You May Contribute A Verse

The title of this episode is, of course, a play on our guest Jess Townes's latest book Sometimes I Cry, due out in September (2023, for those of you in the future). Jess and Josh are Midwest neighbors! Josh thinks it's really cool that his new buddy Jess works at his own local bookstore. Brenna also thinks it's cool to feature cake in your books. In this episode we kind of unveil some things about cake in Jess's work. Josh is here, Brenna is here, and Jon is here! And our Linktree is here (please subscribe!). And Justin Colon's Kidlit Hive editorial services (and other upcoming events!) are here! ------ Our reviews this week: Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall Monet's Cat by Lily Murray, illustrated by Becky Cameron Superbuns! by Diane Kredensor

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I found that with our powers combined, we could make Captain Planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty rad podcast with the help of behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymour. Our guest for this conversation was Pat Z. Miller. You can find Jess on Twitter. Check out more about Sophie’s Squash here.  DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!   This episode’s book reviews:   CLOVIS KEEPS HIS COOL written by Katelyn Aronson and illustrated by Eve Farb. RIBBIT: THE TRUTH ABOUT FROGS? written by Annette Whipple KEL GILLIGAN’S DAREDEVIL STUNT SHOW written by Michael Buckley and illustrated by Dan Santat.   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or

Little Thoughts Issue 6 is officially open for submissions, and this episode is officially open for your ears to consume! Our guest this week is Claire Taylor, purveyor and proprietor of Little Thoughts Press Magazine. We get a great glimpse into how Little Thoughts came to be and where things stand today. At the time of recording, the theme reveal late in the episode was a real journalistic scoop! Claire's debut picture book, Benjamin's Sad Day, is also forthcoming from Golden Flece Press! Josh is here, Brenna is here, and Jon is here! And our Linktree is here (please subscribe!). And Justin Colon's Kidlit Hive editorial services (and other upcoming events!) are here! ------ Our reviews this week: Sometimes I Grumblesquinch, written by Rachel Vail and illustrated by Hyewon Yum Boop!, written by Bea Birdsong and illustrated by Linzie Hunter Chez Bob by... Bob Shea

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I found that with our powers combined, we could make Captain Planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty rad podcast with the help of behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymour. Our guest for this conversation was Jess Hernandez. You can find Jess on Twitter. DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!   This episode’s book reviews: Mr. S, by author-illustrator Monica Arnaldo THE BOOK OF RULES by Brian Gehrlein, illustrated by Tom Knight LITTLE FOX AND THE WILD IMAGINATION written by Jorma Taccone and illustrated by Dan Santat   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes yo

Kristin Wauson is Josh's Disney hookup. Want to know more? Better listen! Also, Kristin Wauson's debut picture book Mr. Thatcher's House is wonderful!    Josh is here, Brenna is here, and Jon is here! And our Linktree is here (please subscribe!). And Justin Colon's Kidlit Hive editorial services (and other upcoming events!) are here! ------ Our reviews this week: Carson Crosses Canada, written by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Kass Reich Facts vs Opinions vs Robots, written and illustrated by Michael Rex Woven of the World, written by Katey Howes, illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty good podcast. But we couldn’t do it without the behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymour. Our guest for this conversation was Audrey Perrott. You can find Audrey on Twitter. This episode’s book reviews: INSIDE MY IMAGINATION by Marta Arteaga illustrated Zuzanna Celej THE SWING by Britta Teckentrup Big by Vashti Harrison   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find

This week's conversation is with - according to their website - artist, author, aunt, and alliterator Anne Appert. And yes I had to re-record all those a-words a bunch of times to get this right. Anne's the author-illustrator of Blob, a book with which I hope you're familiar, which champions individual self-expression, even if it doesn't mean adhering to strict labels other than "I'm me." Their follow-up book comes in winter 2024 and is titled 'What If You Wish,' and really takes a hard look at that central, childlike question, exploring in a gentle way what it means to consider possibilities. There's a cautionary tale in here about leaving your work up on Instagram, but at least in Anne's case that turned out wonderfully. If you haven't before, visit Anne's website at anneappert.com and in particular, head over to their Ko-Fi (or coffee, however you say it) shop for some incredible sticker packs and prints that I've picked up, myself. Josh is here, Brenna is here, and Jon is here! And our Linktree is here (p

