Imagining Yoko Ono: Lisa Tolin on Bringing a Misunderstood Artist to Young Readers

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca
Schulze interviews author Lisa Tolin about her picture book
biography Can You Imagine?: The Art and Life of Yoko Ono. They
discuss Tolin's creative process, her admiration for Yoko Ono's
resilience and artistry, and how she approached introducing
conceptual art to young readers.





Transcription: You can read the transcription on
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Children's Book Review⁠⁠⁠





Highlights:



Finding Balance: Tolin discusses juggling her
full-time job, motherhood, and writing books


The Reading-Writing Connection: Thoughts on
why writers must first be readers


Meeting Yoko: How interviewing Yoko Ono
changed Tolin's perception of her


Misunderstandings: Common misconceptions about
Yoko Ono that the book addresses


Artistic Vision: Collaborating with
illustrator Yas Imamura to bring Yoko's story to life


Handling Difficult Topics: Approaching themes
of war and John Lennon's death for young readers


Conceptual Art: Making abstract artistic
concepts accessible to children


Peace and Imagination: Why Yoko's message
remains relevant for today's children






Notable Quotes:


"I think it's really important to not just read, but read
widely and currently." —Lisa Tolin on becoming a writer

"The instant I met her, I just knew she had been fully
misunderstood." —Lisa Tolin on Yoko Ono

"She talked about being a small pebble person... if you have
a small pebble, you can see it ripple out and understand that
you're making a difference." —Lisa Tolin on Yoko's philosophy

"I wasn't like because children everywhere are demanding this
book... it was because it interested me and I think that comes
across in writing." —Lisa Tolin on writing about Yoko Ono






Books Mentioned:


Can You Imagine?: The Art and Life of Yoko Ono by Lisa Tolin,
illustrated by Yas Imamura: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠

How to Be a Rockstar by Lisa Tolin: ⁠Amazon⁠ or
⁠Bookshop.org⁠






About Lisa Tolin: Lisa Tolin is a journalist and
editor who has covered arts and entertainment, lifestyle, health,
and breaking news for major news organizations. Her years as a
journalist gave her the opportunity to interview Yoko Ono in her
home. Lisa lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and two
sons.





Connect and Follow:


Learn more about Lisa Tolin at ⁠LisaTolin.com⁠

Visit ⁠The Children's Book Review⁠ website for more episodes






Credits:


Host: Bianca Schulze

Guest: Lisa Tolin

Producer: Bianca Schulze






The Growing Readers Podcast celebrates children's literature and
its power to inspire a lifelong love of reading.


Keywords: Lisa Tolin, Growing Readers podcast, Yoko Ono, picture
book biography, children's literature, conceptual art,
imagination, peace activism, Yas Imamura, illustration, creative
process, motherhood, writing life, Beatles, John Lennon,
children's books, artist biography