The Children's Book Review: Growing Readers Podcast

In this episode, Bianca talks with Grammy-winning singer, designer, entrepreneur, and the first-born daughter of reggae singers Bob and Rita Marley, Cedella Marley. They chat about her newest picture book Marley and the Family Band, which was inspired by a childhood growing up with music in her life. Cedella is the CEO of Bob Marley's recording label, Tuff Gong International, and the author of multiple children's books including One Love. A life-long advocate of philanthropy, Cedella is the director of the Bob Marley Foundation and is a Global Ambassador to the Jamaica Women's Football Program. Cedella Marley is a living embodiment of the way the ethics and values instilled during her upbringing carry forward the belief that, with passion and purpose, we can all make a difference in our communities, our country, and ultimately the world. She lives in Miami with her husband and three children. Order a copy of Marley and the Family Band on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Visit Cedella Marley at https://www.cedellamarley.com. Resources: Marley One Drops: https://marleyone.com. Picture book versions of One Love and Three Little Birds and Get Up, Stand Up. Lion Forge Animation: https://www.lionforgeanimation.com/. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Discussion Topics: About Cedella Marley About Marley and the Family Band Get to know Cedella Marley A discussion on Marley and the Family Band How Cedella's childhood inspired Marley and the Family Band Marley and the Family Band coming to the screen Taking care of the physical body to help keep the mind healthy Learning and celebrating music in the home Cedella Marley's favorite childhood books

In this episode, Bianca talks with Jeanne Walker Harvey, the author of Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas. Jeanne has been a longtime docent at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Just like Alma Thomas, she believes that art brings us joy. Her other picture books include Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines and My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden’s Childhood Journey. Jeanne studied literature and psychology at Stanford University. She lives in Northern California. Order a copy of Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Visit Jeanne Walker Harvey at https://www.jeanneharvey.com/. Resources: Educators Guide and Art Activity Projects: https://www.jeanneharvey.com/projects. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art: https://www.sfmoma.org/. Loveis Wise: https://loveiswise.com/. See some interior artwork from Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas here: https://www.jeanneharvey.com/ablaze-with-color. East West Literary Agency: https://eastwestliteraryagency.com/ Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Discussion Topics: About Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas Get to know Jeanne Walker Harvey Working as a docent at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art A discussion on painter Alma Thomas Researching for picture book biographies Jeanne Walker Harvey reads an excerpt from Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas The modern art of children's book illustrator Loveis Wise Jeanne Walker Harvey's creative life Using Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas in the classroom

In this episode, Bianca talks with Marc Brown, the creator of the bestselling Arthur Adventure book series which has over 160 million Arthur books in print. He also is the executive producer of the longest-running children's television series, Arthur, on PBS. We talk about the conception of Arthur, how the Arthur Adventures became a book and TV series, and, most importantly, we discuss Believe in Yourself: What We Learned from Arthur. He lives in New York City and Martha's Vineyard. Order a copy of Believe in Yourself: What We Learned from Arthur on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Visit Marc Brown at http://marcbrownstudios.com/. Resources: https://pbskids.org/arthur https://www.fredrogers.org/ When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death Project Zero: http://www.pz.harvard.edu/ Music:  Special thanks to wgbh.org for permission to use the Arthur Theme Song. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Discussion Topics: About Believe in Yourself: What We Learned from Arthur The conception of Arthur: Arthur's Nose How the Arthur Adventures became a book series and TV series Meeting Mr. Fred Rogers Behind the scenes of creating Believe in Yourself: What We Learned from Arthur Marc Brown on becoming a reader

