New Books in Children's Literature
Episodes
PJ McIlvaine, "Little Lena and the Big Table" (Big Belly Book Co., 2019)
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
PJ McIlvaine's debut picture book Little Lena and the Big Table (June 2019, Big Belly Book Co.), illustrations by Leila Nabih, is about a determined...
Laura Sassi, "Bunny Finds Easter" (Zonderkidz, 2022)
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Sassi has a passion for telling stories in prose and rhyme. She is the author of five picture books including the best-selling Goodnight, Ark ...
Mike Malbrough, "Love Is Here" (Penguin, 2021)
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I talked with author/illustrator Mike Malbrough about his new book Love is Here (Penguin, 2021). Told through poetic and lyrical text and acco...
Linda J. M. Holloway, "Little Miss Linda Speaks Out About Diversity" (2021)
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We live in a society that is extremely diverse, and we must find ways to treat each other with love and respect despite our differences. Little Miss L...
Christine Taylor Butler, "The Get-Together" (Reycraft Books, 2022)
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Christine Taylor-Butler is the author of more than 90 books and articles for children and young adults, including her newest title The Get-Together ...
Anne Renaud, "Gwendolyn's Pet Garden" (Penguin, 2021)
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Anne Renaud is an award-winning children’s author who writes in both French and English. Today we talk about her recent picture book, Gwendolyn's P...
Janie Emaus, "Latkes for Santa Claus" (Sky Pony Press, 2020)
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Janie Emaus joins us to discuss her debut picture book, Latkes for Santa Claus which was released late in 2020 from Sky Pony Press. Her next blended...
Amalia Hoffman, "My Monsterpiece" (Yeehoo Press, 2021)
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I talked to Ameliia Hoffman, author of My Monsterpiece (Yeehoo Press, 2021) A kid-artist wants to frighten family members and friends by creat...
Risa Cohen: Creative Director of "Sing into Reading"
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Risa Cohen is the Creative Director of Sing into Reading, where she teaches children to read with music and love. In this interview, we talk to Risa...
Rotem Omri on Illustrating Children's Books
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rotem Omri is an award-winning children's book illustrator from Israel. Today we discuss her life, career and thoughts about illustrating for children...
Ruth Spiro, "Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever" (Dial/PRH, 2021)
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ruth Spiro writes innovative books for children on the topics of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Her areas of interest include the m...
Colleen Paeff, "The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s Poop Pollution Problem" (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2021)
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Colleen Paeff writes picture books from a book-lined office in an old pink house with a view of the Hollywood sign. She is the author of The Great St...
Rajani LaRocca, "Bracelets for Bina's Brothers" (Charlesbridge, 2021)
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Rajani LaRocca is a prolific children's author and also an esteemed physician. In our conversation we discuss her recent book Bracelets for Bina'...
Anna Lazowski, "T. Rexes Can't Tie Their Shoes" (Doubleday, 2021)
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Lazowski is an award-winning Senior Producer at CBC Radio, based in Winnipeg. She has an MA in journalism from the University of Western Ontario ...
Kirsten W. Larson, "A True Wonder: The Comic Book Hero Who Changed Everything" (Clarion Books, 2021)
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsten Williams Lawson used to work with rocket scientists at NASA. Now she writes books for curious kids. Kirsten is the author of the picture book ...
Pamela Moritz, "If I Lived with Noah" (Apple and Honey Press, 2020)
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I talked to Pamela Moritz about her charming rhyming story If I Lived with Noah (Apple and Honey Press, 2020). A young boy imagines being se...
Nicholas Jubber, "The Fairy Tellers: A Journey into the Secret History of Fairy Tales" (John Murray, 2022)
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In The Fairy Tellers: A Journey into the Secret History of Fairy Tales (John Murray, 2022), Nick Jubber unearths the lives of the dreamers who made ...
Karen Rostoger-Gruber, "The Family (and Frog! ) Haggadah" (Behrman House, 2017)
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I talked with Karen Rostoger-Gruber and her sidekick, Maria (Karen is a ventriloquist) on her career and writing process and celebrated her Passover h...
Nancy Churnin, "Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing" (Creston Books, 2018)
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I talked to Nancy Churnin about her book Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing (Creston Books, 2018). Irving Berlin came to t...
Julie Hedlund, "Over, Bear! Under, Where?" (Philomel Books, 2021)
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Julie Hedlund and I talked about the trials and tribulations of being an author and how patience and perseverance led her to her recent success, Over...
