You May Contribute A Verse

Dear Lina, we're friends. Lina Haldar's Dear Math, We're Not Friends is on full display in this episode, and we dive deep into what it means for kids to have a positive math identity and for an author to use their background and passion to help kids embrace a growth mindset. 

This episode is gonna do numbers! (get it?)

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This episode’s book reviews: 

MEDUSA'S PET ROCK by Steph Lau

VAMPURR, words by Justin Colon, illustrations by Lenny Wen

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The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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  

Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 

Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords and @brennajeanneret and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Jasmine Fang joins us to discuss her debut picture book, BENEATH THE SAME ROUND MOON, out in September 2026 from Beaming Books! We also chat about her path to publishing, revising OUR CHINATOWN MARKET, balancing the demands of writing and promotion, international affairs?, and creating joyful stories that help young readers feel seen.

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This episode’s book reviews: 

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A GHOST?, words by Daniel Kwan and Julia Pott, illustrations by Sean Lewis

NICE TO EAT YOU, words by Karen Yin, illustrations by Carolina Coroa

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The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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  

Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 

Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords and @brennajeanneret and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

For real though, Tara Hannon did show up for today's podcast in a big way! Check out her series with Birtle and Ghostie, and her illustration work alongside podfriend Lydia Lukidis for Groucho the Grouchy Groundhog! Enjoy Tara, her pregnant unicorn, and all our collective ideas that came out of this chat!

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This episode’s book reviews: 

ON FRIDAYS, words by Winsome Bingham, pictures by Jason Griffin

PUMPKIN SMASH!, words by Michelle Schaub, pictures by Rilla Alexander

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The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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  

Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 

Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords and @brennajeanneret and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Ann Koffsky is a fount of wisdom, overflowing with experience but also books publishing this year with back-to-back-to-back releases early this year in THE MIRACLE OF MATZAH PIZZA, WHAT EMMA WROTE, and BLAZING HUMOR: MEL BROOKS IS SERIOUSLY FUNNY.

Ann is seriously great. 

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This episode’s book reviews: 

FALL: A SEASONS STORY, words by Kelsey Gross, pictures by Renata Liwska

BECAUSE OF A SHOE, words by Julie Fogliano, pictures by Marla Frazee

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The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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  

Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 

Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords and @brennajeanneret and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Tonnye Fletcher sprouts into the podcast today and our conversation will be music to your ears. Tonnye's book Music Plants Hope is about a COVID-era symphonic performance to an audience of plants and is delightful, poetic, and touching.

Tonnye's story for how this book came to be, in partnership with editor Winsome Bingham and agent Joyce Sweeney, is a doozy that's worth hearing!

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This episode’s book reviews: 

A BIKE IS NOT JUST A BIKE by Brenna! Illustrated by Michelle Pereira

SOUNDS OF TRASH, words by Tina Athaide, pictures by Neha Rawat

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The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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  

Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 

Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords and @brennajeanneret and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

It's Max Beaudry / He'll make your dreams come true

Just kidding, those are mostly lyrics to the Muppet Babies theme song. But Max is with us and we talk about his debut graphic novel AW, NUTS! THE CRUMBELIEVABLE ADVENTURES OF PEANUT AND JELLY. Which is just the start, with volume 2 to hit the shelves in 2027!

Max has a bunch of experience making characters and concepts leap off the page into our lives with his work in TV, and he connects all the dots for a wonderful chat. Thanks, Max, and glad Peanut and Jelly have more adventures on the way! 

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This episode’s book reviews: 

GO PLAY by (friends!) Kate Allen Fox and Gennie Gorback

JUST A SHELL... OR IS IT? words by Becca McMurdie, illustrations by Paula Escobar

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The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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  

Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 

Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords and @brennajeanneret and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Stick with our conversation and you will be handsomely rewarded, as was today's guest, Heather Preusser, for her own tenacity and dedication. Heather is the author of the Hedgehog Whodunit chapter book series, the third of which (the Protective Order of Peanuts) releases later this year!

Heather is amazing. We hope you enjoy our chat and her books!

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This episode’s book reviews: 

RIVER by Elisha Cooper

LANDING IN A NEW POND, words by Marisa Ramel, pictures by Jennifer Doehring

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The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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  

Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 

Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords and @brennajeanneret and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Episode title sure would make a good indie rock band name. Natasha Zimmers is our guest this week, bringing the outdoor passion and her perspective on writing TINY HIKER, out in March from Orca Books.

This episode was plagued with internet troubles, which should be mostly invisible to you the listening audience, but which I mention because we persevered like a proper hiker through rough terrain.

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This episode’s book reviews: 

BASEBALL FOR BREAKFAST, words by Judy Campbell-Smith, pictures by Maggie Carroll

THE UNBUDGEABLE CURMUDGEON, words by Matthew Burgess, pictures by Fiona Woodcock

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The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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  

Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 

Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Karen Chan of Gloo Books is with us today! Not only is Karen a wonderful editor and publisher with a really crystal clear vision for the Gloo Books vibe, but she has leveraged that vibe into an even better book called A Bike is Not Just a Bike: An Ode to Girls Who Dare to Ride, by a talented author named Brenna Jeanneret!

Gloo Books isn't old as publishing houses go, but Karen and team have come a long way in a short time. Enjoy Karen's verse!

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This episode’s book reviews: 

MY SUBWAY RUNS by James Gladstone and Pierre Pratt

WHEN THE WITCH WROTE BACK, words by Nathan Christopher, pictures by Pablo Pino

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The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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  

Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 

Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Andrew Hacket is back to discuss his book In This Classroom and his ongoing Leonardo DiCaprio-style work with Red Comet Press! His is the ultimate champagne pass success story and we hope you enjoy!

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This episode’s book reviews: 

RAMP IT UP, words by Katrina Tangen, pictures by Wendy Wen

THE RARE BIRD by Elisha Cooper

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The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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  

Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 

Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!