MATTHEWCWINNER

Philip C. Stead, author illustrator most recently of Ideas Are All Around, stops by the podcast to talk about how he views inspiration, accidental bungling grace, and the beauty in the way polaroids look just a little bit off.

Mia Wenjen (@pragmaticmom) and Nat Iwata (@NatIwata) share SUMO JOE. SUMO JOE is a story told in rhyme about a boy and his friends upholding a centuries-old tradition considered through a modern lens. It’s the first picture book I’ve read that addresses the practice of sumo and it does so against challenges to gender restrictions while providing a historical context. I’m especially impressed with the economy of words at work here.

Isabel Quintero (@isabelinpieces) and Zeke Peña (@zpvisual) share MY PAPI HAS A MOTORCYCLE. The story is based on memories from Isabel’s childhood, but it’s also more than that. The story centers on Daisy, her father, and their nightly tradition of riding on Papi’s motorcycle through the neighborhood and town. We take in a lot as we ride along with Daisy and Papi. We see the construction site where Papi and his coworkers have labored all day.

Aaron Reynolds and Sara Varon, author and illustrator respectively of President Squid, stop by the podcast to talk about taking inspiration from a 5-year-old, the importance of having confidence in your brand when you’re a squid, and main characters committed to putting in 110%.

Kyle Lukoff (@Shekels_Library) is author of A STORYTELLING OF RAVENS and WHEN AIDAN BECAME A BROTHER, the latter of which was our focus in this conversation. WHEN AIDAN BECAME A BROTHER is about a trans boy who wants to make sure everything is just right for the arrival of his new sibling.

In this new miniseries of indefinite length, I invite my friends from the kidlit community to share what is giving them hope today. 

Fred Koehler, author illustrator of Super Jumbo, stops by the podcast to talk about striving to create a character that embodies every child everywhere, a period of time where he was redrawing his entire portfolio from one writing conference to the next, and the important understanding that kids have to make mistakes

J.J. Austrian and Mike Curato, the author and illustrator respectively of Worm Loves Worm, stop by the podcast to talk about Pants-of-the-Month, having conversations with children through children’s books, and the impact of two worms falling in love.

Rashin Kheiriyeh (@rashinkheiriyeh) is the illustrator most recently of THE BOOK TREE, authored by Paul Czajak, and STORY BOAT, authored by Kyo Maclear. Rashin is the illustrator or author-illustrator of over 70 books published around the world. Her voice as an illustrator is distinct and playful and her work has been celebrated the world over.

Keith Negley, author illustrator of Tough Guys (Have Feelings Too), stops by the podcast to talk about mixed-up emotions, picking five colors and sticking to them, and the memory of not wanting his son to see him cry.

Andrea Beaty (@andreabeaty) is the author of ROSIE REVERE, ENGINEER and its sequels as well as author of the QUESTIONEERS (@questioneerkids) chapter book series, all illustrated by David Roberts. Andrea shared much insight to how she crafts stories in rhyme and how, when searching for words, the right one is the right one. She also shares the idea of holding onto a dream for somebody else and how books help make room. Andrea’s newest picture book in the series will be SOFIA V

Susie Ghahremani is the author-illustrator of BALANCE THE BIRDS and STACK THE CATS. Susie’s books attempt to engage our youngest readers through simple shapes and eye-catching colors, exploring foundational skills such as balancing, counting, comparing, and predicting.

Author Mariana Llanos and illustrator Anna López Real join Matthew in conversation to share LUCA'S BRIDGE/El puente de Luca. LUCA’S BRIDGE is a border story. It is a family story. It is a story that centers on the universal language of emotion.

Charise Harper and Anna Raff, author and illustrator respectively of A Big Surprise for Little Card, stop by the podcast to talk about a rainbow of books, thinking with pictures, and the fact that when you come to a song in a book, you have to sing.

Dallas Hunt shares Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock. Awâsis is bringing some of her Kôhkum’s bannock to a relative but she accidentally drops the world-famous bannock off a bridge.

Julie Falatko and Tim Miller, author and illustrator respectively of Snappsy The Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book), stop by the podcast to talk about belligerent main characters, the biggest riddle in creating their debut picture book, and answers arrived through countless mistakes.

Theresa Thorn and Noah Grigni join to share IT FEELS GOOD TO BE YOURSELF: A BOOK ABOUT GENDER IDENTITY. There are more conversations about gender going on than perhaps ever before, but there are also lots and lots of adults and kids alike who are not quite sure exactly how to talk about gender.

Daniel Miyares, author illustrator of Float and illustrator most recently of Surf’s Up, stops by the podcast to talk about the third dimension of picture book making, a willingness to let kids discover, and scanning art before you ruin it.

Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and LeUyen Pham join to share their bestselling PRINCESS IN BLACK series. There’s a bit of a conference din hovering throughout the background of this recording, but there is also a whole lot of humor and a whole lot of heart.

Miranda Paul joins to share LITTLE LIBRARIES, BIG HEROES. With more than 75,000 registered Little Free Libraries (LFLs) in eighty-eight countries around the world, there is great chance you’ve passed an LFL in your neighborhood at some point. This simple idea designed to build and support community around reading provides no-cost access to books any time of day.