Messages of Hope: August 2025

Here at the Children’s Book Podcast, where we are purveyors of hope and in community with those cultivating hope for children of all ages. In this new miniseries of indefinite length, I invite my friends from the kidlit community to share what is giving them hope today. 

No matter where you are. No matter what’s going on around you. No matter what is pulling your attention or competing for space in your mind. May these next few minutes offer you rest, peace, and hope.

Hope Ep. 19 - August 2, 2025

Shana Keller, author of CeeCee: Underground Railroad Cinderella (Charlesbridge), illustrated by Laura Freeman, shares what is giving her hope today: dreaming. When our dreams speak to us in our darkest hour, they are louder than our fears.

Listen along:

About the Book: CeeCee: Underground Railroad Cinderella by Shana Keller; illustrated by Laura Freeman. Published by Charlesbridge.

A Cinderella retelling with a young enslaved girl in the title role. On a Maryland plantation, CeeCee’s story doesn’t end with a prince, but a different type of rescue.

By author-to-watch Shana Keller and illustrated by Coretta Scott King Honor and NAACP Image Award winner Laura Freeman, this classic fairy tale reimagined is one you won’t soon forget.

CeeCee is a young enslaved girl growing up alongside the two spoiled daughters she must work for on a plantation in Maryland. She takes care of them, catering to their every whim and suffering their casual cruelty. She learns to read by listening to their lessons and stories with the threat of punishment if caught.

CeeCee receives help from the caring cook, Binty, and hope comes in the form of a different kind of escape. CeeCee chances everything for the possibility of a new life.

While many are familiar with the traditional Cinderella story, this retelling is sure to empower and uplift a new generation of young readers.

Transcript:

Shana: "What is giving me hope today? Dreaming.

Hope, to me, is when our dreams speak to us. When, in our darkest hour, they are louder than our fears.

In those heavy moments, our dreams rise up and remind us that there's more ahead. That there's more waiting for us beyond our struggles.

Like CeeCee in Underground Railroad Cinderella, that hope, her dream, becomes a guide, a whisper of freedom and possibility when everything else seems lost.

Even when the world tries to silence us, our dreams keep speaking, reminding us of who we are and what we're made of.

That's the kind of hope that carries us forward."

For a full transcript, episode takeaways, quotes, and more, visit https://deepcast.fm/podcast/the-childrens-book-podcast

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Hope Ep. 20 - August 9, 2025

Merriam Sarcia Saunders, author of You Can Say Hi with Only a Smile (Magination Press), illustrated by Tracy Nishimura Bishop, shares what is giving her hope today: children are paying attention to each other. Not to the noise or the division, but each other.

Listen along:

About the Book: You Can Say Hi with Only a Smile by Merriam Sarcia Saunders; Illustrated by Tracy Nishimura Bishop. Published by Magination Press.

Some people say "Hey!" by using their words. They bellow loudly to greet you. But others say hi with only a smile to tell you they're so glad you're here.

There are so many ways that people communicate! And we probably have different styles than lots of our family and friends. Some love to run up and talk to new people right away; some prefer to hang back and let others approach them. Some look people right in the eye, and some prefer to focus somewhere else. Some people love to shake hands or hug, and others may prefer not to touch.

Every person is unique, and the ways we communicate are unique too. The way we talk to new people may be different from the way we talk to family and friends. Or maybe it even changes day to day! However we communicate, it's all okay. You can say hi however you want!

An uplifting and inclusive celebration of all the different ways that people might communicate, whether it's speaking, waving, signing, body language, device-assisted, or more. Includes a Note to Readers.

Transcript:

Merriam: "So, what brings me hope today is...

Although we are in a world where grownups are often yelling at each other across the aisle or the internet, children are paying attention to each other. Not to the noise of the division, but each other.

And in my book, 'You Can Say Hi With Only a Smile', I wanted to remind kids and, frankly, adults, that connection isn't only verbal.

I find hope in watching a shy child hand over a toy or maybe scoot closer on the reading rug to another child without saying a word.

It's these moments of attention that are unfiltered, they're genuine, and not usually noticed, but they carry a lot of weight. They say to another child, "I see you" or "We belong together."

And I think educators and librarians witness these moments every day. They are curating the very important spaces where empathy is practiced in real time.

And nowadays, as an author and especially as a parent, that gives me hope because while I see the world debating about what we should be teaching kids, the kids are already teaching each other and us about compassion."

For a full transcript, episode takeaways, quotes, and more, visit https://deepcast.fm/podcast/the-childrens-book-podcast

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Hope Ep. 21 - August 16, 2025

Kara M. Mitchell, author illustrator of Catching Kindness (Magination Press), shares what is giving her hope today: so many things. A new week with a new sketchbook. Libraries and new friends. Community and singing. Hugs that get us through the week.

Listen along:

About the Book: Catching Kindness by Kara M. Mitchell. Published by Magination Press.

Sometimes being kind requires a little more oomph.

This is especially true at the grocery store. Especially when the store's only car cart is already taken by a kid in a fancy cowboy outfit. Especially when it seems like everyone else at the store is in a bad mood too. But sometimes kindness can take you by surprise. Suddenly the kid with the car-cart yields his ride, and that small act changes everything.

If crankiness is catching, kindness can be just as infectious. As one child shows kindness to others, he watches how his kindness spreads and grows throughout the store, from the bread aisle all the way to the healthy cereal, with one kindness leading to another and another. It's like blowing on a dandelion and watching the seeds go everywhere.

And just when he needs it most, all that kindness the child has been sharing might find its way back to him.

