literature. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Order copies: Calling the Wind on Bookshop.org or Amazon Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Resources: This American Life Podcast: One More Thing Before I Go: Really Long Distance The Coalition to Support Grieving Students Dougy Center The National Alliance for Children’s Grief Discussion Topics: About Calling the Wind: A Story of Healing and Hope. Get to know author Trudy Ludgwig and illustrator Kathryn Otoshi. How a podcast episode and true story inspired Calling the Wind: A Story of Healing and Hope. About Itaru Sasaki's Wind Telephone. A discussion on grief and emotional resilience. The healing of creating a picture book and making art.

In this episode, I talk with sisters Cara Mentzel and Tony-award-winner Idina Menzel about their debut picture book Loud Mouse: How a Little Mouse Found Her Big Voice. Cara Mentzel's debut memoir, Voice Lessons: A Sisters Story,  about her relationship with her superstar sister, Idina Menzel (yes,  they spell their last names differently), was a Good Reads Choice Award nominee in 2017. Cara lives in Boulder, Colorado, where she and her husband raised their Brady Bunch of boys against the beauty of the Rocky  Mountains. She has a master's degree in elementary education with an emphasis on children's literacy, and though she currently spends most of her time writing, she enjoyed teaching elementary school for well over a  decade and can occasionally be found back in the classroom talking about books she loves. Loud Mouse is her first picture book. Idina  Menzel is a powerhouse: actor, singer-songwriter, philanthropist,  entrepreneur, and now a writer. She was Tony-nominated for her Broadway performances in Rent and If/Then, winning the prize for Wicked's green girl. People around the world know her as Elsa in Disney's Oscar-winning  Frozen and Frozen 2. She has performed at the Oscars and the Super Bowl, and is the co-founder of A Broader Way Foundation, whose mission is leadership development to amplify young women's voices through the arts. Loud Mouse is Idina's latest endeavor to build on the message of empowerment and finding our voices. Idina's greatest gift is her son,  Walker. Order copies: Loud Mouse on https://bookshop.org/a/2078/9781368078061 or Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xQrnDh. You can check out the lyric video created using Jaclyn Sinquett’s gorgeous illustrations at Books.Disney.com/LoudMouse and download the song from your favorite platform today. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Resources: Voice Lessons by Cara Mentzel and a foreword by Idina Menzel A Broader Way Foundation Discussion Topics: About Loud Mouse Idina Menzel's inspiration for Loud Mouse Cara Mentzel's drive for co-authoring Loud Mouse Finding one's voice and celebrating it Sisterhood—in the story and through collaboration The illustrations of Jaclyn Sinquett and finding humor in the little details The spectacular use of vocabulary—the juicy words And then the part when Idina Menzel reads (sings) for us.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi about his nonfiction book for caregivers, How to Raise an Antiracist. Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University and the founding director of the BU Center for  Antiracist Research. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a  CBS News racial justice contributor. Dr. Kendi is the author of many highly acclaimed books including, Stamped from the Beginning: The  Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National  Book Award for Nonfiction, making him the youngest-ever winner of that award. He has also produced five straight #1 New York Times bestsellers,  including How to Be an Antiracist, Antiracist Baby, and Stamped:  Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-authored by Jason Reynolds. In 2020,  Time magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant. Order copies: How to Raise an Antiracist on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Goodnight Racism on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Magnolia Flower on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Antiracist Baby on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Stamped:  Racism, Antiracism, and You on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Resources: You can visit Dr. Ibram X. Kendi at www.ibramxkendi.com. Discussion Topics: About How to Raise an Antiracist Establishing an understanding of the term antiracist Why we shouldn't shield children from the difficult conversation of racism Thoughts on colorblindness The importance of reading books about people of color created by people of color Banned books and why banning books is a significant problem How children motivate and inspire Dr. Kendi to write books

In this episode, I talk with the super fun and fan-favorite children's book author, Josh Funk, about his picture book My Pet Feet. It's quite possible that Josh is a superhero with the delightful power of making readers laugh with his writing. During the day, he's a software engineer. And on weekends, he's the author of books like the Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast series, It’s Not a Fairy  Tale series, How to Code with Pearl and Pascal series, A Story of  Patience and Fortitude series, Dear Dragon, Pirasaurs!, My Pet Feet, and more. Order copies: My Pet Feet on Bookshop.org or Amazon. The Great Caper Caper on Bookshop.org or Amazon. It's Not the Three Little Pigs on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Resources: You can visit Josh Funk at https://www.joshfunkbooks.com/. Order the word nerd game Boggle. Order a copy of To Change a Planet by Christina Soontornvat and Rahele Jomepour Bell. Order a copy of Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, Alexis Bunten, and Gary Meeches Sr. Order a copy of The Boy Who Loved Maps by Kari Allen and G. Brian Karas. Order a copy of Kick Push by Frank Morrison. Discussion Topics: About My Pet Feet. Writing for the laughs and enjoyment of parents and kids. Tips on raising readers. On reading as a child. The inspiration for My Pet Feet. Writing a story with only 25 letters. The illustration artwork of Billy Yong. A peek into Dear Unicorn, The Great Caper Caper, and It's Not the Three Little Pigs. The books Josh is reading now.

In this episode, I talk with Dan Gemeinhart, author of the acclaimed novel The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise. We discuss his newest middle grade novel, The Midnight Children. Dan Gemeinhart is a former elementary school teacher-librarian and lifelong book nerd.  He lives with his wife and three daughters in a small town in Washington  State. He's the author of some other books, too: The Honest Truth, Some Kind of Courage, Scar Island, and Good Dog. If he ever meets you, he'd love to talk about books with you. Order copies of The Midnight Children on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Resources: You can visit Dan Gemeinhart at https://dangemeinhart.com. How to Write Stunning Sentences by Nina Schuyler. Discussion Topics: About The Midnight Children. The seed of the idea for the town of Slaughterville. The characters of The Midnight Children. Planting child-friendly nuggets of wisdom within a story. Writing, rewriting, and getting sentences and paragraphs just right. From teacher-librarian to an author and possibly back again someday. Being a reader and the big books of Dan's childhood. Dan Gemeinhart's hopes for readers of The Midnight Children.

