MATTHEWCWINNER

Ed Vere, author illustrator most recently of Max the Brave, which is published by Sourcebooks, stops by to talk about storytelling with a jazz trio, a stubborn and tenacious cat, and how it's all in the eyes.

Nikki Grimes shares ORDINARY HAZARDS, a memoir in verse that has not only garnered six starred reviews on top of being named a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, and a Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book, but it is also without question one of the most beautiful, heart-breaking and heart-mending audiobooks I have ever heard. For those familiar with Grimes’ body of work, you will find through lines throughout pointing back to childhood trauma, family separation, and yearning

Weshoyot Alvitre shares AT THE MOUNTAIN’S BASE, a poetic story written by Traci Sorell and illustrated by Weshoyot about a family nervously awaiting the return of a family member serving in WWII. This is a story where you notice the silence. The large illustrations and colorful thread framing and connecting the art draw eyes to the hands and faces we meet in a cabin at the base of a mountain, but the waiting and the working in silence builds such terrific tension.

Lizi Boyd, author illustrator of Big Bear, Little Chair, which is published by Chronicle Books, returns to the podcast to talk about unexpected opposites, the way a good editor knows how to mine the good stuff out of you and your work, and the value of acknowledging you just need to "go and draw sheep."

Jyoti Rajan Gopal, author of Over in the Mangroves (Orchard Books), illustrated by Dikshaa Pawaskar, joins Matthew to talk about a place so magical and so important.

Helena Ku Rhee shares THE PAPER KINGDOM, a new picture book illustrated by Pascal Campion. In our conversation Helena talks about the invisible people of our society or, rather, those that we have a tendency to make invisible. Helena’s parents were night janitors, much like the parents in THE PAPER KINGDOM, and Helena recounts stories of going into work late at night with her parents and the fantastical stories they would make up about the people who worked in the offices dur

Mike Curato, author illustrator of Little Elliot, Big Family, which is published by Henry Holt and Company, returns to the podcast to talk about setting a story in a time predating modern technology, seeing your character come to life with the help of Merrymakers, and celebrating the family that you have and the families that you make.

Dashka Slater and The Fan Brothers author and illustrators respectively of The Antlered Ship, stop by the podcast to talk about the spirit of asking questions, a thread of melancholy, and how sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.

Susan Hood, author of Shaking Thing Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World, stops by the podcast to talk about standing up, speaking out, and opening up the conversation to other women by commemorating in poetry the lives and accomplishments of a selection of historically impactful girls and young women.

Rebecca Lee Kunz, illustrator of Chooch Helped (Levine Querido), written by Andrea L. Rogers, joins Matthew to talk about the importance of taking time to learn, to explore, and to discover.

Rob Sanders, author of Book Comes Home: A Banned Book’s Journey (Random House Books for Young Readers), illustrated by Micah  Player, joins Matthew to talk about the final stage of publication: readers.

Matt de la Peña and Loren Long, author and illustrator of Home (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers), join Matthew to talk about encountering diversity and exploring alongside the reader.

Weshoyot Alvitre, author and illustrator of Brave (Kokila), joins Matthew to talk about a space to play and the cyclical nature of life.

Sara Andrea Fajardo, author of Crack Goes the Cascarón and Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa joins Matthew.

Shawn Harris, author of Let’s Be Bees, joins Matthew to talk about making books with everything you need to put on a good show.

Veera Hiranandani joins Matthew to talk about feeling complex things and learning how not to get stuck in those feelings.