The Children's Book Podcast

Katherine Applegate, author of Wombat Waiting (Storytide), joins Matthew to talk about books providing the opportunity to practice being a better human.   Visit Katherine Applegate online at katherineapplegate.com    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting www.boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. And read on.  

Olivia Abtahi, author of Twin Flames (Tu Books), shares what is giving her hope today: seeing the bulbs start to bloom.   This is an ongoing miniseries of indefinite length in which I invite my friends from the kidlit community to share what is giving them hope today.    Visit Olivia Abtahi online at www.oliviaabtahi.com    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting boydsmills.org.    Learn more about Lee & Low Books and their upcoming releases by visiting www.leeandlow.com.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. Read on. And don't lose hope.  

Dan Santat, author of A Fishboy Named . . . Sashimi (Roaring Brook Press), joins Matthew to talk about creating worlds that readers will want to believe.   Visit Dan Santat online at www.instagram.com/dsantat    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting www.boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. And read on.  

Katherine Applegate, author of Wombat Waiting (Storytide), shares what is giving her hope today: librarians.   This is an ongoing miniseries of indefinite length in which I invite my friends from the kidlit community to share what is giving them hope today.    Visit Mandy Settembre online at www.mandywarhol.com    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting boydsmills.org.    Learn more about Lee & Low Books and their upcoming releases by visiting www.leeandlow.com.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. Read on. And don't lose hope.  

Collecting Voices with Ernesto Cisneros   Episode Description (limit 4,000 characters): Ernesto Cisneros, author of Queso, Just in Time (Quill Tree Books),  joins Matthew to talk about valuing our own stories and meeting our parents as who they were.   Visit Ernesto Cisneros online at www.ernestocisneros.com    Other helpful links: Ernesto Cisneros at Boyds Mills Community Retreat with Meg Medina: Celebrating Latinx Stories in Kidlit - Join Meg Medina and guests for a retreat celebrating the rich tapestry of Latina, Latino, Latine, and Latinx voices in children's literature, a space to rest, create, and honor the stories that shape us.   Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting www.boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. And read on.  

Dan Santat, author of A Fishboy Named... Sashimi (Roaring Brook Press), shares what is giving him hope today: shimmers of light and unconditional love.   This is an ongoing miniseries of indefinite length in which I invite my friends from the kidlit community to share what is giving them hope today.    Visit Dan Santat online at www.instagram.com/dsantat    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. Read on. And don't lose hope.  

Carole Lindstrom, author of Red River Rose (Bloomsbury Children's Books) and The Gift of the Great Buffalo (Bloomsbury Children's Books), illustrated by Aly McKnight,  joins Matthew to talk about the truth that all things don't end the way we wish.   Visit Carole Lindstrom online at carolelindstrom.com    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting www.boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. And read on.  

Mandy Settembre, author of Ours: A Story of Loss and Healing (Lee & Low Books), illustrated by Fran Matsumoto, shares what is giving her hope today: having a list.   This is an ongoing miniseries of indefinite length in which I invite my friends from the kidlit community to share what is giving them hope today.    Visit Mandy Settembre online at www.mandywarhol.com    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting boydsmills.org.    Learn more about Lee & Low Books and their upcoming releases by visiting www.leeandlow.com.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. Read on. And don't lose hope.  

Matthew Cordell, author and illustrator of 102 (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), joins Matthew to talk about the power of curiosity and always wanting to see new things.   Visit Matthew Cordell online at www.matthewcordell.com    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting www.boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. And read on.  

Dr. Haleh Massey, author of My Name Is Harriet Mansoor (Not Hairy Man Suit!) (Tu Books), illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh, shares what is giving her hope today:  the ever increasing diversity in books.   This is an ongoing miniseries of indefinite length in which I invite my friends from the kidlit community to share what is giving them hope today.    Visit Dr. Haleh Massey online at drhalehmassey.com    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting boydsmills.org.    Learn more about Lee & Low Books and their upcoming releases by visiting www.leeandlow.com.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. Read on. And don't lose hope.  

Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr, author and illustrator of Life on the Moon (Knopf Books for Young Readers), join Matthew to talk about things so awful they can only be encountered through humor.   Visit Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr online at robbiandmatthew.com    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting www.boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. And read on.  

Angela Quezada Padron, author of Lucía's Goals / Los Goles de Lucía (Children's Book Press), illustrated by Christina Barragan Forshay, shares what is giving her hope today: looking for hope in the little things in life, the things that make her smile.   This is an ongoing miniseries of indefinite length in which I invite my friends from the kidlit community to share what is giving them hope today.    Visit Angela Quezada Padron online at angelapadron.com    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. Read on. And don't lose hope.  