In this episode, I talk with Matt de la Peña and Corinna Luyken about their picture book, Patchwork, a deeply moving ode to the complexity and uniqueness of every child. Matt de la Peña is the author of the Newbery Medal-winning Last Stop on Market Street, Milo Imagines the World, Carmela Full of Wishes, Love, and A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis, as well as a number of critically acclaimed young adult novels. Corinna Luyken is the author-illustrator of the New York Times bestseller My Heart, The Tree In Me, and The Book of Mistakes. She is also the illustrator of Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse, Nothing in Common, and Something Good. Order copies of Patchwork on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Resources: You can visit Matt at mattdelapena.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram  @mattdelapena. You can visit Corinna at corinnaluyken.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @corinnaluyken. Discussion Topics: About Patchwork Matt de la Peña and Corinna Luyken discuss what motivates them to create books for kids. The inspiration for Patchwork. Celebrating the uniqueness of ourselves and others. Matt de la Peña reads an excerpt from Patchwork. The expressive illustration artwork of Corinna Luyken. Learning to manage self-doubt and appreciate failures.

In this episode, I talk with Jaimal Yogis and Vivian Truong, the creators of City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm. So many of you wrote in with questions and I got them answered for you! Jaimal Yogis is the author of Saltwater Buddha, The Fear Project, All Our Waves Are Water, and the children's book series Mop Rides the Waves of Life and Mop Rides the Waves of Change. His writing has also appeared in The Atlantic, ESPN Magazine, and The Washington Post. He lives in San Francisco. Vivian Truong is a comic artist who has created artwork for Riot Games,  miHoYo, Rebellion, and more. Her work includes the Punches and Plants webcomic series for the popular MOBA game League of Legends. She also works as a storyboard artist for game studios, a digital production studio, and a children’s book publisher. She currently lives in London. Order copies of City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Resources: Follow Jaimal Yogis on https://www.instagram.com/jaimalyogis/. Visit Vivan Truong on https://www.viviantruong.com/. Discussion Topics: About City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm. The seeds of inspiration for the story. What do dragons mean to Vivian Truong? The diverse characters and how they came to be. The female hero, Grace. The book's setting, Hong Kong, and future locations in upcoming books. An exploration of grief in children's books. The graphic novel medium and the artwork. Jaimal Yogis' biggest life influence. Vivian Truong's art background and the artists who inspire her. A discussion on courage and empathy. Jaimal Yogis and Vivian Truong's hopes for City of Dragons.

This episode is brought to you by our guest, author J.T Michaels. He's here to talk about his first book in an epic fantasy series, Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone. Author J.T. Michaels has always loved storytelling, no matter the medium. Being immersed in a different world, whether it’s through books or video games, has also been an obsession for him. Years after writing for his school magazine, he discovered he wanted to create his own worlds for readers, and his journey to fantasy writing began with Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone. When he isn’t writing enchanting fantasy novels for teens, J.T. enjoys running and spending time outside in the sunshine and hunkering down in a bookstore or library on rainy days. He lives in  British Columbia, Canada, where he likes to indulge in a great cup of coffee. Order copies of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone on Amazon and Bookshop.org. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Resources: For more information on the series, visit https://www.jtmichaels.ca/. Discussion Topics: About Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone Get to know the two main characters, Jimmy and Tess Developing the relationship of the characters Advice from books for young and old Understanding bad guys and villains The editing process for Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone Tips for self-published authors What teens can learn about friendship from story J.T. Michaels hopes for readers of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

In this episode, I talk with the highly sought-after speaker and children's book author Trudy Ludwig! We discuss her new book, Brave Every Day, and how reading books can promote empathy and kindness. Trudy Ludwig is a nationally acclaimed speaker and an award-winning author who specializes in writing children's books that help kids cope with and thrive in their social world, including The Invisible Boy, My Secret Bully, and The Power of One.  She has received rave reviews from educators, experts, organizations, and parents at schools and conferences around the US for her passion and compassion in addressing peer aggression and friendship issues. An active member of the International Bullying Prevention Association, Trudy also collaborates with organizations like the Committee for Children and ConnectSafely.org, and has served as a content adviser for Sesame Street Workshop. Trudy's books have won the Mom's Choice Gold  Award, the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Gold Award, and the NAPPA Gold Award, and have also been recognized as NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. Order copies of Brave Every Day on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Resources: Visit Trudy Ludwig at trudyludwig.com Follow her on Twitter at @TrudyLudwig International Bullying Prevention Association Committee for Children https://www.connectsafely.org/ Dawn Huebner’s Ted Talk: Rethinking anxiety: Learning to face fear What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors by Rudine Sims Bishop Why American Teens Are So Sad by Derek Thompson, for The Atlantic Discussion Topics: About Brave Every Day Find out what motivates Trudy Ludwig to write books for children The social-emotional impact that children’s books can have on kids and adults Addressing anxiety, fears, and worries in children The experience of bravery Accommodative parenting The picture book illustrations created by Patrice Barton The affirmation that can help children cope with anxious feelings Calling the Wind: A Story of Healing and Hope, Trudy’s upcoming book with illustrator Kathryn Otoshi How reading transformed Trudy Ludwig’s life and the story that opened her world Raising changemakers and kindness warriors