The Children's Book Review: Growing Readers Podcast

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze welcomes award-winning science author Melissa Stewart to discuss her latest picture book, From BAM to BURP: A Carbon Atom's Never-Ending Journey Through Space and Time and YOU. With over 200 science books for children under her belt, Melissa takes listeners on an extraordinary journey that begins with the Big Bang and ends with a third grader's breakfast burp—all while following a single carbon atom across billions of years. What started as a curious question from a third grader during a school visit became a cosmic adventure that connects kids to the larger natural processes of our universe. Melissa shares how she uses her background in biology and science journalism to spark wonder and curiosity in young readers, why she believes getting kids invested in nature is more important than ever, and how seeing ourselves as "just a speck in this gigantic universe" can actually inspire humility, gratitude, and environmental responsibility. Read the transcript on The Children's Book Review (coming soon). Highlights: From Shower to Page: How Melissa uses her morning routine and shower time as a creative problem-solving technique The Question That Started It All: The third grader's persistent curiosity that inspired a billion-year carbon journey Carbon Beyond Climate: Why this essential element deserves celebration, not just concern Finding Wonder Everywhere: Melissa's approach to staying curious, from tree holes to rail trails Connecting Cosmic to Personal: Why it's important for children to see themselves as part of larger natural processes The Publishing Timeline: How Melissa juggles writing new books while promoting ones that won't release for years Notable Quotes:"I always say that sort of the mission of my writing is to just make kids curious. And if one of my books can inspire a child to chase after a butterfly, to see where it's going, or look under a rock, then my job is done." —Melissa Stewart "We are just sort of like a speck in this gigantic universe... the more that they can kind of feel the sense of awe that we even exist. Like it's a coincidence... and to just really be humble and grateful about our existence." —Melissa Stewart "Carbon is sometimes a little bit maligned because of its role in climate change and global warming, but the carbon cycle is so critical to life on Earth. Life could not exist without it." —Melissa Stewart Books Mentioned: From BAM to BURP: A Carbon Atom's Never-Ending Journey Through Space and Time and YOU by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns: Amazon or Bookshop.org Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Rob Dunlavey: Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠ Meet the Mini Mammals: A Night at the Natural History Museum by Melissa Stewart: Amazon or Bookshop.org Monarch and Morning Cloak: A Butterfly Journal by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen: Amazon or Bookshop.org About Melissa Stewart:Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than two hundred science books for children. She holds degrees in biology and science journalism. Recent books include Summertime Sleepers: Animals That Estivate, Seashells: More Than a Home, Feathers: Not Just for Flying, and Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem. For more: melissa-stewart.com Credits:Host: Bianca SchulzeGuest: Melissa StewartProducer: Bianca Schulze

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze welcomes back author-illustrator Nyasha Williams, alongside her co-author Sidney Rose McCall, to discuss their collaborative picture book, Once Upon a Kwanzaa. Though the two have never met in person, they describe themselves as "deeply ancestral soul sisters" who connected through the adult adoption community online. Together, they explore how the seven principles of Kwanzaa—from Umoja (unity) to Imani (faith)—offer a pathway back to communal ways of being that our world desperately needs. Read the transcript on The Children's Book Review. Highlights: The Seven Principles Explained: Sidney walks through each Kwanzaa principle and how they apply to everyday life, not just one week a year Ten Families, One Vision: How Nyasha and Sidney intentionally represented diverse Black families, including adoptive families, queer families, and multigenerational households Everyday Kwanzaa: Why these principles of community, creativity, and collective responsibility are needed now more than ever Collaboration as Dance: The process of two writers creating magic through voice memos, memes, and ancestral downloads Visibility vs. True Representation: Nyasha's powerful distinction between simply being seen and being truly represented in literature Notable Quotes: "Literature and media has such an immense power in shaping our future, in shaping what can be, in imagining what's even possible." —Nyasha Williams "Community is not just about finding your safe people, but also finding people who you might not have initially considered your safe people." —Sidney Rose McCall "Empathy isn't a passive word. It requires active participation. It is a relationship that you are building." —Sidney Rose McCall Books Mentioned: Once Upon a Kwanzaa by Nyasha Williams and Sidney Rose McCall, illustrated by Sawyer Cloud: Amazon or Bookshop.org About Nyasha Williams: Nyasha Williams grew up living between the United States and South Africa. As a kindergarten teacher, she was inspired to become an author and activist after a Black student told her mermaids could not be Black. She is the author of four picture books with Running Press Kids, including the bestselling I Affirm Me, and is the author of RP Studio's Black Tarot. For more: nyashawilliams.online About Sidney Rose McCall: Sidney Rose McCall is a historian and community intellectual who combines academic work with activism. She serves on the Academic Committee for the ZORA! Festival of the Arts and Humanities and shares decolonized history lessons through her Patreon platform. For more: linktr.ee/Rosecolored_Scholar Credits: Host: Bianca Schulze Guests: Nyasha Williams and Sidney Rose McCall Producer: Bianca Schulze Episode Sponsor: Mimi and Ary by Rashad Mirzayev: Amazon or Bookshop.org