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty good podcast. But we couldn’t do it without the behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymour. Our guest for this conversation was Jonathan Hamlin. You can find Jonathan and Drag Story Time on Twitter. This episode’s book reviews: DON’T EAT BEES by Dev Petty illustrated by Mike Boldt. ALL THE BEATING HEARTS by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Catia Chien. MISS RITA, MYSTERY READER by Sam Donovan and Kristen Wixted illustrated by Violet Tobacco. The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find

Once upon a time (whoa-oh), we had a chat with Tara Trudel (wait a minute, wait a minute, there must be more to the story). Tara's take on music, entertainment, kidlit, marketing, and more is fresh and delightful. You know what else is fresh and delightful? Tara's album, FRACTURED: FAIRY TALES REMIXED, which debuted on May 5, just a few weeks ago!  Tara Trudel is here. Josh is here, Brenna is here, and Jon is here! And our Linktree is here (please subscribe!). Go stream FRACTURED: FAIRY TALES REMIXED right after you listen to this ep!  ------ Our reviews this week: FRIDAY NIGHT WRESTLEFEST by J.F. Fox, illustrated by Micah Player BOB THE TURTLE by Nathaniel Pommalai SPARKY! by Jenny Offill, illustrated by Chris Appelhans ------ Check out our sponsor The Kidlit Hive! Check out our awesome quokka artist Maddie Frost! And finally, if you'd like to support the podcast and ALSO want to celebrate a friend, an achievement, or a friend's kidlit achievement, we'd love it if you'd purchase a Community Shout-Out to help

No written intro can do this week's conversation with Ame Dyckman justice! If we style ourselves a celebratory and joyous (and educational) kidlit podcast (which we do), this episode maybe sets a new high-water mark for ear-to-ear energy and joy bubbles throughout (except for when I - Josh - have to interrupt with intros and book reviews in my NPR voice, of course), as well as actionable and inspirational insights! Ame Dyckman is here. Josh is here, Brenna is here, and Jon is here! And our Linktree is here (please subscribe!). And make sure to check out Ame's HOW DINOSAURS WENT EXTINCT: A SAFETY GUIDE, illustrated by Jenn Harney! ------ Our reviews this week: THE BIG RED ROCK by Jess Stockham HOW TO EAT A BOOK by Mrs. and Mr. MacLeod BATHE THE CAT by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by David Roberts ------ Check out our sponsor The Kidlit Hive! Check out our awesome quokka artist Maddie Frost! And finally, if you'd like to support the podcast and ALSO want to celebrate a friend, an achievement, or a friend's kid

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty good podcast. But we couldn’t do it without the behind-the-scenes assistance from our editor Jon Seymour. Our guest for this conversation was Monica Acker. You can find Monica on Twitter. This episode’s book reviews: FLUBBY WILL NOT GO TO SLEEP by J.E Morris Dandelion Magic written by Darren Farrell, Illustrated by Maya Tatsukawa ODDBIRD by Derek Desierto The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  Our theme music is So Hap

This week we talk to an author and poet whose two books releasing in 2023 cover subjects so incredibly worthy of investigation and exploration. As of the episode drop date, Jessica Whipple's Enough Is... is a week away from release, and deals with a concept we all could stand to grasp a bit better.  I Think I Think A Lot releases in August of this year and is similarly special and personal in its subject matter, drawing from Jessica's own personal journey through OCD. We'll cover with Jessica where these books come from and where she hopes they touch families' hearts, but first we'll talk about a cool vintage secretary's desk, and how Jessica misses querying? ------ Mentioned in this episode is Bitsy Kemper's resource on publishers open to unagented submissions in her blog! ------ Our reviews for the week: LINUS THE LITTLE YELLOW PENCIL by Scott Magoon  MASTERPIECE by Alexandra Hoffman, illustrated by Beatriz Mello  ELBERT IN THE AIR by Monica Wesolowska, illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey  ------ Find more on ou

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty good podcast.  Our guest for this conversation was Elisa Boxer. You can find Elisa on Twitter. This episode’s book reviews: PLOTTING THE STARS BOOK 1: MOONGARDEN by Michelle Barry  QUACKS LIKE A DUCK by StephCampisi illustrated by Maria Lebedeva LYRIC MCKERRIGAN, SECRET LIBRARIAN by Jacob Sager Weinstein illustrated by Vera Brosgol The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you c

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty good podcast.  Our guest for this conversation was Pixel and Ink’s Acquisitions Editor Alison Weiss. You can find Alison on Twitter. This episode’s book reviews: THE CREATURE OF HABIT, by Jennifer E Smith, illustrated by Leo Espinosa.  THIS IS THE BOAT THAT BEN BUILT, by Jen Lynn Bailey Illustrated by Maggie Zeng. WORM AND CATERPILLAR ARE FRIENDS, by Kaz Windness.   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  Our theme musi

