Explore every episode of the podcast New Books in Children's Literature

In this, our second interview, I talk to celebrated author-illustrator Yevgenia Nayberg about her brand new book (April 14!), Another Tongue, published by Neal Porter Books. We discuss dual languages, both from the point of view of her journey from Russian to English which is recounted in the book, but also in the context of the two other languages that she masters, i.e., text and illustration. We also discuss another new book of hers:Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters: A Graphic Memoir, published just three months ago, also by Neal Porter Books. Yevgenia shares her creative process, her upcoming book and advice for aspiring authors and illustrators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stacy Innerst is a renowned children’s book artist and painter. His picture books have received a host of starred reviews and have been honored with the Sydney Taylor Book Award (for The Book Rescuer), the New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books Award (Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case of RBG Vs. Inequality) and the SCBWI Golden Kite for Picture Book Illustration (The Music in George’s Head.). In tour wonderful conversation, we celebrate his new book, Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alivewritten by Erin Frankel (Author), artwork by Stacy Innerst which launched with Caulkins Creek in April, 2026. We discuss Stacy's love for drawing, his metamorphosis from magazine illustrator to children's book artist (with an emphasis on artist), and how his deep love for history and music infuses his work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's not every day that I get to interview an author (John Masiulionis) who has written a picture book entitled Walking Each Other Home – Zachary’s Mission: A Hospice for Children (illustrations by Roksana Barwinska) on such a difficult and challenging theme: a child named Zachary who is dying from cancer. Zachary's mission of building a hospice for children before he dies aligns with John's own mission of building a children's hospice in San Diego. In our heart-to-heart talk, we discuss much more - John's successful videocast program (The Children's Books Spotlight Series - II was just interviewed by him) and his own experiences, inspirations, revalations and illness that led him to write his book and seek to help other children's authors on their journey. We also discuss the dilemma of children's authors in choosing between self-publishing and seeking an agent and the traditional publishing route. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this wonderfully candid conversation with children's book author Rebecca Gardyn Levington, we celebrate her new book Afikoman, Where'd You Go?: A Passover Hide-and-Seek Adventure from Rocky Pond Books (2024) and illustrated by Noa Kelner. This is her third published picture book (her previous books are Brainstorm! and Whatever Comes Tomorrow), with six additional rhyming picture books forthcoming. Her poetry and articles have appeared in various anthologies, newspapers, and magazines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Victoria Selvaggio, books have always played an important role in her life. From an early age, she could easily be found reading in a corner with stacks of books or the opposite, crafting her own. Victoria was introduced to SCBWI (The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). Once again, she was hooked! Like all passions, Victoria immersed herself in all things publishing. She volunteered for her local SCBWI chapter and subsequently became a Regional Advisor, a role that also empowered her and provided a new path of becoming a literary agent. After interning for The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency, she joined the agency in 2013 as an associate agent and subsequently joined the Storm Literary Agency as agent, and then as owner in 2022. Her list features both debut and award-winning authors. She represents all age categories and all genres except Erotica Romance. Currently, she is closed to submissions but does plan to open for a limited time in 2024 (Victoria does accept and opens for submissions as a presenter at conferences). In our discussion, we talk about how she managed to combine her business acumen with her love for books and the publishing industry, and her advice for authors seeking to become traditionally published. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Betsy Bird is the Collection Development Manager of Evanston Public Library and the former Youth Materials Specialist of New York Public Library. She writes for the School Library Journal blog A Fuse #8 Production and reviews for Kirkus. She is the host of the Story Seeds podcast as well as the co-host of the Fuse 8 n' Kate podcast that she creates with her sister. Betsy is the author of nonfiction, picture books, anthologies, and the historical middle grade novel Long Road to the Circus (Knopf, 2021), illustrated by David Small. Her new picture book Pop Goes the Nursery Rhyme is out Fall 2024. You can follow Betsy @fusenumber8 on Instagram, Threads and TikTok or @fuse8.bsky.social on BlueSky. In our animated conversation, we talk about what makes a great picture book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I speak to the wonderful literary agent Leslie Zampetti, who recently launched her own agency, Open Book Literary. A former librarian in special, public, and school libraries, Leslie’s focus is on the right book at the right time for the reader. We talk about her 'chocolate box' experiences as a champion of great children's stories. