In this lively and fun interview, we celebrate award-winning author Erica Lyons' new picture book, On a Chariot of Fire: The Story of India’s Bene Israel, illustrated by Siona Benjamin (Levine Querido, 2024). We talk about her childhood passion for writing, and how her careers in law and publishing gave her the tools that helped catapult her into the world of children's publishing. We discussed her love of historical fiction, particularly on Jewish themes, and the importance of learning the rules, and then breaking them when there is good reason to do so.

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In our captivating interview (pun intended), we celebrate Henry Herz's new book I AM GRAVITY (Tilbury House, April, 2024), which combines lyrical text and fascinating artwork by illustrator Mercè López, and crisscrosses splendidly between science and art, fact and fancy. We also discuss his background in engineering, and how he morphed into a leading children's author.

Henry has previously published many picture books, including MONSTER GOOSE NURSERY RHYMES (Pelican), WHEN YOU GIVE AN IMP A PENNY (Pelican), MABEL AND THE QUEEN OF DREAMS (Schiffer ), LITTLE RED CUTTLEFISH (Pelican), CAP’N REX & HIS CLEVER CREW (Sterling), GOOD EGG AND BAD APPLE (Schiffer), HOW THE SQUID GOT TWO LONG ARMS (Pelican), ALICE’S MAGIC GARDEN (Familius), 2 PIRATES + 1 ROBOT (Kane Miller), and I AM SMOKE (Tilbury House).

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In our engaging interview, Rachel talks about her hilarious new [picture book, How to Pee Your Pants: The Right Way (published by Feiwel & Friends, October 15, 2024) and the embarrassing real first-grade event which prompted her to write it (According to Rachel, it was 'directed by my little kid self'). 

Rachel grew up in Utah in a book-loving family, and talked about her dream trips to the Draper Library in the mountains, where they would pile the car full of books. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE turned into a 'book of revelation' and helped chart out her storytelling journey, giving her permission to 'pee her pants and still be loved and appreciated.' In high school, she discovered writing (a poem a day) and loved art, but connected them only when she began to write children's stories. Rachel found her agent, Lindsay Auld, through the slush pile (!) and now has multiple book deals, including a ghost book coming out this summer. Rachel likes to vary her text between simplicity and complexity, adding layers to the story, and drawing humorous elements in the artwork (i.e., tooth braces on the giraffe). Rachel's mantra is "Follow the Fun." A great recipe for us all.

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David Miles is co-founder (together with his wife, Stephanie) and Publisher, Bushel & Peck Books, an up-and-coming West Coast children's publisher. In our illuminating interview, he talks about growing up with books, becoming a successful author, illustrator and industry professional, and then the sudden out-of-nowhere urge that led him and his wife to set up their own publishing house. David talks about the steps in creating a successful picture book, and gives sage and somewhat unorthodox advice to authors on their writing journey.

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Lesléa Newman is the author of over 85 books for readers of all ages, including the pioneering Heather Has Two Mommies. She has received many literary awards, and her books have been translated into French, German, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Serbian, Kazakh, and Chinese.In this, our second interview, we celebrate her new picture book, entitled Hanukkah (Words & Pictures, October 1, 2024), illustrated by the award-winning Israeli illustrator Rotem Teplow. We talk about how the book came to be, her writing process in general, and advice for other authors.

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Maya Shleifer is a multi-disciplinary author, illustrator, and designer who has illustrated over a dozen children's books. Drawing helped Maya survive a difficult childhood in the Soviet Union, but only after becoming a mother did she begin to realize a growing passion for illustrating, and subsequently writing her own, picture books. We discuss her recent, award-winning picture book, The Giant's Home, which has been translated into several languages (for example La maison du géant, Des Elephant, 2022), as well as A Lion Named Anna (published in Hebrew), and Too Many Golems, written by Jane Yolen, which she recently illustrated.

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Considering the alarming rise in hate and intolerance these days, Danielle Sharkan's new picture book, Sharing Shalom (Holiday House, Sept. 2024, illustrated by Selina Alko) is a welcome injection of positivity. Based on a true story of human kindness following vandalism of a Jewish synagogue, it is a book of unbridled hope. In our interview we talk about Danielle's meteoric rise as a children's author, her rediscovery of Judaism, and her advice for aspiring authors.

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Mark Hoffmann is an award winning illustrator, painter, author and professor. He was raised in Minnesota and earned his BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, and his MFA from UMass-Dartmouth. In our excellent discussion, we talk about what Mark calls "Virtual Vision," and how writing and illustrating picture books interact, focusing on the two wonderful picture books which he both wrote and illustrated, FRUIT BOWL (Knopf Books for Young Readers; 2018) and DIRT CHEAP (Knopf Books for Young Readers; 2020).

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In this episode, I talk with children's book editor, Elizabeth Law about her two great loves: children's books and the theater. Specifically, what can picture book authors learn from the theater to make their children's books shine. We talked about similarities in pacing, cadence, anticipation, the importance of the story, and the challenge of turning the adult picture book reader into an actor. Elizabeth's conclusion is that it is fine to learn from plays, musicals, songs and movies, and to study the so-called rules of the picture book mavens. But at the end of the day, it's all about assimilating what fits and doing one's own thing to create the magic that ends up becoming a wonderful book.

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George Brown is the executive director of the Highlights Foundation, scion to the Myers family, which created Highlights Magazine. The Highlights Foundation runs workshops for small groups of authors and illustrators in its bucolic surroundings, the homestead of Garry and Caroline Myers, who co-founded Highlights for Children in 1946. George discusses his fascination with children's books and the people who create them, offering tips based on his lifelong experience.

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