Podcast interviews with author-illustrators
Listen to in-depth interviews about the joys and struggles of children’s book author-illustrators.
Find your favorite picture book author-illustrator below.
Sean Rubin – This Very Tree
Author-illustrator Sean Rubin shares his thoughts about trauma and resilience. Today’s featured book, THIS VERY TREE, is a profoundly moving story told from the point of view of the Callery pear tree that survived the attacks on September 11.
Marla Frazee – The Farmer and the Circus
Two-time Caldecott Honoree Marla Frazee talks about how making picture books help her through life’s challenges. Today’s featured book is her conclusion to the farmer trilogy, THE FARMER AND THE CIRCUS.
Paddy Donnelly – The Vanishing Lake
Today’s featured guest is children’s book author and illustrator Paddy Donelly. We also have a picturebooking message from author Elsa Anderson.
Jon Klassen – The Rock from the Sky
Caldecott Medal-winning children’s book author-illustrator Jon Klassen shares deadpan humor in his latest book, THE ROCK FROM THE SKY.
Annelouise Mahoney – A Very Brave Night
Children’s book author-illustrator Annelouise Mahoney shares her journey and debut picture book, JULIUS AND MACY: A VERY BRAVE NIGHT.
Alex Willan – Unicorns Are the Worst
Children’s book author-illustrator Alex Willan discusses the power of humor in storytelling, and his picture book UNICORNS ARE THE WORST.
Jane Smith – Hello, New House
Children’s book author-illustrator Jane Smith discusses embracing change and her picture book HELLO, NEW HOUSE.
Don Tate – William Still and His Freedom Stories
Children’s book author-illustrator Don Tate shows us how stories save lives with his book, WILLIAM STILL AND HIS FREEDOM STORIES: THE FATHER OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
Nicola Killen – The Little Kitten
Nicola Killen received an MA in children’s book illustration at Cambridge School of Art, and since then, she has been working on her books, including THE LITTLE REINDEER.
Aaron Becker – My Favorite Color
New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Aaron Becker discusses colors that inspire and his board book MY FAVORITE COLOR.
Jaime Zollars – The Truth About Dragons
Children’s book author-illustrator Jaime Zollars discusses writing for your illustrations and her picture book THE TRUTH ABOUT DRAGONS.
Sophie Blackall – If You Come To Earth
Two-time Caldecott winner author-illustrator Sophie Blackall discusses IF YOU COME TO EARTH, a glorious guide to our home planet and a call for us to take care of both Earth and each other.
Gaia Cornwall – Jabari Tries
Picture book author-illustrator Gaia Cornwall discusses JABARI TRIES.
Gaia Cornwall is an author-illustrator whose debut picture book, JABARI JUMPS, won several awards, including a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book and an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book.
JABARI TRIES is a book about the struggles of making and inventing. Jabari transforms his frustration into perseverance with the help of his family.
Christian Robinson
Christian Robinson is a picture book author and illustrator. He won a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for his art in LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET by Matt de la Peña. LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET also won the Newbery Medal.
Chris Eliopoulos
Christopher Eliopoulos is an author-illustrator who began his career as a letterer for Marvel. He is also the illustrator of the New York Times-bestselling Ordinary People Change the World series of picture book biographies. Eliopoulos has worked on thousands of stories in comics, picture books and now television.
Vanessa Roeder
Vanessa Roeder’s picturebooking podcast interview featuring THE BOX TURTLE. Roeder is a self-made artist turned author-illustrator, who finds inspiration and so much more in her Girllustrators, a close group of fellow children’s book creators. THE BOX TURTLE: A story about self-acceptance filled with heart and humor as a little turtle searches for his perfect shell.
Deborah Marcero
Author-illustrator | Featured book: IN A JAR
Jessica Hische
Renowned lettering artist and New York Times Bestseller | Featured book: TOMORROW I’LL BE KIND
Rob Polivka
Author, illustrator and cartoonist | Featured book: A DREAM OF FLIGHT: ALBERTO SANTOS-DUMONT’S RACE AROUND THE EIFFEL TOWER
Grant Snider
orthodontist, author and artist of comics and picture books. Featured Books: WHAT COLOR IS NIGHT; QUIET POWER: THE SECRET STRENGTHS OF INTROVERTS
Adam Rex
author-illustrator
New York Times bestseller
Featured Book: WHY?