In this episode, I talk with New York Times bestselling author Eva Chen and illustrator Sophie Diao about their picture book I Am Golden, a moving ode to the immigrant experience, as well as a manifesto of self-love for Chinese American children. Eva Chen is a first-generation Chinese-American who grew up in New York City. She blames her deviation from pre-med at Johns  Hopkins University on a love of fashion and beauty instilled in her by her mother, whose perfect bob and lipstick made a permanent imprint on her impressionable young mind. Previously the editor-in-chief of Lucky, Eva has also written for ELLE, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Vogue China, the New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.  She is currently the head of fashion partnerships at Instagram, where she is guilty of the occasional duck-face selfie. Eva lives in New York City with her husband and two children. She is the author of Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes, A Is for Awesome, and Juno Valentine and the Fantastic Fashion Adventure. Sophie Diao is an artist in San Francisco. As research for the book Sarah and the Big Wave,  she surfed a wave that she's pretty sure was over one foot tall. She loves illustrating natural wonders and is the talent behind many a  Google Doodle. Order a copy of I Am Golden on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Visit Eva Chen at https://www.instagram.com/evachen212/. Visit Sophie Diao at https://www.sophiediao.com/. Resources: Chinese Tomato Egg Stir-fry: https://thewoksoflife.com/stir-fried-tomato-and-egg/. Scholastic Book Club: https://clubs.scholastic.com/. Books of Wonder: https://booksofwonder.com/. Book Con and Book Expo: https://www.bookexpoamerica.com/. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Discussion Topics: A story summary of I Am Golden. Asian-American Identity Asian-American Hate Crimes All about I Am Golden Creating the book cover artwork The author and illustrator collaboration Becoming readers.

In this episode, I talk with noted anthropologist and educator Dr. Johnetta Betsch Cole and award-winning illustrator Nelda La Teef. We discuss their picture book, African Proverbs for All Ages, the first Oprah Book. It is a beautifully-illustrated, engaging picture book about the power of proverbs, how they evolve over time, and the wisdom of various cultures in Africa. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Cole grew up during the days of racial segregation. She holds a B.A. in sociology from Oberlin College, and masters and doctorate degrees from Northwestern University. Dr. Cole has conducted anthropological fieldwork in Liberia, West Africa, and traveled to 17 African countries. She is the only person to have served as president for both Spelman and Bennet Colleges; she was also the  Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art from 2009 to 2016. Dr. Cole serves as the Chair of the Board and the President of the  National Council of Negro Women, an organization with a membership of over two million women of African descent. Throughout her career, she has worked on issues of racial, gender, and other systems of inequality. Nelda LaTeef is the award-winning author and illustrator of The Hunter and The Ebony Tree, Animal Village, and The Talking Baobab Tree.  She grew up in a US Foreign Service family and spent her childhood attending schools in Europe, Africa, and Asia. She has traveled throughout West Africa conducting field research and has even been to the fabled city of Timbuktu. She holds a degree in social anthropology from Harvard University. Nelda lives in Virginia with her family where she enjoys traveling, tennis, and cycling. Order a copy of African Proverbs of All Ages here. Visit Nelda Lateef at https://www.neldalateef.com/. Resources: National Council of Negro Women: https://ncnw.org/ https://www.spelman.edu/about-us/office-of-the-president/past-presidents/johnnetta-cole Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Discussion Topics: A story summary of African Proverbs for All Ages. What is a proverb? Why are we drawn to proverbs? All about African Proverbs for All Ages. Favorite proverbs. Becoming readers.

In this episode, I talk with child-author Faith Abraham and her family about Faith's picture book, Superhero Faith. We talk about how when Mama (her grandmother) was diagnosed with breast cancer, she was inspired to create a story with the help of her mom. This book, Superhero Faith, is a demonstration of ways a young child can support a family member in need. Faith is creative, curious, adventurous, and loves life. She enjoys learning new languages (French and Spanish), reading, making music,  experimenting in Mad Science, studying jiu-jitsu (she is in ninja training), and being outside. Faith is loving, caring, and kind, and loves dreaming up her next adventure with her grandma and her dog,  Sparkle. Order a copy of Superhero Faith here. Visit Faith Abraham at https://www.faithandsparklesworld.com. Resources: The Terry Fox Foundation: https://terryfox.org/. Canadian Cancer Society: https://cancer.ca/en/. LeapFrog 2-in-1 LeapTop Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Discussion Topics: A story summary of Superhero Faith All about Faith Abraham The things Faith Abraham and her family do to raise awareness for breast cancer. How writing the story helped Faith and her family get through Mama's breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. How Faith's mom acted as a scribe to write the story. How the help of an editor and the illustrator helped the story become the best that it possibly could. Faith's favorite illustration and vegetable. The simple benefits of love are shown in the book. Is Faith's favorite book Superhero Faith?

