Podcast interviews with authors and illustrators
Listen to in-depth interviews about the joys and struggles of children’s book authors and illustrators.
Search for your favorite picture book people below.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Helena Ku Rhee
Helena Ku Rhee’s picturebooking podcast interview featuring THE PAPER KINGDOM. Ku Rhee is an author based in Los Angeles. She draws story ideas from her travels as well as her childhood. THE PAPER KINGDOM (illustrated by Pascal Campion) is a story based off of a difficult time made magical by her parents.
Annie Barrows
Annie Barrows – John Marco & Iggy picturebooking 138 | author episode | hosted by Nick Patton | March 4, 2020 Picturebooking Newsletter Apple Podcast ReviewsAnnie Barrows | author Annie Barrows is a New York Times bestselling author, best known for the Ivy...
Anika Denise
Anika Aldamuy Denise writes stories that tickle her funny bone, tug her heartstrings, feed her curiosity, and celebrate her bicultural Puerto Rican-Italian heritage.
Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Clinton is the picture book author of the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World and She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History.
Aaron Reynolds
Aaron Reynolds is a New York Times best-selling author and has written many highly acclaimed books for kids, including DUDE!, Creepy Pair of Underwear, Caveboy Dave, and the Caldecott Honor-winning Creepy Carrots.
Ebony Glenn
Ebony Glenn is an Atlanta based illustrator who enjoys bringing stories to life with whimsical imagery.
Holly Hatam
Holly Hatam is an illustrator whose art always makes me smile and whose books inspire me. She lives in Whitby, Ontario.
Stevie Lewis
Stevie Lewis is an illustrator who has been living on the road in a van (she mostly built out herself!) for the past three years, furthering her passion art and the outdoors.
Catia Chien
Catia Chien is an award-winning children’s book illustrator from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is currently working in New York City. She graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California in 2004.
Vanessa Brantley Newton
Vanessa Brantley Newton is a diversity expert and storyteller whose illustrated many books for young readers, including Mary Had a Little Glam.
Why Books?
32 authors and illustrators come back on the show to answer the question … Why picture books are important?
Our Story Begins
26 award winning authors and illustrators share things they wrote and drew as kids in the inspirational book, OUR STORY BEGINS.
Classics
Bruce Handy is currently a contributing editor of Vanity Fair. A former writer and editor at Spy and Time, his articles, essays, reviews, and humor pieces have appeared in such publications as The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, New York magazine, Rolling Stone, Vogue, The Village Voice, and The New Yorker.
Self-publishing
Mike & Jonathan Sundy teach us about self-publishing children’s picture books and transitioning from traditional jobs to self-employed creatives.
Struggles
13 authors and illustrators tell us what they find as the most painful thing about the picture book industry. It’s some honest picturebooking therapy. Take a listen and I’m sure you’ll be inspired to continue creating despite the struggles.
LATEST PODCAST GUESTS
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.
Simran Jeet Singh – Fauja Singh Keeps Going
Simran Jeet Singh is an educator, writer, activist, and scholar who regularly speaks on issues of diversity, inclusion and equity.
FAUJA SINGH KEEPS GOING is the true story about the man who broke world records to become the first one-hundred-year-old to run a marathon. The book shares valuable lessons on the source of his grit, determination to overcome obstacles, and commitment to the Sikh community’s positive representation.
Josh Funk – Short & Sweet
Josh Funk is the children’s book author behind several successful book series, including Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, How to Code, It’s NOT a Fairy Tale and Patience & Fortitude.
Jess X. Snow
Jess X. Snow is a Chinese-Canadian film director, cinematographer, public artist, illustrator, and poet currently based in Brooklyn, NY. Jess is working to build a future where migrants and people of color see themselves as heroes on the big screen, city walls, and pages of children’s books.
Valerie Bolling
Valerie Bolling is an author and educator who wants children of all backgrounds to see themselves in stories.
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow is an educator, anti-racism activist, and children’s book author. Her stories feature young Black Muslim protagonists.
Claire Annette Noland
Claire Annette Noland is an author, children’s librarian, and reading specialist. She is has written easy readers, board books, and picture books for young children.
Ian Lendler
Ian Lendler is a journalist and award-winning author of picture books, non-fiction, and graphic novels.
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.
Danielle Dufayet
Danielle Dufayet is a picture book author who teaches English and public speaking/self-empowerment classes. She is also an artist who works in stained glass and oil, along with acrylic paint.
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.
Helena Ku Rhee
Helena Ku Rhee’s picturebooking podcast interview featuring THE PAPER KINGDOM. Ku Rhee is an author based in Los Angeles. She draws story ideas from her travels as well as her childhood. THE PAPER KINGDOM (illustrated by Pascal Campion) is a story based off of a difficult time made magical by her parents.
Annie Barrows
Annie Barrows – John Marco & Iggy picturebooking 138 | author episode | hosted by Nick Patton | March 4, 2020 Picturebooking Newsletter Apple Podcast ReviewsAnnie Barrows | author Annie Barrows is a New York Times bestselling author, best known for the Ivy...
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.