Chana Stiefel Chana, "Let Liberty Rise!: How America’s Schoolchildren Helped Save the Statue of Liberty" (Scholastic Press, 2021)
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chana Stiefel Chana and I talked about her new book Let Liberty Rise!: How America’s Schoolchildren Helped Save the Statue of Liberty (Scholastic ...
Atara Ofek on What Makes a Children's Book Good
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Atara Ofek is a leading editor and translator of children's books in Israel. We talked about "what makes a good children's book good?" Mel Rosenberg ...
Elaine Kiely Kearns, "Noah Noasaurus" (Albert Whitman and Company, 2019)
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elaine Kiely Kearns writes picture book and middle grade stories. A former elementary school teacher, she now writes books for children and co-runs th...
Alayne Kay Christian, "The Weed That Woke Christmas: The Mostly True Tale of the Toledo Christmas Weed (Blue Whale Press, 2020)
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Alayne Kay Christian is the content and developmental editor for Blue Whale Press and an award-winning children's book author. We talked about her rec...
Miri Leshem-Pelly, "Penny And The Plain Piece Of Paper" (Philomel Books, 2020)
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I talked to Miri Leshem-Pelly about her book Penny And The Plain Piece Of Paper (Philomel Books, 2020). Penny lives on a plain piece of pape...
Vivian Kirkfield, "Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe" (Little Bee Books, 2020)
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I talked to Vivian Kirkfield about her book Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little...
Mike Malbrough, "Marigold Bakes a Cake" (Philomel Books, 2017)
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I talked to Mike Malbrough about his book Marigold Bakes a Cake (Philomel Books, 2017). Marigold the cat loves Mondays, for that is when he...
Melissa Stoller, "Sadie’s Shabbat Stories" (Spork, 2020)
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I talked to Melissa Stoller about her book Sadie’s Shabbat Stories (Spork, 2020). Sadie loves listening to Nana's tales, especially about t...
Lydia Lukidis, "No Bears Allowed" (Blue Whale Press, 2019)
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I talked to Lydia Lukidis about her book No Bears Allowed (Blue Whale Press, 2019). Rabbit is afraid of many things, but most of all he's afr...
Julie Hedlund on Writing Children's Books
07 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I talked to Julie Hedlund. Julie is an award-winning children’s book author, founder of the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge, co-foun...
Harold Underdown on Writing and Publishing Books for Children
06 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A wonderful conversation with renowned editor Harold Underdown who founded and runs The Purple Crayon, a respected website with information about the...
Ellen Leventhal, "A Flood of Kindness" (Worthy Kids, 2021)
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The night the river jumped its banks, everything changed." So begins A Flood of Kindness (Worthy Kids, 2021) , a poignant picture book that address...
Annette Whipple, "Whooo Knew?: The Truth about Owls" (Reycraft Books, 2020)
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I talked to Annette Whipple about her book Whooo Knew? The Truth About Owls (Reycraft Books, 2020) How do owls see in the dark? Can owls spi...
Joyce Lapin, "The Little Spacecraft That Could" (Sterling Children's Books, 2021)
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our current podcast features the nonfiction picture book The Little Spacecraft That Could by Joyce Lapin, illustrated by Simona Ceccarelli, and the ...
Amy Murrell, "Becca Epps Series about Bending Your Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors" (Shawnee Scientific Press, 2017-2021)
31 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our current podcast features a six-book series called the Becca Epps Series about Bending Your Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors (Shawnee Scientific P...
Debra Shumaker, "Freaky, Funky Fish: Odd Facts about Fascinating Fish" (Running Press Kids, 2021)
30 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our current podcast features Freaky, Funky Fish: Odd Facts about Fascinating Fish (Running Press Kids, 2021), written by Debra Kempf Shumaker, illus...
Beth Anderson, "‘Smelly Kelly’ and His Super Senses" (Calkins Creek, 2020)
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast features the historical picture book, ‘Smelly Kelly’ and His Super Senses, illustrated by Jenn Harney (Calkins Creek, 2020). A forme...
Ann Koffsky, "Kayla and Kugel's Happy Hanhukkah" (Apples and Honey Press, 2020)
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our current podcast features the picture book Kayla and Kugel's Happy Hanhukkah (Apples and Honey Press, 2020). The author, Ann Koffsky is the autho...
Nicholas Solis, "The Staring Contest" (Peter Pauper Press, 2020)
27 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nicholas (Nick) Solis is a prolific, award-winning author who writes picture books, middle grade novels, and poetry. We talk about his hilarious debut...