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 260,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Miriam Halahmy has published 9 novels for children and teens. Her new book A Boy from Baghdad (Green Bean Books, 2024), tells the story for children the first time in English, of the exile of the Iraqi Jewish community 1949-1951 to Israel and their subsequent difficulties in the Promised Land. The book was inspired by Miriam's husband's family who are all Babylonian Jews born in Baghdad. About the book:  It's 1951, and twelve-year-old Salman Shasha is happy with his life in Baghdad. But trouble is brewing. Salman and his family are Iraqi Jews and their government has been turning against their community for years. Things become so dangerous that the whole family are forced to leave Iraq for Israel, the "Promised Land". Once they arrive, however, they realize that things are not what they dreamed they would be. Taken to a refugee camp, the Shasha family try to make the best of their situation. But the dominant group in the country - the Ashkenazi Jews - look down on families like Salman's and treat them horribly. Salman decides to focus on his greatest passion, swimming, and beating his rivals in a race. Facing taunts from his bullying peers, Salman feels defeated, but he soon realizes that with hard work and determination anything is possible. An inspiring, atmospheric tale about the power of perseverance, friendship and family in the face of hardship, hatred and change, A Boy From Baghdad is an important story of diversity in the modern world. Essential reading for any child 8 years and over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Louise Lareau is the award-winning Managing Librarian at The New York Public Library and currently leads the Children’s Center team at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library. She calls herself a 'book detective. We talk about makes a great picture book, differences among cultures and languages, the role of the library in bringing books to the children of their community, and how silliness, and theatricality prevail! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this fun interview, we celebrate Renée M. LaTulippe's wonderful poem picture book The Crab Ballet (Cameron Kids/Abrams, 2022) and talk about her career and thoughts about children's literature, the importance of poetry in lyrical writing, her love for theater, and advice for aspiring authors.  Renée's upcoming book is Limelight: Theater Poems to Perform (Charlesbridge, 2025). She also has poems published in many anthologies including the upcoming No World Too Big (Charlesbridge, 2023) as well as Night Wishes and School People (ed. Lee Bennett Hopkins), National Geographic’s The Poetry of US and NatGeo’s Book of Nature Poetry (ed. J. Patrick Lewis), One Minute Till Bedtime (ed. Kenn Nesbitt), Poems Are Teachers (ed. Amy Ludwig VanDerwater), ThankU: Poems of Gratitude (ed. Miranda Paul), A World Full of Poems (ed. Sylvia Vardell), several editions of The Poetry Friday Anthology books (ed. Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong), nine award-winning leveled educational readers (Moonbeam Children’s Books Silver Award, Mom’s Choice Gold Awards), a collection of poetry titled Lizard Lou: a collection of rhymes old and new (Moonbeam Children’s Books Silver Award for poetry), and the workbook All About Homophones (Finalist, IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards) for All About Learning Press, where she is also the editor. Renée developed and teaches the online course The Lyrical Language Lab, provides free lessons and Peek & Critique sessions for children’s writers on her YouTube channel, and blogs on children’s poetry at NoWaterRiver.com. She earned her BFA in acting/directing from Marymount Manhattan College and her MA in English Education from NYU; worked and played in the theater for almost two decades; and taught English, theater arts, and public speaking in NYC. Originally from upstate New York, she lives by the sea in Italy with her family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Isabel Estrada, Ph.D., is an author and speaker with an extensive background in music and education. Today we celebrate her recently-published picture own-voices book, La Mariachi (Sleeping Bear Press, 2023), and talk about rerouting her original hope of becoming an opera singer to her dream-come-true publishing journey. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 260,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlotte Offsay was born in England, grew up in Boston, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. In our conversation, we celebrate her new picture book Challah Day, illustrated by Jason Kirschner (Holiday House, 2023) and talk about her author journey and advice for aspiring picture book writers. Charlotte is also the author of Eight Sweet Nights, A Festival of Lights, illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2024), The Quiet Forest, illustrated by Abi Cushman (SSBFYR/Paula Wiseman Books, 2024), A Grandma’s Magic, illustrated by Asa Gilland (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2022), The Big Beach Cleanup, illustrated by Kate Rewse (Albert Whitman, 2021), and How to Return a Monster, illustrated by Rea Zhai (Beaming Books, 2021). Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 260,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lita Judge is the award-winning author and illustrator of three dozen children’s books (!) including Flight School, Penguin Flies Home, Red Sled, Red Hat, Good Morning to Me!, Born in the Wild, Even the Smallest Will Grow, When You Need Wings, as well as her much celebrated, illustrated young adult novel, Mary’s Monster. In our conversation, we celebrate her new picture book, Don't Worry, Wuddles (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023) and also discuss another recent children's book from this year, Dogs: A History of Our Best Friends which launched on April 18, 2023 from Harry N. Abrams. Lita talks about her personal journey from a small island in Alaska to her highly successful career as an author and illustrator. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 260,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scholars are only beginning to consider the corpus of nearly one thousand extant books, as well as several periodicals, that constitute the Yiddish children’s literature of the 20th century. However, this body of work was important in both shaping and reflecting key aspects of the modern Jewish experience. We will explore what it means to limn the contours of a canon of Yiddish kidlit and discuss the unique vantage point that studying children’s literature and culture affords with respect to the rest of modern Jewish civilization. This lecture originally took place on July 2, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this, our second interview, I talk with award-winning children's author Tara Lazar about her new picture book, Flat Cat (Flamingo Books, 2023), illustrated by the also-illustrious Pete Oswald. We talk about where ideas come from, and the process by which the finished text leaves the author's hands and becomes an illustrated picture book. We also discuss her fabulous children's (everyone's, actually) dictionary of absurd words, published last year, and her Storystorm project in which thousands of writers come up with thirty ideas for new stories each January. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Zablotsky is the Managing Director of PJ Library, a philanthropy that donates millions of books on Jewish themes to children around the world every year. We talk about the confluence of Jewish and universal themes, the similarities and differences between PJ Library and its Israeli sister, Sifriat Pajama, which shares hundreds of thousands of picture books in Arabic, as well as in Hebrew, the process by which books are chosen, and the importance of sharing books on Jewish themes with non-Jewish families who wish to hear more about Jewish culture and values.PJ Library has its own publishing arm and welcomes submissions according to its guidelines. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 260,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Unter has worked in many aspects of the publishing industry for over three decades. After graduating from the University of Michigan, she began her career at Henry Holt & Co. in the editorial department before moving on to the Karpfinger Agency as a junior literary agent, while also attending law school at Fordham University School of Law. In 2008, she started The Unter Agency, LLC, a full-service boutique agency specializing in quality fiction, nonfiction and all types of children’s literature. In addition to placing projects at domestic and foreign publishers, she also sells to audio, film and television. We had a wonderful conversation talking about why she does what she does, the relationship between story and message, and her advice for aspiring authors. Jennifer is open to queries! Make sure to add that you heard our conversation in the subject line. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 260,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sandra Sutter is the owner/publisher at Gnome Road Publishing (aka "Top Gnome"). A former attorney, counselor and author, she has found her way to making great books with great people. The key concept at Gnome Road is "re-readability". Sandra is also a mom and chauffeur to two curious kids, a crazy cat lady, and a fan of kind people.We talked in detail about her publishing process, the books she loves, and her advice to authors as a publisher of picture books. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marisa A. Corvisiero is the founder and CEO of the Corvisiero Literary Agency, and its Senior Literary Agent. During the few years prior to starting her own agency, Marisa worked with another well known New York City Literary Agency, where she learned invaluable lessons and made a name for herself in the industry. She is also a Literary Consultant, Speaker, Author and continues to practice law in New York City She has attended over 100 conferences and workshops, and continues to present on webinars, tutorials, and bootcamps for Writer's Digest among other reputable sources, as well as hosting her own Author Preneur Workshops, where she teaches and coaches authors on writing, mindset, and publishing as a business. In our frank conversation, Marisa talks about her life and career and suggests that writing from the heart and perseverance are key factors to success. She is open to queries and is supportive of authors who wish to pursue non-traditional and hybrid publishing routes. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bea Birdsong is the internationally-celebrated author of I Will Be Fierce! (illustrated by Nidhi Chanani), Sam’s First Word (illustrated by Holly Hatam), and How to Spot a Best Friend (illustrated by Lucy Fleming), In this, our second conversation, we celebrate her new interactive picture book (illustrated by Linzie Hunter) Boop! (HarperCollins, 2023). We talk about the pros and cons of writing fiction for children, and Bea provides sage advice for aspiring authors. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An autistic mom of three autistic kids, Dr. Jen Malia is the author of the children’s chapter book series The Infinity Rainbow Club and the picture book Too Sticky! Sensory Issues with Autism. Jen is Professor of English and Creative Writing Coordinator at Norfolk State University. She has a Ph.D. in English from the University of Southern California. We talk about her books, and her advocacy to discuss neurodivergence in children's literature. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liza Fleissig, with her partner Ginger Harris-Dontzin, opened the Liza Royce Agency (LRA) in early 2011. From picture books through adult projects, fiction and non-fiction, LRA welcomes strong voices and plot driven works. In our animated and exciting conversation Liza and I discuss her career, some of the books she has sold recently, her advice for aspiring authors, and her thoughts about the role of the literary agent. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda Hall has been a children’s book illustrator since the mid-1980s, with some fifty books published in 26 countries. After a period in London and abroad, she returned to live in Cambridge, England, where she had trained. In our animated interview, we discuss the recent book (by Jennifer Berne) which she illustrated, How the Sea Came to Be (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2023) her life (starting with the magical thatched hut she grew up in) and career as a leading illustrator of children's books. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Melissa Stewart has written more than 200 science-themed nonfiction books for children, including the Sibert Medal Honoree Summertime Sleepers: Animals that Estivate, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen. In our interview, we celebrate the launch of her wonderful new book Thank You, Moon: Celebrating Nature’s Nightlight (Knopf, 2023), illustrated by Jessica Lanan. We also talk about her advocacy for more children's books on non-fiction, alongside their fiction 'cousins'. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Interview with Nancy Hudgins, author of children's book Books Good Enough for You: The Storied Life of Ursula Nordstrom (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2026), Editor of Extraordinary Children's Books, Abrams Books for Young Readers" (March 24, 2026). Our wonderful interview intertwines between Nancy and Ursula's lives, their love of children's books, breaking in, and thoughts on opening doors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A wonderful interview with Kristen Daniels, Executive Director of Bernie's Book Bank. Since 2009, Bernie's Book Bank has provided 24 million books free of charge to children in the Chicago area. In our conversation, Kristen talks about what they do, how they do it, and how we can help out with this incredible initiative. Before joining Bernie’s Book Bank, Kristen held a variety of leadership roles at non-profits including Clearbrook, YMCA and USA Swimming Foundation. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julie Hedlund is back as our guest on New Books Network to talk about her brand new picture book, Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews published on Sept 5th by Little Bee Books. It recounts, with love and lyricism, Julie Andrew's childhood leading to her breakthrough as a young teenager. Julie shares the story of how the book came to be, as well as her thoughts and advice on the challenges of becoming a published children's book author. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mónica Mancillas authors books for children of all ages, as well as adult fiction. In our lively interview, Mónica discusses two of her picture books that launched during the summer: How to Speak in Spanglish (Penguin Workshop, 2023) and The Worry Balloon (Roaring Brook Press, 2023). Monica received her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley before pursuing a decade-long career in the recording industry, followed by her rapid rise as a highly successful children's author.. She currently teaches piano in Burbank, California, where she resides with her husband and daughter. The interview ends with a surprise duet - Don't miss it! Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Philadelphia, Jannie Ho is the illustrator of the early reader graphic novel Fry Guys (Andrews McMeel Publishing, launching September 26, 2023) written by Eric Geron, which will launch in just a few days. She is also the author/illustrator of Happy Chinese New Year, A Festive Counting Story, Bear and Chicken, and The Lost Mitten. Jannie is the creator of the comic Super Chicken and Shelly, which is a regular feature in Highlights for Children's High Five Magazine. She lives in the greater Boston area with her family. We discuss her childhood journey from Hong Kong to Philadelphia and her professional journey as a children's author and illustrator. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Leventhal is the publisher of Green Bean Books, which focuses on Jewish children’s books. He is author of The Chocolate King and co-author of Jews in Britain, After twenty years publishing military history books, he wanted to try something new and work on books that his own young children would enjoy reading. In our interview we discuss Michael's journey towards become a successful kidlit publisher and his advice for prospective authors (yes, he is looking for manuscripts, written by anybody, but with a Jewish angle).  Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sister Mary Josefa of the Eucharist is a Benedictine nun in Missouri; she and the sisters of her community recently wrote a charming children’s book, Brides of Christ (Sophia Institute Press, 2023), which invites the reader into the rhythms of their contemplative life through the course of the day and cycle of the year. She talks about this life with me and also the discernment that drew her into it. We also discuss the late Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster who founded their community who drew the attention of the world earlier this year when her exhumed body was miraculously not corrupted four years after death, nor her garments (though the fabric of her coffin was completely rotted away). Finally, we discuss the special charism and Marian consecration of this Benedictine community who emulate the quiet, loving role of the Mother of God in the years between the Ascension of Jesus and her own Assumption, supporting the Early Church. The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles website The new book, Brides of Christ, from Sophia Institute Press Articles about Sr Wilhelmina Lancaster’s uncorrupted remains: in the New York Times, in the Catholic News Agency, and in the Catholic Review.  Krzysztof Odyniec is a historian of Medieval and Early Modern Europe; he is also the host of the 'Almost Good Catholics' podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bookshop.org is an online book retailer that donates more than 80% of its profits to independent bookstores. Launched in 2020, Bookshop.org has already raised more than $27,000,000. In this interview, Andy Hunter, founder and CEO discusses his journey to creating one of the most revolutionary new organizations in the book world. Bookshop has found a way to retain the convenience of online book shopping while also supporting independent bookstores that are the backbones of many local communities.  Andy Hunter is CEO and Founder of Bookshop.org. He also co-created Literary Hub. Caleb Zakarin is the Assistant Editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Savannah Brooks started her agenting career as an intern with the Jennifer De Chiara team in 2017, moving to associate agent in 2018. In 2022, she joined the KT Literary as an agent, where she now works full-time representing all of kid lit and most adult fiction. She’s especially interested in stories that teach her something new, add to a larger sociopolitical conversation, and highlight underrepresented identities and cultures. In our wonderful and candid conversation, we talk about her life, career and her thoughts on agenting and children's literature in general. Oh yes, and what she is looking for these days. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark writes mostly picture book biographies of women in STEM. Her titles include Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars; Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code; and Hedy Lamarr's Double Life. In our discussion, we discuss her brand new book, Rivka's Presents (Random House Studio, 2023)), a heartwarming fictional story of a young Jewish girl living on the Lower East Side who can't start school because her father is sick, so she makes a trade with her neighbors: chores for lessons. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisa M. Bolt Simons has published over 60 children's nonfiction books, with many more in preparation. In our conversation we talk about two of her recent "Curious About" books, but focus on her recent historical fiction graphic novel The Vanished Northwest Passage Arctic Expedition (Capstone, 2022), illustrated by Eugene Smith Both and published by Capstone Press. Lisa talks about her childhood, her outstanding success as an educational writer, and the challenges of publishing the stories of her heart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Given the sometimes extraordinary politicization of culture, it is surprising that Sesame Street has gained acceptance and legitimacy in more than fifty countries. Sesame Street's global success raises two questions. First, how does a US icon like Sesame Street spread around the world, gaining acceptance as a local cultural product? Second, how does the nonprofit that created it, Sesame Workshop, and its partners around the world navigate cultural differences, manage conflicts, and construct shared collective representations to create Sesame Street programs that resonate with local audiences? In Sesame Street Around the World: Culture, Politics, and Transnational Organizational Partnerships (Oxford UP, 2025), Dr. Tamara Kay answers these questions using data from seven years of intensive ethnographic fieldwork and 200 in-depth interviews with Sesame Workshop staff and international partners-including their real-time interactions-from seventeen countries within four regions around the world. Dr. Kay argues that Sesame