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Children's Literature
Children's Literature March 26, 2023

Talk to the Children's Lit Agent

A Discussion with Melissa Edwards

Melissa Edwards

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
In our interview, Melissa Edwards provides an insightful look at children's publishing from the viewpoint of a successful agent who left her legal career in order to pursue her passion …

Children's Literature

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Interviews with authors of children's literature about their new books

Children's Literature March 24, 2023

Pew!

The Stinky and Legen-Dairy Gift from Colonel Thomas S. Meacham

Cathy Stefanec Ogren

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
In this interview with third time author Cathy Stefanec Ogren, we celebrate the launch of her new picture book, Pew! The Stinky and Legen-Dairy Gift from Colonel Thomas S. Meacham …
Children's Literature March 19, 2023

Publishing Jewish Children's Books

A Chat with Joni Sussman

Joni Sussman

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
Joni Sussman talks about her love for children's books and for everything Jewish and how she found her life's mission combining these passions as publisher of Kar-Ben, (part of Lerner …
Almost Good Catholics March 16, 2023

Saint Patrick the Forgiver

The History and Legends of Ireland's Bishop

Ned Bustard

Hosted by Krzysztof Odyniec
Ned Bustard is the author of a new children’s book, Saint Patrick the Forgiver: The History and Legends of Ireland's Bishop (InterVarsity, 2023). We talked about the book, the life …
Children's Literature March 5, 2023

The Fire of Stars

The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of

Kirsten W. Larson

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
Last year I interviewed the amazing author Kirsten Larson on her picture books Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane, illus. Tracy Subisak (Calkins Creek, 2020) and True …
Children's Literature March 1, 2023

Mr. McCloskey's Marvelous Mallards

The Making of Make Way for Ducklings

Emma Bland Smith

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
Emma Bland Smith is the award-winning author of Journey: Based on the True Story of OR7, the Most Famous Wolf in the West, as well as many other fiction and …
Children's Literature February 22, 2023

Good Night, Oppy!

James McGowan

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
James McGowan is literary agent at Bookends, where he represents many award-winning authors and illustrators. He focuses on illustrated projects for young readers (board books, picture books, chapter books, and …
Critical Theory February 16, 2023

Was the Cat in the Hat Black?

The Hidden Racism of Children's Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books

Philip Nel

Hosted by Morteza Hajizadeh
Racism is resilient, duplicitous, and endlessly adaptable, so it is no surprise that America is again in a period of civil rights activism. A significant reason racism endures is because …
Children's Literature January 22, 2023

A Grand Day

Jean Reidy

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
Jean Reidy’s best-selling and award-winning picture books have earned their spots as favorites among readers and listeners of all ages and from all over the world. She is honored to …
Children's Literature January 20, 2023

A Chat with Children's Lit Agent Debbie Bibo

Debbie Bibo

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
Born in Los Angeles to a Japanese mom and American Jewish dad, Debbie Bibo grew up in a sleepy suburb of Northern California. After earning a degree in Political Science …
Children's Literature January 15, 2023

The Underpants

Tammi Sauer

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
Tammi Sauer is a full-time picture book author who has sold 35 picture books to major publishing houses (Bloomsbury, Disney, Hyperion, HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, Simon …
Ministry of Ideas January 13, 2023

Child's Play

The Seriousness of Children's Literature

Christina Phillips Mattson, Casper ter Kuile, and MG Prezioso

Hosted by Zachary Davis
We shouldn’t be dismissive of the popularity of children’s literature among adults, as it is often in these works of fiction that powerful themes such as death, love, and virtue …
Children's Literature December 31, 2022

Time Flies

Down to the Last Minute

Tara Lazar

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
Today my incredible guest is the quirky, pun-derful, award-winning picture book author, Tara Lazar who is celebrating her dozenth (!) book, Time Flies: Down to the Last Minute (Little, Brown …
Russian and Eurasian Studies December 23, 2022

Translating England into Russian

The Politics of Children's Literature in the Soviet Union and Modern Russia

Elena Goodwin

Hosted by Polina Popova
From governesses with supernatural powers to motor-car obsessed amphibians, the iconic images of English children's literature helped shape the view of the nation around the world. But, as Translating England …
Children's Literature December 23, 2022

What Makes a Book, Song or Movie Popular?

A Conversation with Noah Askin

Noah Askin

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
In this conversation (one of my favorite interviews ever), I talk with Noah Askin of the University of California at Irvine about why some popular children's books, songs, and movies …
Children's Literature December 7, 2022

A Gift of Feathers

Ken Schept

Hosted by Zalman Newfield
When she finds a feather, Grandma Dot adds it to her collection. Feathers, she tells her two granddaughters, remind Grandma Dot of people she’s lost. At first, the girls see …
Children's Literature December 4, 2022

Little Dandelion Seeds the World

Julia Richardson

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
Julia Richardson is an award-winning children’s book author. Today we talk with her about her debut picture book, Little Dandelion Seeds the World (Sleeping Bear Press, 2021), which won the …
Children's Literature December 3, 2022

Helen Wu on Writing Children's Books for Chinese and American Audiences

Helen H. Wu

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
Helen H. Wu is a children's book author and illustrator, author of Tofu Takes Time, illustrated by Julie Jarema (Beaming Books, 2022) and Long Goes To Dragon School, illustrated by …
Digital Humanities November 30, 2022

Ourboox

A Conversation with Mel Rosenberg

Mel Rosenberg

Hosted by Caleb Zakarin
In this interview, Mel Rosenberg discusses his love for children's literature, what makes for a memorable picture book, and the company he created, Ourboox. Ourboox is a free site that …
Children's Literature November 28, 2022

Writing for Young People, Being a Literary Agent, and Success

A Chat with Children's Author Jonathan Rosen

Jonathan Rosen

Hosted by Mel Rosenberg
In our exciting conversation with author-agent Jonathan Rosen we talk about his recent anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B'nai Mitvah Stories (Albert Whitman & Company, 2022), his funny and scary …