Picturebooking

Internationally bestselling author Julia Donaldson stops by the pod to talk about her latest book THE GIANT JUMPEREE brought to life by award-winning illustrator Helen Oxenbury. This cozy read-aloud centers around a mysterious, booming voice coming from inside Rabbit's burrow. Rabbit's friends come to help, but are they any match for a Giant Jumperee?

L.J.R. Kelly is the author of SOMETIMES IT'S STORKS, illustrated by the Brothers Hilts. Babies arrive by different means and this book covers some of the quirkiest. Kelly shares some of his family's baby delivery tales, along with his family's passion for stories. I truly enjoyed having this conversation with Roald Dahl's grandson. I think you'll like it too!

Catia Chien is the illustrator of THINGS TO DO. This amazingly beautiful book combines Elaine Magliaro's poems and Catia's art to bring to life the small moments and secret joys of a child's day. Catia and I chat about how she paints with light and texture, the importance of wide open days, life as a young immigrant, dancing with the lights off and so much more!

David Ezra Stein is the author-illustrator of ICE BOY. His previous book include LEAVES, winner of an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award and INTERRUPTING CHICKEN, a Caldecott Honor Book.

Today's featured picture book is about the atomic bomb. What I find fascinating about this book is the words you will not read. Atomic Bomb, Manhattan Project, WWII, Japan and Germany never appear. So what are you left with? What do you see? What does it mean? We talk with this story's author, Jonah Winter, about this chilling and powerful picture book.

Gilbert Ford is the author-illustrator of THE MARVELOUS THING THAT CAME FROM A SPRING. Along with being the illustrator of SOLDIER SONG: A TRUE STORY OF THE CIVIL WAR and MR. FERRIS AND HIS WHEEL.

Ruth Spiro is the author of the BABY LOVES SCIENCE series. We discuss the first two books in the series, BABY LOVES AEROSPACE ENGINEERING and BABY LOVES QUARKS!

Vanessa Brantley Newton is most recently the illustrator of THE YOUNGEST MARCHER: THE STORY OF AUDREY FAYE HENDRICKS, A YOUNG CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST and MARY HAD A LITTLE GLAM. Talking about these two very different books with Vanessa gives this episode an inspiring energy.

This is a recommended – best of Picturebooking episode

Zachariah OHora is the author-illustrator behind the hilarious picture book THE NOT SO QUIET LIBRARY. This story has donuts, adult napping, misuse of a stapler, Wu-Tang references and eating books … I could go on … but why don't you just listen to the episode!

Corey R. Tabor is the illustrator behind the beautiful and imaginative picture book A DARK, DARK CAVE. This story has suspense, exploration and a fun twist. On today's show, Corey talks about making the art for this book, his journey into children's literature and his debut as an author-illustrator with the picture book FOX AND THE JUMPING CONTEST.