What Gives Torrey Maldonado Hope

More hope. From the kidlit community, to you.  

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. 31 - December 20, 2025

Torrey Maldonado, author of Just Right (Nancy Paulsen Books), illustrated by Teresa Martínez, shares what is giving him hope today: teaching kids how to find a just right book for them.

Listen along:

About the Book:  Just Right by Torrey Maldonado; Illustrated by Teresa Martínez. Published by Nancy Paulsen Books.

Award-winning novelist Torrey Maldonado’s heartwarming picture book debut celebrates loving caregivers and highlights the powerful impact they can have on the life of a child.

Toby’s mom always says there are people that make you feel just right. And while his dad can be hard to please, it’s a different story with his amazing uncle. Uncle showers Toby with smiles, hugs, and kind words, and his garage is like a second home to Toby—there’s even a chair with Toby’s name on it next to Uncle’s desk! Yes, Toby can always count on Uncle to step up and make him feel just right.

Transcript:

Torrey: "There's so many things that give me hope.

I'm so excited about Just Right, because the hope is that Just Right will make the world feel more just right.

Another hope of mine is for the 30 years that I've been teaching, a big wave has been teaching kid how to find their just right book. And I'm really excited that Just Right, my picture book, is gonna teach kids how to find their just right people and find their just right spaces.

So it gives me hope that kids are gonna do that.

I'm also very hopeful that more kids' moods will flip from down to up as a result of Just Right."