In this episode, I talk with acclaimed author Elaine Vickers about her tender picture book Thankful. Elaine is the author of the middle grade novels Like Magic and Paper  Chains, which have received starred reviews, Whitney Award nominations, Mighty Girl’s Book of the Year picks, PJ Library licenses, and sold translations in four languages. She is also the author of the YA novel,  Fadeaway. In her non-writing life, Elaine teaches college chemistry, and she lives with her family in Utah. In this conversation, we dig into the topic of gratitude and the making of Thankful,  in which stunning, diorama illustrations bring to life this lullaby of a  picture book about celebrating everyday things that make life wonderful. Get ready to have your heart filled! Order a copy of Thankful via Bookshop.org.a great Order a copy of Long Road to the Circus via Amazon. Visit Elaine Vickers at https://www.elainevickers.com/. Resources: You can find the links to the activities discussed in this episode here https://www.elainevickers.com/books/thankful/ and here https://www.samanthacotterill.com/resources.html. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Discussion Topics: A story summary of Thankful The science of gratitude. Middle grade novels Paper Chains and Like Magic. The things kids are grateful for. The artwork of Samantha Cotterill: 3-D Art. The difficulties of practicing grattitude. Bedtime poetry. Young adult novel, Fade Away. Having more than one vocation: Scientist, teacher, author, and mother. The Ramona books. Crafts for practicing gratitude.

In this episode, I talk with award-winning writer and librarian Betsy Bird about Long Road to the Circus. Betsy Bird’s books include Funny Girl, an anthology of humorous stories; and the picture books Giant Dance Party and The Great Santa Stakeout. Illustrated by Caldecott Medalist David Small (Imogene’s Antlers), Long Road to the Circus is the story of a girl who rides an ostrich straight to her dreams. In this super fun chat, we discuss the story, the characters, and Betsy’s inspirations for writing it. As the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library and the former Youth Materials Specialist of New York Public Library,  Betsy also shares her answer to a wonderful question from a fellow librarian. Order a copy of Long Road to the Circus via Bookshop.org.a great Order a copy of Long Road to the Circus via Amazon. Visit Betsy Bird at https://www.betsybirdbooks.com/. You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review.

In this episode, I talk with Gayle Forman, an award-winning author and journalist whose articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and Elle in the US. Gayle Forman’s novel, If I Stay, was released as a blockbuster movie starring Chloë Grace Moretz in 2014. Her most recent YA novel is We Are Inevitable. Gayle lives in Brooklyn, New York with her family. Today we're going to talk about her debut middle grade novel Frankie and Bug. Order a copy of Frankie and Bug via Bookshop.org. Order a copy of The Beatryce Prophecy via Amazon. Visit Gayle Forman at https://www.gayleforman.com/. You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review.

In this episode, I talk with two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo, one of America's most revered storytellers. Today we're going to talk about The Beatryce Prophecy, a fantastical meditation on fate, love, and the power of words to spell the world. A few episodes back, I talked with two-time Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator Sophie Blackall. Among many things, we discussed The Beatryce Prophecy, for which Sophie created the artwork. Now I get to share my conversation with Kate about the many splendors and joys of reading. Order a copy of The Beatryce Prophecy via Bookshop.org. Order a copy of The Beatryce Prophecy via Amazon. Visit Kate DiCamillo at https://www.katedicamillostoriesconnectus.com/. You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review.