Workshop's secret is its engagement in coproduction, meaning it works with partners as a transnational team to create local Sesame Street programs together. Through coproduction, Sesame Workshop and its partners create new collective identities by constructing value to align their interests and exchanging complex cultural knowledge to both customize and build alliances. She traces the successive processes of coproduction, beginning with the imagination of the cultural product, to its disassembly, reconstitution, and dissemination. Coproduction privileges the creation of new knowledge that emerges from transnational interaction, and uses that new knowledge to create a hybrid cultural product. The Sesame Street case grapples with and illuminates culture in transnational interaction, providing insight into a range of other transnational organizational partnerships and different kinds of hybrid cultural products. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I speak to the wonderful Leslie Kimmelman, as we celebrate her brand new picture book, Ready, Set, Run!: The Amazing New York City Marathon, published by Random House Studio, (and also A Book about Bupkes, published by Kar-Ben). Both books launched on August 1st! Leslie is author of over forty picture books under her own name and many more written under a pseudonym (revealed in our conversation!). She was also an editor at Sesame Workshop so she knows how to get to Sesame Street. Join us for a fun, animated conversation about her career, her books, and her thoughts on children's literature. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anna Olswanger is an award-winning children's author and highly regarded literary agent, with clients include the New York Times best-selling author Michael Hall and the Newbery Honor Book winner Vince Vawter. Anna's middle grade novel Greenhorn (2012) is based on the true story of a young Holocaust survivor that she heard from Rabbi Rafael Grossman. Anna is also the author of Shlemiel Crooks (2005), a Sydney Taylor Honor Book and PJ Library Book, and a graphic novel titled A Visit to Moscow (2022). Anna is also curator of her dad's (Berl Olswanger's) jazz career and music, all wonderful reasons to interview her about her careers and life. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth Law has worked in the publishing field her whole life, first as an Editor at Viking Children’s Books and Puffin Books, as Associate Publisher at Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, then later as Publisher at Egmont USA, and more recently as the backlist and special projects editor at Holiday House Books for Young Readers. Elizabeth has also works as a professional consultant with writers and artists. In this wonderful follow-up interview, we talk about the advantages (and tribulations) of traditional publication, to those of self-publishing. You are welcome to contact Elizabeth at ElawReads.com, and Twitter, @ElawReads. And if you find the 'mistake' in Bemelman's Madeline, don't tell me. I'm not sure I want to know. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our interview, Sarah Sassoon celebrates the success of her award-winning children's book, Shoham's Bangle, published by Kar-Ben (2022), and discusses her life journey and career from Australia to South Africa and now as an author and poet in Jerusalem. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is my second interview with the wonderful Shelli R. Johannes, who is the author of 18 books with more due out in 2024. She is the co-author (with Kimberly Derting) of the popular Cece Loves Science series and Penny (An Engineering Tale of the Fourth Pig). In addition to her tween and teen novels, she is also the author of the Theo Thesaurus series and Shine Like a Unicorn. In our interview we talk about her new chapter book Florence Nightingale which just came out in in Chelsea Clinton’s “She Persisted” series (Philomel Books, 2023)). We also discuss the questions of whether authors should 'write for the market' and whether independent publishing is a viable option to traditional publishing. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I get to interview one of my favorite children's book authors, Ariel Bernstein, and celebrate her new book, You Go First, which was published only two weeks ago by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (June 13, 2023). We talk about her rapid rise from anonymity to international success and acclaim starting with her first picture book, I Have a Balloon. Ariel shares her thoughts about writing for young children and her sage advice for aspiring. authors. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this funny, engaging and candid interview Lili Rosenstreich talks about her career leading up to her current role as founder, publisher, and creative director at Kalaniot Books, an up-and-coming US-based publisher of books for Jewish children. We discuss her wishlist for manuscripts, and her thoughts on the publishing industry. Prior to founding Kalaniot Books, Lili was the design director of Children’s Books at Farrar, Straus and Giroux and has designed and art directed books for HarperCollins, Macmillan, Henry Holt, Charlesbridge, and Holiday House. She has had the honor of collaborating with such widely recognized talent such as Jon Agee, Siona Benjamin, Alice Blumenthal McGinty, Menahem Halberstadt, Rashin Kheiriyeh, Shoshana Nambi, Eric Rohmann, Peter Sis, David Small, Chana Stiefel, Liza Wiemer, and Ed Young. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holly Hatam is illustrator of several dozen children's books, published by Random House, Harper Collins and others. She is also author-illustrator of Unicorns are Real and several other board books. In our lively and candid conversation, we discuss her career, her breakthrough, her thoughts as an illustrator, her illustration process and advice for aspiring writers and illustrators. Holly is the illustrator of the recent book A Good Deed Can Grow by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman and published by Christy Ottaviano Books in 2023. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our wonderful conversation, Anne Roos Kleiss, a Dutch author-illustrator based in Rotterdam, and I talk about her new book, When a Friend Needs a Friend (which just launched in February, 2023 (Scholastic). Her pen name, which is the name appearing on her children's books is Roozeboos. We talk about how she was discovered at an exhibition featuring her work as an MA student in the Children’s Book Illustration of the Cambridge School of Art (Angela Ruskin), her process as an author-illustrator and her tips for aspiring authors and illustrators. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is my second interview with the wonderful children's author Anna Lazowski, this time celebrating the launch of her new picture book Dark Cloud, published last month by Kids Can Press. Anna Lazowski wrote her first picture book for a class assignment in the sixth grade and has been creating stories ever since. Now an award-winning radio producer whose journalistic work has been published in various newspapers and magazines, Anna is also the author of T. Rexes Can’t Tie Their Shoes. She lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with her husband, kids and dogs. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we host the wonderfully talented award-winning author-illustrator Kristine A. Lombardi and celebrate her enchanting and funny brand new book, Crouton, published by Random House, in which a cat explains how it went about adopting a human. We talk about her early career and breaking in from advertising into children's literature. We also discuss the importance of persevering and of finding the right agent (in her case Stephen Fraser). Kristine A. Lombardi has written and illustrated many other books for children, including Lovey Bunny, Mr. Biddles, My Wish for the World and The Grumpy Pets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our animated discussion, Martin Lemelman and I discuss his latest graphic novel, The Miracle Seed (Eerdmans Young Readers, 2023), which was published only two months ago. It is the thrilling true story of an ancient plant, wonderfully reborn in the modern era through the hard work of two female scientists. It is a Junior Library Guild, as well as, a PJ Library Selection. Martin Lemelman, the child of Holocaust survivors, is the author of two award winning graphic memoirs. His first, Mendel’s Daughter (Free Press/ Simon & Schuster) was ranked by Entertainment Weekly as number eight in their 10 Greatest Graphic Novels. His graphic memoir, Two Cents Plain: My Brooklyn Boyhood (Bloomsbury USA) was selected as one of the best memoirs of 2010 by Kirkus Reviews and was a winner of the 2010-2011 New York City Book Award. Martin is retired from the Communication Design Department at Kutztown University where he was Full Professor. He lives in Florida with his wife Monica. They are the proud parents of four sons and nine grandchildren. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hanoch Piven is an Israeli collage artist whose colorful and witty portraits have appeared over the last 30 years on both sides of the Atlantic: in most major American magazines and newspapers such as Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone and in many European publications. Piven has written and illustrated eight award-winning books for children, as well as Apps, TV programs and exhibitions. He received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators of New York and Parent’s Choice Award for his iPad App, Faces iMake, Right Brain Creativity. In our interview, Hanoch talks about his latest book for children Dream Big, Laugh Often (FSG Books for Young Readers, 2023) authored with Shira Hecht-Koller, his philosophy and how he came upon his unique artistic language which has made him internationally famous. His methods for creating art and fostering creativity have been implemented in many kindergartens and schools. Piven’s art, made with everyday found objects, stimulates the viewer to look at the world in a playful new way, to engage in active participation and practice the basic principles of creativity, which can later be implemented in any art form or pursuit. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since Sophia Gholz’s highly successful debut book, The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng, appeared four years ago, she has published with several exceptional picture books for children, notably her two recent books from 2022, Bug on the Rug (Sleeping Bear) and A History of Toilet Paper (and Other Potty Tools) (from Running Press Kids). In our interview we talk about her career, how she broke into the traditional publishing world, her insistence on writing both nonfiction and fiction ("it's the story that counts") and her advice for aspiring authors. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices