Little Kids, Big Hearts

Little Kids, Big Hearts has been nominated for Signal Awards in two categories: Culture, Belonging & Inclusion and Kids Episodes. There's a Listener's Choice vote now (until Thursday 10/15/26), and we are hoping that our loyal listeners could take a minute to show your ❤️podcast love❤️ by voting!  The nominated episode is called "Who's in My Family?" Three kids (Georgi...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for our third Mixtape mashup! Last week, Todd took us back to the beginning with songs from the first three seasons of the show, revisiting songs about siblings, identity, trying new things, pets, belonging, anger, and imagination. Now we're continuing that musical journey with seven more songs, each one connected to real conversation...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for Mixtape Vol. 2 of Little Kids, Big Hearts. 💕 🎶 After releasing our first musical mixtape featuring songs from the most recent seasons, Todd is now going all the way back to the beginning, digging into the songs from the first three seasons of the show. These are the songs that started it all: written specifically for the podcast and...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for the fourth episode in our mashup series, and maybe the most special one yet. Over five seasons of Little Kids, Big Hearts, Todd and his kid guests have made their way to the Land of Qook-a-lackas in so many different ways! Todd has many favorites: A hot air balloon. A submarine. A rainbow flying bike. A 1984 Oldsmobile flying station w...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for something a little different on Little Kids, Big Hearts. Today, Todd is taking us on a musical adventure through past seasons of original songs, every one of them inspired by the real conversations, feelings, and ideas that kids brought to this show. There is a song about family in all its forms. A song about making room at the table f...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for another special mashup episode of Little Kids, Big Hearts. More than five years ago, the very first episode of this podcast was called What's in Your Heart? It was all about feelings, and one of the kids on that episode said something that has stayed with Todd ever since: "My heart feels all the feelings right now." Over...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for something a little different on Little Kids, Big Hearts. As we bridge into a new season, Todd is pulling back the curtain on one of the most magical parts of every Kidventure and Storytime episode: the moment kids describe what the Qook-a-lackas and Qook-a-leekies looked like to them. In the Land of Qook-a-lackas, the creatures there l...

Welcome friends! In this Interview episode, Todd is joined by pediatrician Dr. Zach Kircher and returning guest Carson, age seven, for a conversation all about what it's really like to go to the doctor. Carson comes prepared with some great questions for Dr. Zach, including what a pediatrician does, why he wanted to become a doctor, how many years it takes to become one, and what he loves mos...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Storytime episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast, continuing this month's theme all about doctors. In this episode, Todd, Vivien, and Orli bring an original story to life set in the Land of Qook-a-lackas. The story follows Quarin, a young Qook-a-leekie who loves collecting interesting things: pebbles that look...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Mission episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast, continuing this month's theme all about going to the doctor. In this episode, Todd is joined by co-host Georgia, fresh from a visit to Florida and about to head to Portugal, for a warm and honest conversation about going to the doctor. Georgia talks about getting...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Kidventure episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast, and a brand new theme for the month: Doctors! In this episode, Todd travels to the Land of Qook-a-lackas on floating leaves with Carson, age 7, Zayn, age 8, and Lynn, age 6, where they land in the Glow Health Meadow and reunite with a Qook-a-lacka named Quabe. Today...

Welcome friends! In this special bonus Interview episode, Todd sits down with his friend, four-time Tony Award nominee and celebrated Broadway and television star Raúl Esparza. Together they dig into what it really means to follow a passion you cannot quite explain, even when it scares you. Raul talks about growing up in Miami in a Cuban family, singing old Cuban songs for his grandmother, and how...

Welcome friends! In this Interview episode, Todd is joined by singer-songwriter Christopher Burkholder and returning guest Jack, age six, who you may remember from our episode about military families. Together they catch up on Jack's summer (swimming lessons and summer camp!) before Christopher shares the brand new original song he wrote called "See You Then," inspired by the words...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Storytime episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. In this episode, Todd and special guest Leo, Todd's former student, bring an original story to life set in the Land of Qook-a-lackas. The story follows Quinjamin, a young Qook-a-leekie who loves mornings best: extra fluffy pancakes with quiddleberry drizzle, wal...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Mission episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. In this episode, Todd is joined by co-host Georgia, calling in from Fort Lauderdale where she is spending some of the summer with her grandparents. Together they dig into something a lot of kids know about: The way missing someone can feel the biggest right at bedtime,...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Kidventure episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. In this episode, Todd travels to the Land of Qook-a-lackas by moonlight with Jack, Harper, and Nile, three kids who each have a parent serving in the military. There they meet Quodger, a Qook-a-lacka whose grown-up is far away helping care for the moon mirrors past...

Welcome friends! In this Interview episode, Todd is joined by writer, songwriter, and co-creator of Lulu is a Rhinoceros, Allison Flom, and seven-year-old kid interviewer Briar, who came prepared with thoughtful questions that kept everyone on their toes. Together, they dig into what it really means to be yourself, even when others do not understand. Allison shares how she and her father co-create...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Storytime episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. In this episode, Todd, Vivien, and Kit bring an original story to life, set in the Land of Qook-a-lackas, where the hills roll like soft green blankets and the streams hum sleepy songs. The story follows Quivian, a young Qook-a-leekie who loves nothing more than clim...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Mission episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. In this episode, Todd is joined by co-host Georgia for a warm and curious conversation about identity, the things that make each of us uniquely ourselves. Georgia's class has been studying identity through self-portraits and the origins of their names. She comes i...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Kidventure episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. In this episode, Todd travels to the Land of Qook-a-lackas with Charles, age nine, Vivien, age seven and a half, and Summer, age five, where they meet Quivvy, a Qook-a-leekie who loves performing more than anything in the world. Quivvy sings, dances, turns every gam...

Welcome friends! In this Interview episode, Todd chats with legendary author and illustrator Rosemary Wells, creator of the beloved Max & Ruby series — and two very special kid interviewers, Ripley, age eight, and Journey, age eleven — who you may remember from season one. Together, they dig into what it means to write stories that make readers see themselves — and explore how the characters M...

Welcome friends! In this special bonus Interview episode, Todd is joined by New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Stutzman and returning guest Bea, age 8, who you may remember from our Friendship Kidventure episode. Together they dig into what it really means to build stories around friendship, from the origins of Tiny T-Rex and his best friend Pointy, to why honest storytelling connects with...

Welcome friends! In this s ong 🎶 episode, Todd is joined by singer-songwriter Christopher Burkholder and returning guest Carmine, age seven, who you may remember from our episode about family. Together, they dig into what life as a musician really looks like, from writing hundreds of songs before releasing one, to learning harmonica on the side, to growing up as the second oldest of six kids in a...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Mission episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. In this episode, Todd is joined once again by co-host Georgia, age 6, for an honest, funny, and relatable conversation about one of the trickiest parts of having a little sibling: what to do when they knock things down, rip things up, or want something completely diffe...

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Kidventure episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. In this episode, Todd is joined by Rex, Lincoln, and Brooklynn for a magical journey to the Land of Qook-a-lackas, where their friend Queniel the Qook-a-lacka is having a frustrating day. Every time Queniel builds a tower, little sibling Quib comes zooming through a...