Alicia D. Williams, author of Nani and the Lion (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books), illustrated by Anna Cunha, joins Matthew to talk about protecting our joy through what we cultivate and what we believe.   Visit Alicia D. Williams online at www.aliciadwilliams.com    Other helpful links: Alicia D. Williams at Boyds Mills Alicia D. Williams Scholarship - The Alicia D. Williams Scholarship provides funds to support a Boyds Mills scholarship for a single parent. As a single parent, Alicia knows how hard it can be to find the time and space to get writing accomplished. This scholarship is meant to support a single writer by providing an opportunity to focus on their writing—whether through a Boyds Mills workshop or course, or a Personal Retreat at Boyds Mills. Whole Novel Workshop: An In-Person Retreat for Novelists (October) - This intensive, transformative Whole Novel Workshop offers writers the rare opportunity to have the entire draft (up to 85,000 words) of a novel read by faculty, with detailed written

Matthew Cordell, author illustrator of 102 (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), shares what is giving him hope today: being around a younger generation.   This is an ongoing miniseries of indefinite length in which I invite my friends from the kidlit community to share what is giving them hope today.    Visit Matthew Cordell online at www.matthewcordell.com    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. Read on. And don't lose hope.  

Debbi Michiko Florence, author of The Mastermind's Trap (Aladdin), joins Matthew to talk about finding a way to get back home.   Visit Debbi Michiko Florence online at debbimichikoflorence.com    Other helpful links: Debbi Michiko Florence at Boyds Mills Community Retreat with Grace Lin and Debbi Michiko Florence: Celebrating Asian and Asian American Stories (May) - Work alongside community members and spend time creating, dreaming, and discovering the many beautiful contributions made by Asian and Asian American voices in the children's book field.   Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting www.boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. And read on.  

Cátia Chien, illustrator of Fireworks (Clarion Books), written by Matthew Burgess, shares what is giving her hope today: the small acts of kindness and love that we give to the world.    This is an ongoing miniseries of indefinite length in which I invite my friends from the kidlit community to share what is giving them hope today.    Visit Cátia Chien online at catiachien.com    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. Read on. And don't lose hope.  

Steph Littlebird, author illustrator of You Are The Land (Nancy Paulsen Books), joins Matthew to talk about overcoming doubt and remaining hopeful.   Visit Steph Littlebird online at www.stephlittlebird.com    Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting www.boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. And read on.  

Debbi Michiko Florence, author of The Mastermind's Trap (Aladdin), shares what is giving her hope today: young people and the connectors of readers to books.    This is an ongoing miniseries of indefinite length in which I invite my friends from the kidlit community to share what is giving them hope today.    Visit Debbi Michiko Florence online at debbimichikoflorence.com   Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting boydsmills.org.    Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).    Our music is by Podington Bear.    Podcast hosting by Libsyn.    You can support the show and buy me a coffee at matthewcwinner.com or by clicking the link in the show notes.   Be well. Read on. And don't lose hope.  

Steve Light, author illustrator of Gus & Sully All Week Long (Candlewick), joins Matthew to talk about distilling ideas to their most accessible and truest forms for our youngest readers.   Visit Steve Light online at stevelightart.com    Other helpful links: Steve Light at Boyds Mills Summer Camp for Writers and Illustrators: Session Two! - Get away for five days at our Summer Camp for fiction and nonfiction storytellers who are looking for inspiration, guidance, mentorship, community, fun, creativity, and…a place to dream! Steve Light Scholarship - Steve Light and Christine Cincotta have established a scholarship to support attendance at our Summer Camp in Illustration.  Steve light & Christine Cincotta Cabin (Whiskers Hollow) at Boyds Mills - Honoring Illustrators. Steve Light and Christine Cincotta are frequent visitors to our Retreat Center and Steve has been part of our faculty for illustration workshops.   Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting www.boyd

*This episode is a rebroadcast. The original episode aired April 26, 2025 .   Lil Miss Hot Mess (Make Your Own Rainbow: A Drag Queen's Guide to Color) shares what is giving her hope today: drag. Drag is all about changing how we look and how we show up in the world as a way of making the world more fabulous and more just and joyful for everyone in it.  This is a new miniseries of indefinite length in which I invite my friends from the kidlit community to share what is giving them hope today.  Learn more about Boyds Mills and their upcoming programs by visiting www.boydsmills.org.  Visit Lil Miss Hot Mess online at lilmisshotmess.com