Barb Rosenstock
Author of nonfiction and historical fiction | Featured book: IT TO ABIGAIL
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
Parker Curry
Four-year-old picture book author of a New York Times bestseller
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.
Anika Denise
Anika Aldamuy Denise writes stories that tickle her funny bone, tug her heartstrings, feed her curiosity, and celebrate her bicultural Puerto Rican-Italian heritage.
Ebony Glenn
Ebony Glenn is an Atlanta based illustrator who enjoys bringing stories to life with whimsical imagery.
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).
Ella Okstad
Ella Okstad is a Norwegian illustrator whose invisible cats, silly monsters and hidden unicorns have traveled the world.
Eliza Wheeler
Eliza Wheeler is an author and illustrator whose debut picture book MISS MAPLE’S SEEDS was an NYT bestseller.
Holly Hatam
Holly Hatam is an illustrator whose art always makes me smile and whose books inspire me. She lives in Whitby, Ontario.
Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Clinton is the picture book author of the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World and She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History.
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.
Zanni Louise
Zanni Louise is an Australian author whose been twice listed in the CBCA Notables, and her picture book Archie and the Bear was selected for the prestigious international children’s catalogue: The White Ravens.
Tim McCanna
Tim McCanna has been an actor, musician, musical theatre writer, graphic designer and dad. Now, he is combining all those experiences into being a writer for children.
Ruth Spiro
Ruth Spiro is the author of the best-selling Baby Loves Science series. She speaks regularly at STEM and early-childhood conferences across the country.
Joe Bluhm
Joe Bluhm is an artist, designer, writer, and director who has illustrated a New York Times-bestselling picture book.
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.
Stevie Lewis
Stevie Lewis is an illustrator who has been living on the road in a van (she mostly built out herself!) for the past three years, furthering her passion art and the outdoors.
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.
Joe Sutphin
Joe Sutphin illustrated the NY Times Bestselling novel Word of Mouse by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein, Dr. Critchlore’s School for Minions by Sheila Grau and Raffie On The Run by Jacqueline Resnick.
Why Books?
32 authors and illustrators come back on the show to answer the question … Why picture books are important?
Mentors
Mentors play a huge role in any successful book, career or life. So I’ve asked a five authors and illustrators to tell us a story of a mentor who has help them along their path.
Ovi Nedelcu
Ovi Nedelcu is an author-Illustrator, visual development, character designer, and story artist.
Apr. ’18 Books
A collection of six spring books from 2018.
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.
Weyant & Gehl
Author Laura Gehl and the illustrated Christopher Weyant talk about their book My Pillow Keeps Moving.
Friendship
Three books that have a friendship theme.
Christmas Books
Three books to add to your Christmas holiday collection.
Our Story Begins
26 award winning authors and illustrators share things they wrote and drew as kids in the inspirational book, OUR STORY BEGINS.
Katherine Roy
Katherine Roy is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books often focus on informational storytelling and science education.
Patrick Wensink
Patrick Wensink is a bestselling author of five books for grownups and now he shifts gears into children’s literature with his picture book GO GO GORILLAS, illustrated by Nate Wragg.
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.
Classics
Bruce Handy is currently a contributing editor of Vanity Fair. A former writer and editor at Spy and Time, his articles, essays, reviews, and humor pieces have appeared in such publications as The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, New York magazine, Rolling Stone, Vogue, The Village Voice, and The New Yorker.
Aaron Reynolds
Aaron Reynolds is a New York Times best-selling author and has written many highly acclaimed books for kids, including DUDE!, Creepy Pair of Underwear, Caveboy Dave, and the Caldecott Honor-winning Creepy Carrots.
Self-publishing
Mike & Jonathan Sundy teach us about self-publishing children’s picture books and transitioning from traditional jobs to self-employed creatives.
Struggles
13 authors and illustrators tell us what they find as the most painful thing about the picture book industry. It’s some honest picturebooking therapy. Take a listen and I’m sure you’ll be inspired to continue creating despite the struggles.
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.
Julia Donaldson
Julia Donaldson is a writer, playwright and performer, and the 2011–2013 Children’s Laureate. She is best known for her popular rhyming stories for children, especially those illustrated by Axel Scheffler, which include The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and Stick Man.
L.J.R. Kelly
L.J.R. Kelly is the grandson of Roald Dahl and a picture book author. He studied at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland and at Dartmouth College in the United States.
Catia Chien
Catia Chien is an award-winning children’s book illustrator from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is currently working in New York City. She graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California in 2004.
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.
Jonah Winter
Jonah Winter is the award-winning author of non-fiction picture books including New York Times Best Illustrated Books, Diego and Here Comes the Garbage Barge!, and the highly acclaimed Frida and Dizzy.
Gilbert Ford
Gilbert Ford is an award-winning author and illustrator of non-fiction picture books. He lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
Vanessa Brantley Newton
Vanessa Brantley Newton is a diversity expert and storyteller whose illustrated many books for young readers, including Mary Had a Little Glam.
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.
Best of 2016
This episode features a countdown of the top-5 most listened to picturebooking interviews of 2016. Plus I announce my favorite book featured on the show this year.
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.