The Children's Book Podcast

Meera Sriram (@Meeratsriram) shares A GIFT FROM AMMA: MARKET DAY IN INDIA, illustrated by Marionna Cabassa. I am always keeping an eye out for books that take the familiar and reshape and reshare in a new way. In this book, we take a color walk alongside our main character, noticing pinks and blacks and reds and all of the other colors of the market. But this isn’t just a walk for the eyes. It’s a walk for all the senses. Readers watch the charcoal black roast sweetcorn and kebabs while hearing the black drums beat and boom. They smell the powdery spice scent of turmeric, yellow like sunshine dust, while hearing a yellow rickshaw pass. Meera has captured the sensory experience of the markets she grew up visiting and she shares them with all of our readers. It is a place you’ll want to visit over and over again. And centering all of this is a child’s love for her mother. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and supp

Frank Murphy (@frankmurphy2009) and Kayla Harren share A GIRL LIKE YOU, co-authored with his wife Carla Murphy. Frank affirms with this sequel to A BOY LIKE YOU why the world needs every kind of kid. Sensitive, outgoing, smart, brave, caring, energetic, creative, and whatever other words that might come to mind as you think of the kids in your life. The first book was written in response to Frank’s observation of all the problems going on in the world, and to how the media continued to blame those problems most often on guns and on boys. We talk a lot about addressing toxic masculinity, but not all masculinity is toxic. As Frank shares, “there are great ways to be a man.” Under the talented hand of Kayla Harren’s pencil and brush strokes, boys from all kinds of families, neighborhoods, interests, and skin tones are seen and loved and valued on the page. The same care and respect was taken in centering girls for the sequel, A GIRL LIKE YOU, only now Frank invited in another voice to help tell the story and one

Adam Gidwitz (@AdamGidwitz) and Emma Otheguy (@EmmaOtheguy) share THE MADRE de AGUAS OF CUBA, book #5 in the UNICORN RESCUE SOCIETY series, illustrated by Hatem Aly. If you have been following along with this chapter book series, you have no doubt noticed that it’s doing something a little different than the other books out there. Series frontrunner Adam Gidwitz has paired up with a different #ownvoices author for each of the books since the first sequel. The resulting titles have taken readers all around the world to explore region-specific mythical creatures while also exploring the intersection of culture and current events. The latest installment takes place in Cuba and at the hands of skilled storyteller Emma Otheguy the characters seek to rescue a mysterious creature amid a threat to the area’s water supply. As Adam would say, this book and the others in the series are filled with “serious fun”. And if this is your first entry into the series, have no fear. This book is a great starting point and catche

Samara Cole Doyon (@HeartRoot_Fire) and Kaylani Juanita (@kaylanijuanita) share MAGNIFICENT HOMESPUN BROWN. This picture book is so many things and, whether you are reading it the first time or the twenty-first time, there is something new to discover with each new read. This is due in large part to the terrific balance between rich, poetic text and lushly detailed, beautiful illustrations. Samara’s and Kaylani’s combined gifts resulted in a stunning and resonant story that is, itself, a gift to read. It is a celebration of all shades of brown and the faces and families whose deep, secret brown, whose feathery brown, whose amber brown, whose radiant brown, whose magnificent, homespun brown is part of what makes them so magnificent. And because the two did not connect by voice previously, this conversation is a first connection and a shared appreciation captured on digital “film”. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this boo

Rashmi Bismark (@rashmibismark) shares FINDING OM, her debut picture book illustrated by Morgan Huff and published by Mango & Marigold Press. In the story, Anu explores the mantra Om with her much-loved grandfather Appuppa. Rashmi was drawn to writing about the southeast asian experience and reflects on the #ownvoices responsibility in communication through art in a picture book. I found it fascinating to learn about the balance between leaving space for the illustrator in a picture book as an author and the importance of communicating details in order to assure, as an #ownvoices author, an authentic representation of Anu and her Indian-American family. This attention to detail extends all the way to how Anu’s family members are sitting as the center on Om. There’s so much more to share, but I’m going to let my conversation with Rashmi do the talking. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent

Farhana Zia shares LALI’S FEATHER, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman and published by Peachtree Publishing Company. It’s a story about a girl who finds a feather and sets about trying to find the owner. What she finds instead is a good number of other birds who think their feathers are superior in beauty or sturdiness or usefulness. Of course, none of these opinions are useful for Lali. But what’s more is that Lali is unperturbed by their comments. She seems to be consumed with an irrepressible joy for this small treasure. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Picture Book Summit Bookclub (Patreon) Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Kelly Starling Lyons (@kelstarly) shares GOING DOWN HOME WITH DADDY. Kelly is a wonder to me. Her books live in nearly every collection of our school library. Her JADA JONES series is so well-loved, that just mentioning her name in our library had students literally giddy to read her next book. She had not one but two picture books included in our mock Coretta Scott King award last year including GOING DOWN HOME WITH DADDY, a book illustrated by Daniel Minter for which he was awarded a Caldecott honor. Kelly’s newest book is called TIARA’S HAT PARADE, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell, and it centers on a daughter’s love for her mother and the heartfelt way she responds when momma’s millinery business is forced to close. We squeeze a whole lot into this one conversation, so be sure to put in a list of holds requests at your library to check out all of Kelly’s books for yourself. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and

Mike Curato (@MikeCurato) shares FLAMER, his YA graphic novel about a boy at scout camp the summer of 1995. This book is a lot of things. It’s a coming-of-age story. It confronts ideas of racism and homophobia. It looks at body image and coming to terms with identity in every sense of the word. It deals with issues of religion and of suicidal ideation. It is a powerful and moving story with a climax that rises like a phoenix from the flames. But we’ll get to all of that in our conversation. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Picture Book Summit Bookclub (Patreon) Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Lynnette Mawhinney (@lkmawhinney) shares LULU THE ONE AND ONLY, her debut picture book. There is a lot to be said for the question, “What are you?” It’s a question that dehumanizes the person at which it’s directed, but it also reveals a lot of it’s asker. Lynnette wrote the story as a means of showing real realities for biracial kids. To quote Lynnette,“We constantly want to put people in categories.” This conversation, dear listener, is an attempt to get to the bottom of why that is, to acknowledge the humanity in everyone, and to hold space for courageous conversations that seek to  create spaces where we preserve the dignity of every kid. If you can’t tell, I had a really amazing time talking with Lynette. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Picture Book Summit Bookclub (Patreon) Libro.fm A

Chad Sell (@chadsell01) is the co-creator of the CARDBOARD KINGDOM series and author-illustrator of DOODLEVILLE. In the world of DOODLEVILLE, doodles take on a literal life of their own. What you create might say a lot about you or your personality, but how you manage with your doodles when they start playing by their own rules is a completely different story. Drew is a doodler and she creates an entire world for her and her classmates' doodles to inhabit. She also creates a giant doodle which she nicknames Levi. But Levi doesn’t turn out to be what her classmates expect, and as Drew tries to undo her doodle she unleashes a monster. Now Drew needs to figure out how to get things under control before Levi gobbles up or destroys everything the kids have worked so hard to create. It’s an all-ages graphic novel sure to inspire doodlers everywhere, and one that will leave you looking differently at your sketchbook for sure. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthew

Saadia Faruqi (@SaadiaFaruqi) and Laura Shovan (@LauraShovan) share A PLACE AT THE TABLE. This new middle grade novel in two voices examines the growing awareness of who you are outside of your family, an experience many of us go through as we enter middle school. It’s also available as an audiobook, and one so good, if I can just say, that I finished it in nearly a day. What brings Sara and Elizabeth together may start at an after school cooking club, but their friendship has all of the complexity of two individuals who are at the same time similar and different as can be. Saadia and Laura explore the experience of being a first-generation American through their main characters, drawing from each of their childhoods to tell a rich and beautiful story of navigating bias, confronting prejudice, defending friends, and protecting who you are uncompromisingly. The story asks readers to consider what makes a person privileged, and what to do if you recognize that privilege in your own experiences. As Saadia and La

Tameka Fryer Brown (@teebrownkidlit) shares BROWN BABY LULLABY, illustrated by AG Ford. It’s a story about the intimacy of new parenthood, that time when everything else disappears and the whole world becomes baby. I find that the selection of baby books centering families of color created by authors and illustrators of color is lacking. Moreover, I find the beauty of this book in particular to be really outstanding. Find a baby or an audience of a new parent or two, and enjoy reading aloud this beautiful book to them. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Picture Book Summit Bookclub (Patreon) Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Christina Soontornvat (@soontornvat) shares A WISH IN THE DARK. Christina’s newest middle grade novel brings readers to a city on the brink of revolution. For Pong, Nok, and Soomkit, there is much to be learned about life. Who can you trust? Who is worthy of love and light? Where do you turn when the ones you looked to are gone? It is a sweeping and exceptional story, a retelling of Les Miserables set in Thailand, and a reminder that every person has the potential to change the world and share a light. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Picture Book Summit Bookclub (Patreon) Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Alice Faye Duncan (@AliceFa41743636) and debut children’s book illustrator Charnelle Pinkney Barlow share JUST LIKE A MAMA. JUST LIKE A MAMA shines a light on caregivers and children not connected by blood, but by love. There are many different reasons why kids might not live with their biological parents and this is a truth that Alice has had on her heart a long time as this book idea germinated. What resulted, I think you’ll agree, was well-worth the wait. Listeners, please make sure you find the opportunity to read this story and to be moved by the care that brought it into being. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Picture Book Summit Bookclub (Patreon) Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Juana Medina (@juanamedina) shares JUANA AND LUCAS: BIG PROBLEMAS. The JUANA AND LUCAS series are among my favorite chapter books ever. Juana, as it turns out, is also one of my favorite people. We first connected two or three years ago at the Baltimore Book Fest. Since then we’ve been trying to plan a time to chat, but we’ve also had the privilege of watching one another’s kids grow up in the process. Juana writes a lot of herself into her JUANA AND LUCAS series. And she talks in this recording about how the sense of otherness often gets pushed into our lives. We also connect over the realization that we can all identify with struggling and learning something new. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Picture Book Summit Bookclub (Patreon) Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. -

Lil Miss Hot Mess (@LilMissHotMess) shares about her debut picture book, THE HIPS ON THE DRAG QUEEN GO SWISH, SWISH, SWISH. Lil Miss Hot Mess has been performing in drag for many years now, more than the age of her readers at Drag Queen Story Hour, but it’s because of those readers and those story hours that led to the creation of this picture book. Set to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”, Lil Miss Hot Mess’s invitation to swish, stomp, shimmy, snap, and bling pairs with the vibrant and energetic art of Olga de Dios to create a moment with readers full of fun, fabulousness, and truth. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Picture Book Summit Bookclub (Patreon) Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message

Rahele Jomepour Bell (@RaheleJomepour) shares OUR FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR, a new picture book written by author A. E. Ali that takes place in a classroom where every child’s favorite holiday is celebrated throughout the school year. Do you have a favorite day of the year? I share mine in this conversation, as does Rahele. The favorite days shared by the children in this story make me smile not only for the reasons that make those days favorites, but also for the glimpse into the lives and families we see centered and honored throughout this book. It’s clear Rahele and A. E. Ali took great care to bring this story to readers. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Picture Book Summit Bookclub (Patreon) Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anch

Flavia Z. Drago (@Diafla) shares GUSTAVO THE SHY GHOST. In her debut picture book, Flavia tells the story of Gustavo, a ghost who really wants company and to be around friends, but when he’s around others just can’t seem to be noticed. It’s also about sharing with others that thing that you really love. Shyness can be a complicated thing, can’t it? It’s not always that you’re afraid of others or of other situations. Sometimes it boils down to just wanting others to invite you into their play or their conversations. Flavia and I talk all about shyness and monsters and how other people can be just as scared as you are to meet others, and that makes being shy a little less lonely in a way, doesn’t it? You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Picture Book Summit Bookclub (Patreon) Libro.fm And to the ge

Valerie Bolling (@valerie_bolling) shares LET'S DANCE! with a team of 5th grade student co-hosts. Valerie’s debut picture book is called LET’S DANCE  and it’s illustrated by Maine Diaz. All told, there are less than 75 words in the main text, but with those selectively chosen verbs and adjectives Valerie leave a lot of space for the illustrator to bring the movement of dance to the page, and that’s exactly what happens. Valerie talks with us about growing up the only child in a house of seven adults. She shares her favorite dance, which is kuku in case you’re curious. And she shares how she’s only responsible for a third of the book (and talks lovingly on the other two thirds that helped to make this book what it is). You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Picture Book Summit Bookclub (Patreon) Li

Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw (@KosteckiShaw) shares PAPA BRINGS ME THE WORLD with a team of 5th grade student co-hosts. There’s a part in all of us that longs for opportunities granted with age, but for now held just-out-of-reach. In this story, Lulu’s dad is a photojournalist. His work takes him all over the world, but he always sends bits of his experiences home to his daughter in the form of these gifts. Lulu longs to travel with her papa, but for now these treasures must suffice. But what Lulu holds most closely in her heart are the stories in which her papa envelopes these items. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Bookclub (Patreon) Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message