We sit down this week for a fantastic chat with author Lisl Detlefsen, whose book Farm Boots releases from Feeding Minds Press in a scant couple of weeks as of our episode drop date! Lisl has a bunch of books out in the world, from jetpacks to kicking kittens, but this will be her third book specifically exploring the world of food. As I've covered in previous episodes, I work in agriculture science communications, so this material is really near and dear to my heart! My food bona fides are nothing compared to Lisl's, though. She is our first - and perhaps last, or only? - guest who married into a cranberry farm, leading to her 2015 debut, Time for Cranberries. We had such a fun chat with Lisl. ------ Lisl's upcoming book with Feeding Minds:  Farm Boots, illustrated by Renee Kurilla ------ Our reviews for the week: Lost & Found by Oliver Jeffers ROAWR! by Barbara Joosse, illustrated by Jan Jutte Do Not Lick This Book by Iden Ben-Barak and Julian Frost   (Special shout-out link to Kelly Swemba's Missing Vi

Not to play the "our next guest needs no introduction" card, but our next guest needs no introduction because he's been introduced on the podcast before! We talked to Special Agent Dan Cramer over a year ago, exploring his history and path to agenting. Since then I think we have also explored the majority of his client roster as the unofficial, unauthorized podcast of record for Page Turner Literary. Now a year wiser, with some incredible books published and in the pipeline, we sat down with Dan for a level of focus Brenna and I don't usually bring to the podcast, covering a subject matter near and dear to our creative hearts: impostor syndrome. ------ Books mentioned in this chat:  How To Keep House While Drowning by K.C. Davis Indistractable by Nir Eyal ------ Our reviews for the week: Small Saul by Ashley Spires  The Wolf Suit by Sid Sharp  Dozens of Doughnuts and Lulu and Zoey: A Sister Story by Carrie Finison   ------ Find more on our Linktree! 

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but our combined powers can make a pretty good podcast.  Our guest for this conversation was Madeline Gunahart. You can find Madelin on Twitter, or her linktree. Tarot readings are listed there! This episode’s book reviews: MIDNIGHT AT THE BARCLAY HOTEL by Fleur Bradley Illustrated by Xavier Bonet THE SLIDY DINER By Laurel Snyder illustrated by Jamie Zollars   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his mu

If you don't know today's guest, there's at least one easy way to remedy that. Go and listen to our conversation from one year ago, January 2022. Jerrold Connors is a delight and - you'll find - there's MORE than enough ground to cover in this follow up conversation. I daresay The Annual Jerrold is an achievable goal, should our commitment and creativity hold out. Speaking of creativity, you're going to hear only about a million potential title ideas in this episode, but I think we had it in one. Jerrold's House is truly one built of both ideas and the execution thereupon. If you're here for donuts, we get there eventually, and it's worth the wait. As of publication, I'm happy to report that Jerrold's #DonutsForEverybody Kickstarter has exceeded its fundraising goal. Listening to this lil' ol' conversation feels so quaint, even though we only had it a week and a half ago. We've come a long way since then, including through the beginning where I feel especially fortunate to have been both clued in AND availabl

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty good podcast.  Our guest for this conversation was Jolene Gutierrez. You can find Jolene on Twitter, Instagram, or her linktree.  This episode’s book reviews: THE CHRISTMAS GIANT by Steve Light I HATE BORSCH! By Yevgenia Nayberg   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com   Find us on Twitter @joshmonkwords and @brennajeanne

Today's guest is author Samantha Gassman, and we have the distinct privilege of discussing her apparently extreme versatility as an artist, encompassing not only her three VERY different published or acquired works, but additionally her military background, her motherhood, her singing ability, and her impeccable rhyme sense. I'll leave her other two books to be discussed in our chat, but did want to introduce DEAR RAINBOW BABY, published as her commercial picture book debut this year. This book is deeply personal to Sam, as you might imagine given the subject matter of miscarriage, pregnancy loss, and the ways families rebound. It's a beautiful book and a touching way to introduce one of the most difficult topics imaginable to a child. All this is to say that the conversation Brenna and I had with Sam is a real journey as we reconcile and connect the tissue between her nonfiction, her early 2022 debut on the educational market, her publication of DEAR RAINBOW BABY, and Artichoke-y Karaoke, which you'll have t