Picture Book Summit Podcast

Ready for some motivation? Katie Davis interviews 2026 Superstar Speaker Brian Lies!

Katie and Brian Lies (pronounced Lees) have a delightful conversation about the importance of continuing to write (no matter what), enjoying the process, and knowing that every writer has a different path to publication.

Brian will be presenting at Picture Book Summit 2026, where he'll share how to use your writing tools (even ones you may not know you have) to connect with your audience in Reel Them In: Using All the Lures in Your Tackle Box to Engage Readers.

Here's what you can expect:

NY Times bestselling author/illustrator and Caldecott Honoree Brian Lies discusses things he's learned over 30 years in the kidlit world. He'll share how to hone YOUR individual style, the power of adding unique details into your stories, all while not getting beached on ever-shifting career sands and not getting sucked in by shiny whirlpools.

Get your ticket to hear Brian Lies at Picture Book Summit 2026 – Oceans of Possibility: A Deep Dive Into Picture Book Craft.

Early Bird Registration for Picture Book Summit 2026 is open through 8/27/26. Grab your ticket today!

Another great episode for you today! Julie Hedlund interviews 2026 Superstar Speaker Deborah Underwood!

Julie and Deborah discuss the common elements in her books, from quiet to humorous to lyrical. Plus, they take a deep dive into Deborah's books TINY GARDEN and WALTER HAD A BEST FRIEND, their unexpected endings, and the importance of being honest with children.

Deborah will be presenting at Picture Book Summit 2026, where she'll share more of her process and how you can explore your picture book ideas in Free Diving: Following Your Ideas Below the Surface.

Here's what you can expect:

A picture book writer descends deep into sometimes-murky water, then, with luck, brings back a pearl: something that will resonate strongly with kids (and often with adults, too). New York Times Bestselling author Deborah Underwood will talk about using curiosity and emotion to dive for ideas and to figure out what form those ideas want to take. Plus, she'll share tips for polishing your story to give it the best chance of connecting with readers.

Get your ticket to hear Deborah Underwood at Picture Book Summit 2026 - Oceans of Possibility: A Deep Dive Into Picture Book Craft.

Early Bird Registration for Picture Book Summit 2026 is open through 8/27/26. Grab your ticket today!

We're excited for this one! Today, Emma Walton Hamilton interviews 2026 Superstar Speaker Derrick Barnes!

Before the New York Times Bestsellers and all the awards, Derrick Barnes almost quit writing picture books altogether. In this interview, he shares what kept him going and his advice for writers who feel like giving up. From writing greeting cards to substitute teaching, he reveals how each step of the journey prepared him for his prolific writing career.

Get your ticket to hear Derrick at Picture Book Summit 2026 - Oceans of Possibility: A Deep Dive Into Picture Book Craft.

Early Bird Registration for Picture Book Summit 2026 is open through 8/27/26. Grab your ticket today!

We have some amazing workshops coming to Picture Book Summit 2026. How do we know they will be so great? Our Founders are our Workshop presenters this year!

Listen in to find out more about these workshops:

Hook, Line, or... Stinker? Discover the Hooks in Your Book with Julie Hedlund

Ebb and Flow: The Pull of the Page Turn with Emma Walton Hamilton and Katie Davis

We're thinking deeply about hooks and pages so we can inspire you to improve these moments in your own manuscripts. Discover what inspires the PBSummit Team to develop these workshops.

In fact, they are learning from each other in this episode!

Get your ticket to Picture Book Summit 2026 - Oceans of Possibility: A Deep Dive Into Picture Book Craft.

Early Bird Registration for Picture Book Summit 2026 is open through 8/27/26. Check the website and grab your ticket today!

The team comes together to announce the Superstar Speakers for Picture Book Summit 2026! It's an exciting lineup and we can't wait to share it with YOU.

Discover what they'll be teaching at this year's Summit and why we're just so excited to bring these keynotes to the Picture Book Summit stage.

Get your ticket to Picture Book Summit 2026 - Oceans of Possibility: A Deep Dive Into Picture Book Craft.

Registration for Picture Book Summit 2026 is open now. Check the website and grab your ticket today!

It's Episode 100!! We're celebrating with a trip down memory lane, including a few of our favorite presentations, behind-the-scenes moments, and what we've learned along the way!

Books mentioned in this episode:

• On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex
• Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
• Big Red Lollipop by Ruhksana Khan and Sophie Blackall

Past Presentations mentioned in this episode:

• Peter Brown: Picture Books for Breakfast
• Tomie DePaola: Tapping the Truth
• Andrea Davis Pinkney: Nonfiction with a Twist
• Sophie Blackall: Your Writing Voice
• LeUyen Pham: Storytelling vs. Storyshowing
• Jon Klassen: Using Your Fear
• Adam Rex: Dissecting the Fron: We're Going to Try to Analyze Humor, God Help Us
• The Fan Brothers: To Imagination and Beyond
• Vashti Harrison: Be Bold, Be Brave: Charting Your Creative Journey with Purpose
• Peter H. Reynolds: The World Needs Your Voice
• Paul O. Zelinsky: Behind the Scenes with an Author-Illustrator
• Matthew Cordell: How to Build the Bridge Between Pictures and Story
• Philip and Erin Stead: Picture Book Harmony
• Rukhsana Khan: Cultural Connections
• Nikki Grimes: The Music of Language

Be part of this year's Summit fun! Registration for Picture Book Summit 2026 is now open! Get Early Bird pricing through 8/27/26 at https://picturebooksummit.com!

The Founders of Picture Book Summit reveal their varied writing routines and what keeps them motivated and putting pen to paper.

• Are they morning writers, evening writers, or something in between?
• Who's a pantser? Who's a plotter?
• How do they keep themselves accountable to get their writing done?
• How important is a critique group? (Spoiler alert: VERY!)
• Does our resident author-illustrator start with words or pictures?
• How many manuscripts work on at the same time?
• How many revisions does it take for their stories to feel ready to go out on submission?

The answers may surprise you, but we hope you'll find some inspiration and validation for your own process!

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Who Hops? by Katie Davis
• Kindergarten Rocks! by Katie Davis
• Mabel the Tooth Fairy and How She Got Her Job by Katie Davis
• The Great American Mousical by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Tony Walton
• Toys Meet Snow by Emily Jenkins and Paul O. Zelinsky

Find out more about this year's Picture Book Summit writing conference here: https://picturebooksummit.com/

Join the Picture Book Summit Team as we celebrate this year's crop of Caldecott Winners and Honorees. This is part 2 of our conversation. If you missed part 1, you can listen to it here: https://picturebooksummit.com/podcast-2026-caldecotts-part-1/

In this episode, we get to discuss this year's winner and two Honor Books. Get ready for insight into these books as well as the numerous things they have in common. Get your hands on these books and enjoy studying these remarkable books of art!

Books mentioned in this episode:

• WINNER: FIREWORKS illustrated by Catia Chien and written by Matthew Burgess
• SUNDUST written and illustrated by Zeke Peña
• STALACTITE AND STALAGMITE by Drew Beckmeyer

Find all of this year's Caldecott books in the Picture Book Summit Bookshop!

How are Caldecott books chosen each year? Check out Emma's video explanation here.

We talked about Katie's awesome Summit presentation on picture book endings. Podcast listeners can get 25% off! Use code PODCAST at this link: https://picturebooksummit.freshlearn.com/endings.

Our own wordplay warrior, Julie Hedlund, gave a stupendous workshop encouraging us to have fun with our writing by turning it into play. Today, we share a snippet of that presentation where Julie reveals what wordplay is, where it can be used effectively, and how to use it to make your audience feel smart.

Remember, you can purchase lifetime access to any past Summit Superstar Presentation or Workshop, including this one, at picturebooksummit.freshlearn.com.

Join the Picture Book Summit Team as we celebrate this year's crop of Caldecott Winners and Honorees. We have so much to say that it can't be contained in one episode! Today, we analyze OUR LAKE, written and illustrated by Angie Kang, and EVERY MONDAY MABEL, written and illustrated by Jashar Awan.

Plus, we discuss commonalities in all of this year's Caldecott books, what we loved and observed about these books, and while picture books look easy, these are particular ones are so layered and full of nuance. From thoughtful and beautiful to funny and relatable, we hope this conversation inspires you to do some creating of your own.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• OUR LAKE written and illustrated by Angie Kang
• EVERY MONDAY MABEL by Jashar Awan

Find all of this year's Caldecott books in the Picture Book Summit Bookshop!

How are Caldecott books chosen each year? Check out Emma's video explanation here.

We talked about Katie's awesome Summit presentation on picture book endings. Podcast listeners can get 25% off! Use code PODCAST at this link: https://picturebooksummit.freshlearn.com/endings.