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze welcomes award-winning author-illustrator Grace Lin and her childhood friend turned editor, Alvina Ling, VP and Editor-in-Chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. The duo discusses Grace's return to middle grade fiction after nine years with The Gate, The Girl, and The Dragon, a stunning fantasy based on Chinese folklore. They explore the collaborative magic of their decades-long partnership, the balance between artistic vision and commercial publishing, the importance of creating diverse literature, and how patience and trust allow books to become exactly what they're meant to be. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review Highlights: The Nine-Year Wait: Why Grace stepped away from middle grade to focus on picture books and how The Gate, The Girl, and The Dragon came together piece by piece since 2016 The Shanghai Dragon Pillar: The urban legend that became a crucial puzzle piece—how construction workers appeased an angry dragon sleeping beneath a highway The Messy Middle: Why every book is a slog, even after 26 years of publishing, and how Grace and Alvina work through it together Publishing Beautiful Books: Behind the scenes of creating sprayed edges, gold foil, and full-color illustrations—and how the sales team championed the special treatment From Childhood Friends to Creative Partners: How Alvina and Grace's friendship since age 10 (captured in The Year of the Dog) shapes their editorial relationship Trying Your Best Makes You the Hero: Grace's philosophy of creating relatable characters who aren't "chosen ones" but ordinary kids earnestly doing the right thing Notable Quotes: "I wanted to make books that showed people how human Asians were...that Asians are just as human, just as part of the population as everyone else." —Grace Lin "I feel like the audience is just excited with whatever you want to do next." —Alvina Ling on Grace's ability to move between genres Books Mentioned: The Gate, The Girl, and The Dragon by Grace Lin: Amazon or Bookshop.org Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin: Amazon or Bookshop.org A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin: Amazon or Bookshop.org Chinese Menu by Grace Lin: Amazon or Bookshop.org The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin: Amazon or Bookshop.org Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin: Amazon or Bookshop.org When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin: Amazon or Bookshop.org About Grace Lin:Grace Lin is the award-winning and bestselling author and illustrator of Chinese Menu, When the Sea Turned to Silver, Starry River of the Sky, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (a Newbery Honor book), The Year of the Dog, The Year of the Rat, Dumpling Days, and Ling & Ting, as well as picture books such as The Ugly Vegetables, A Big Bed for Little Snow, and A Big Mooncake for Little Star. Grace is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and lives in Massachusetts. About Alvina Ling:Alvina Ling is VP and Editor-in-Chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (a division of Hachette Book Group) where she has worked since 1999. She edits children's books for all ages, from picture books to young adult. She has edited such books as A Big Mooncake For Little Star by Grace Lin; Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown; Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Bryan Collier; Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin; The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer; The Candymakers by Wendy Mass; Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor; and The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. Connect and Follow:Learn more about Grace Lin: https://www.gracelin.comFollow Alvina Ling on Twitter: @planetalvinaFollow Alvina Ling on Instagram: @alvinalingListen to Grace and Alvina's podcast: Book Friends Forever Credits: Host: Bianca Schulze Guests: Grace Lin and Alvina Ling Producer: Bianca Schulze Episode Sponsor: https://www.claudiamillsauthor.com/books/66

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze brings together two luminaries of children's literature: Kate DiCamillo and Sophie Blackall. The duo discusses their collaboration on Lost Evangeline, the third tale set in the magical world of Norendy. They explore the 15-year journey of bringing Evangeline's story to life, the intimate connection between words and illustrations, the therapeutic power of storytelling, and how creating children's books allows them to access their best selves while healing complicated relationships with their own parents. Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review. Highlights: The Long Creative Journey: How Kate carried the idea for Lost Evangeline for 15 years before finding the key—a shoemaker father and a boot—that unlocked the story The Pull vs. Push Philosophy: Kate's approach to coaxing stories out rather than forcing them, and the importance of not giving up on ideas that won't let you go Perfect Partnership: Why Sophie's secret love of seafaring made her the ideal illustrator for this story, even though Kate didn't know it when writing From Wheat to Bread: Sophie's powerful metaphor for the writing process as growing, threshing, and grinding wheat into flour before finally baking bread Whittling Down to Truth: How writing involves removing ingredients to create "clear soup" where the essence remains but readers can insert themselves into the space Black and White Magic: Sophie's meditative drawing process using hatching and line work Healing Through Story: Kate's revelation about how creating healthy father-daughter relationships in her work completes and heals parts of herself affected by complicated parental relationships Notable Quotes: "Don't ever let somebody tell you who you are and what you can do and who you can become in this world." —Kate DiCamillo on Evangeline's refusal to accept fate "With each story, I make myself more complete to the point where I can put a healthy father-daughter relationship in there that satisfies me." —Kate DiCamillo "It really feels like I'm living in the story when I'm spending time...and I do go into a little bit of a dreamy trance and then I look up several hours later and there's Evangeline on the page." —Sophie Blackall Books Mentioned: Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Sophie Blackall: Amazon or Bookshop.org The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Julie Morstad: Amazon or Bookshop.org The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Sophie Blackall: Amazon or Bookshop.org The Borrowers by Mary Norton: Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠ Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen: ⁠Amazon⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Bookshop.org About Kate DiCamillo:Kate DiCamillo is one of America's most beloved storytellers. She is a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and a two-time Newbery Medalist. Born in Philadelphia, she grew up in Florida and now lives in Minneapolis. About Sophie Blackall: Sophie Blackall is the acclaimed illustrator of more than forty-five books for young readers and a two-time Caldecott Medalist. Born and raised in Australia, she now lives in Brooklyn. Connect and Follow: Learn more about Kate DiCamillo: https://www.katedicamillo.comLearn more about Sophie Blackall: https://www.sophieblackall.com Credits: Host: Bianca Schulze Guests: Kate DiCamillo and Sophie Blackall Producer: Bianca Schulze