Ashley Bryan
author-illustrators
Newbery Honoree
Coretta Scott King—Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award
Laura Ingalls Wilder Award
May Hill Arbuthnot lecturer
Coretta Scott King Award winner
Oliver Jeffers
OLIVER JEFFERS is an artist, storyteller, father, cartographer and part-time explorer. His work encompasses many forms, from picture books to portraiture, using a variety of media.
John Rocco
John Rocco is a Caldecott Honor winner who has made stories using all different mediums (including art directing for the film Shrek, and designing rides for Epcot).
Eliza Wheeler
Eliza Wheeler is an author and illustrator whose debut picture book MISS MAPLE’S SEEDS was an NYT bestseller.
LK James
LK James is an author, illustrator and designer living in Atlanta, GA. The Full House and The Empty House is her first children’s book.
Chris Robertson
Chris Robertson is an author and illustrator whose work I started noticing during the launch of Giraffes Ruin Everything in 2016. I find his illustrations energetic, fun and always serving the story. And I find Chris to be the same.
J.R. Krause
J.R. Krause is an award-winning animator of The Simpsons and Futurama. His other published picture books are Poco Loco and Happy Birthday, Poco Loco.
Michael Rex
Michael Rex is the creator of over thirty books for children, including the number one bestseller Goodnight Goon and the Fangbone! series.
Sophie Blackall
Sophie Blackall is an Australian artist and illustrator of children’s books based in Brooklyn, New York. She won the 2016 Caldecott Medal for Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear and the 2019 Medal for Hello Lighthouse.
Grace Lin
Grace Lin, a NY Times bestselling author-illustrator, won the Newbery Honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, the Theodor Geisel Honor for Ling and Ting, and a Caldecott Honor for A Big Mooncake for Little Star.
Liz Reed
Liz Reed is part of the husband-and-wife team behind “Cuddles and Rage,” a webcomic featuring dioramas and illustrations of anthropomorphic food and animals. Liz also does a bi-weekly podcast featuring creatives pursuing their passion call People I Think Are Cool.
Cale Atkinson
Cale Atkinson is an illustrator and animator living lakeside with his family in Kelowna, British Columbia. His work can be found in children’s books, animated shorts, television and games.
Ovi Nedelcu
Ovi Nedelcu is an author-Illustrator, visual development, character designer, and story artist.
The Bates
Juniper Bates was in sixth grade when she and her author-illustrator mom, Amy June Bates, came up with the idea for The Big Umbrella while sharing an umbrella in a rainstorm.
Katherine Roy
Katherine Roy is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books often focus on informational storytelling and science education.
Steven Weinberg
Steven Weinberg is an author-illustrator who makes kids books about mutants fixing climate change, chainsaws, beards, and dinosaurs. Basically all the fun stuff.
Dan Santat
Dan Santat is a prolific author and illustrator whose picture book The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend won the 2015 Caldecott Medal. He also created the Disney Channel animated series The Replacements.
Jon Burgerman
Jon Burgerman is the UK born, NYC based artist instigating improvisation and play through drawing and spectacle. He is a purveyor of doodles and is often credited and referenced as the leading figure in the popular ‘Doodle’ art style.
Rowboat Watkins
Rowboat Watkins was a recipient of the 2010 Sendak Fellowship, his book Rude Cakes was an Ezra Jack Keats Honor Book. Rowboat lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.
David Ezra Stein
David Ezra Stein is an author-illustrator whose previous books include LEAVES, winner of an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award and INTERRUPTING CHICKEN, a Caldecott Honor Book.
Gilbert Ford
Gilbert Ford is an award-winning author and illustrator of non-fiction picture books. He lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
Zachariah OHora
Zachariah OHora is the author-illustrator of the acclaimed books No Fits, Nilson!, My Cousin Momo, and The Not So Quiet Library, and the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller Wolfie the Bunny. He lives and works in Narberth, PA, with his wife and sons.
Corey R. Tabor
Corey R. Tabor is the author and illustrator of Fox and the Jumping Contest, Fox and the Bike Ride, Fox Is Late, and the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award–winning Fox the Tiger. Corey lives in Seattle with his wife and son and spends his time making pictures and stories.
Chris Haughton
Chris Haughton is an internationally-recognized author-illustrator. He was listed in Time magazine’s ‘DESIGN 100’ for the work he has been doing for fair trade clothing company People Tree.