This playful picture book debut explores how far a thoughtful and selfless gesture can go. It's the perfect way to start a conversation with readers about the importance of kindness.

Transcript:

Kate: "Mondays are hopeful because the week feels fresh and clean. Last Monday I woke up excited to dive into a new sketchbook. A new week with a new sketchbook gives me hope.

I went to the library on Tuesday, where an older gentleman with a cane opened the door for me. We shared a laugh over the crazy weather, and for a few minutes, we were the best of friends. Libraries and new friends give me hope.

Every Wednesday night, I get to go to choir practice. Folks all over the community come together to catch up, remember others who need our thoughts and prayers, and raise our volunteer voices for something bigger than us. Community and singing give me hope.

Thursday mornings, I walk with my friend around our neighborhood. I point out different birds we see while we talk about what’s going on in the world. Birds and having a close friend to share life with give me hope.

One Friday, I visited a first-grade class to talk about how to keep a sketchbook. One boy had an amazing story idea about an ice cream cone who runs away. New ideas and first graders always give me hope.

We went to the Farmer’s Market on Saturday, where some witty folks were selling barbecue and giving out samples—everyone who came by their booth left with a smile and some smoked chicken sausage. People who infect the world with their joy give me hope.

On Sundays at church, the choir sings the song we practiced on Wednesday. It’s hugs all around on Sunday mornings, and hugging is my very favorite. Hugs that carry me through the week give me hope.

And then I get to start all over again with a new, hopeful Monday!"

For a full transcript, episode takeaways, quotes, and more, visit https://deepcast.fm/podcast/the-childrens-book-podcast

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Hope Ep. 22 - August 23, 2025

Claire A. B. Freeland, co-author of Making Sense of Your Senses: How Your Brain Perceives the World (Magination Press), with Jacqueline B. Toner and illustrated by Katarina Gasko, shares what is giving her hope today: communities working together to make a difference.

Listen along:

About the Book: Making Sense of Your Senses: How Your Brain Perceives the World by Claire A B Freeland and Jacqueline B Toner; Illustrated by Katarina Gasko. Published by Magination Press.

Go beyond your senses in this playful picture book and explore the science behind how you make sense of the world around you.

Ever wonder how you can guess with just a whiff what your dad is making in the kitchen? Or why you don't notice your refrigerator running in the next room? That's your brilliant brain at work! Your smartest organ tells you what your senses are sensing―without you even trying! It uses what you already know and your memories to understand all that you hear, see, smell, taste, and touch.

In this book, you'll discover how your body picks up clues from your environment and how your nervous system turns all those observations into messages for your brain to interpret and fill in the blanks―all at lightning speed―to form your perception. Kid-friendly text from two expert psychologists along with cheerful art provides an in-depth look at how it all comes together. You'll see just how important your brain is to the senses! Amusing sidebars and hands-on activities encourage readers to learn more.

Transcript:

Claire: "This book brings a bit of the science of psychology to young children. We show how people can experience the same senses and yet have different perceptions.

Each brain is different, so that's why I love that different people are answering the question, what is giving you hope today? Different people, different brains, different perceptions. What is giving me hope today? I wanna start with a quote from Anne Frank, who lived in a very dark time. Indeed, she said, where there's hope, there's life.

It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again. I see hope as motivating action, doing things to make the world a better place. I am part of communities that are working together to make a difference. I find this work inspiring for its sense of purpose. Hope grows in community even if the present is troubling.

The future is wide open. As a psychologist, I am an agent of hope. As a writer, I use creativity to bring stories and knowledge, the tools of hope. Hope is not simply a wish. It's a mindset, and it's active. Please join me in taking steps for a better future."

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Hope Ep. 23 - August 30, 2025

Ruth Spiro, author of How to Explain Climate Science to a Grown-Up (Charlesbridge), illustrated by Teresa Martinez, shares what is giving her hope today: looking around her community, finding a project that’s meaningful, and getting to work.

Listen along:

About the Book: How to Explain Climate Science to a Grown-Up by Ruth Spiro; Illustrated by Terese Martinez. Published by Charlesbridge.

The best-selling author of the Baby Loves Science series levels up with this playful STEM picture book introducing kids (and grown-ups) to climate science.

Do you want to know a secret? Sometimes grown-ups need YOU to explain things to THEM. Like climate science!

In this tongue-in-cheek guide, an in-the-know narrator instructs kid readers in the fine art of explaining climate science to a grown-up. Both children and their adults learn:

• The difference between weather and climate.

• How climate scientists collect data.

• What causes climate change.

• What we can do to reverse course and repair the planet.

Fun and fact-filled, the How to Explain Science to a Grown-Up series will empower kid experts to explore complex scientific concepts with any grown-up who will listen.

Transcript:

Ruth: "My goal is to provide information for kids that promotes climate literacy while minimizing climate anxiety because we're all seeing the effects of climate change, and too many of us have experienced it firsthand.

Clearly we have reason to be concerned, but I've also discovered reason for hope and that hope comes from the many people I've met working toward climate solutions. In my research while writing the book, and now my ongoing learning to stay current on the topic, I've met leaders in business, government and community settings, and the good news.

That we may not be hearing enough about is that so much work is being done at the local level. There are governors, mayors, and community leaders supporting programs that are making a real impact. This is how change happens. Neighbors talking to neighbors, problem solving, getting involved in local initiatives, and together creating the change they want to see.

Look around your own community. Find a project that's meaningful to you and get to work. I promise you'll feel hopeful too."

Be well. Read on. And don’t lose hope.