Turning Back the Pages

This week on the podcast, I am joined by Stephanie Wildman. Stephanie Wildman, author of six children’s books, became a Professor Emerita after serving as the John A. and Elizabeth H. Sutro Chair at Santa Clara Law. She is a grandmother, mother, spouse, friend, good listener, who can sit “criss-cross apple sauce” thanks to her yoga practice. Her latest, STORY POWER! (co-authored with Simon Wildman...

What does A Wrinkle in Time, Drama in Real Life stories, andbutt brains all have in common? Usually not much, but today, I discuss all three in this week’s episode of Turning Back the Pages with author Tanya Kyi. Tanya Lloyd Kyi is the author of more than 35 books for children and young adults. She writes about science, pop-culture, history, and places where the three overlap. Tanya has worked in...

This week on the podcast, I am joined by Beth Hollar Gier . Beth chose From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, which was a favorite childhood book for both of us, so we enjoyed a half hour of gushing about how much we love this book. Beth Hollar Gier grew up along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. She studied music at the University of Michigan and worked with middle school and hig...

This week on the podcast, I am joined by Lindsay H. Metcalf . We discuss nursery rhymes, Richard Scarry's illustration style, talking kids through hard topics, tariffs, and more! In the words of Stefan, "This episode has everything!" Lindsay H. Metcalf is a former journalist who writes nonfiction and poetry about people who strive to make theworld better. Her books, including No Voic...

Welcome to season THREE! This week on the podcast, I am joined by Jen Barton to discuss The King Who Rained by Fred Gwynne. Jen Barton is a goofball masquerading as an adult. She is also the award-winning author of seven books for kids. She loves reading, cooking, gardening, and hopes to someday meet a dragon during a long walk in the woods. She started writing after the world’s most boring day in...

This week on the podcast, I am joined by author Chelsea Lin Wallace . Chelsea Lin Wallace is a poet, a school theater director, and an award-winning children’s author with an impressive lineup of books including Ode to a Bad Day, The Boo-Boos of Bluebell Elementary, and Dare to be Daring. When she's not penning stories, she's passionately involved in guiding kids through theater production...

This week on the podcast, Hollie Michaels joins me to discuss her favorite childhood book, Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary. Hollie Michaels is an author, illustrator, playwright, theater teacher, and director. She is the author of a new chapter book series Golda and Ezra, published by Capstone. Recently she was a finalist for the Cornerstone Writer-in-Residence Program at Wilton Library, a RUCCL...

Today, author Tami Lehman-Wilzig joins me to discuss the classic childhood book Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. ⁠Tami Lehman-Wilzig⁠ is an award-winning author of 13 published Jewish content picture books, and threemore on the way this year. Her titles include the award winning books:   SOOSIE, The Horse That Saved Shabbat ;  Keeping The Promise ;  NathanBlows Out the Hanukkah Candles; Passover Arou...

This week, I'm telling the story of the visionary storyteller Margaret Wise Brown, the author of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny and many, many others. She's also the inspiration to this very podcast! Listen to find out why. Relevant Links : Weekend Edition⁠ In the Great Green Room by Amy Gary Margaret Wise Brown: Awakened by the Moon by Leonard S. Marcus About the show : You can find...

Today, author Jenn Bailey is on the podcast with me to discuss her favorite childhood book, The Hobbit . Lucky timing since I was in the middle of reading it when we were first emailing it! We talk about her first time reading the book, her favorite character and chapter, the movie adaptations, growing up in a family that reads, and so much more. Jenn was an absolute delight of a reader to have on...

This week on the podcast, I am joined by Caroline Starr Rose. I was thrilled to have Caroline on the podcast after having read and loving her debut novel May B. Caroline Starr Rose is a middle grade and picture book author whose books have been ALA-ALSC Notable, JuniorLibrary Guild, ABA New Voices, Kids’ Indie Next, Amazon’s Best Books of the Month for Kids, and Bank Street College of Education Be...

This week, I'm talking to author Rachel Werner about the beloved book series The Babysitter's Club. Rachel Werner has written numerous picture books, including Floods and Moving & Grooving to Fillmore's Beat, as well as the nonfiction middle grade title Glow & Grow: A Brown Girl's Positive Body Guide and the forthcoming nonfiction YA title Beauty Emancipation. She is on fac...

It's the final episode of our mini series and the final episode of the season! Today's guest is Marion Lindsay, who I can say is a very loved illustrator in my house. Marion Lindsay is a children's book illustrator who lives and works in the UK. She is best known for creating the artwork for the chapter book series "Zoey and Sassafras" written by Asia Citro. These wonderful stories allow Marion to...

Welcome to the second week of the mini art season, aka, the season where I, someone who knows next to nothing about art, talk to the artists of children's books. These artists have been so wonderful and interesting to talk to, and this week's guest, Amy Grimes , is no exception! As a child, fairytales and fantastic illustrations captivated Amy’s mind and sparked her passion for beautiful artwork a...

Welcome to the mini season where we are discussing the art of children's books. This week, my guest is Jenny Williams. Jenny Williams is the artist and owner behind Carrot Top Paper Shop, an online shop for bookish kindred spirits founded in 2015. She is also the coauthor of Eat Like a Heroine (End Game Press 2024). Jenny is passionate about nurturing creativity and approaching every aspect of lif...

This week on the podcast, I am joined by the delightful Laura Bontje. Laura Bontje is a fiction editor and children’s book author who writes stories that celebrate childhood curiosity, language, and STEM. A former teacher, Laura worked in the not-for-profit industry before taking the leap into freelance editing. Her first book, Was It a Cat I Saw?, was released this past March. Her second, When th...

This episode is for anyone who has ever wanted undreds of cats, thousands of cats, million and billions and trillions of cats! On this week’s episode of Turning Back the Pages, author Heather C. Morris and I are discussing Wanda Gag's Millions of Cats . This was my first time reading it, and I was fascinated by the story as well as the illustrations. Heather C. Morris is the grateful author of mul...

This week on the podcast, Paola Santos joins me to discuss four of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales. Paola Santos is a children’s book author born and raised in Venezuela. After moving to Canada, she found the courage to share the words and stories that had long been enclosed in her imagination. Her stories are now woven with her culture, experience in a new country, hope, happiness, and...

On this week’s episode of Turning Back the Pages, I am joined by Tate Godwin. Tate Godwin is a kids' graphic novelist and illustrator living and drawing in North Carolina. He loves making stories about friendship, facing fears, and being true to oneself. His debut kids' graphic novel, Operation: Cover-Up will be published by Andrews McMeel on January 21, 2025 Relevant Links: Tate's Ins...

What happens when you realize one of your favorite childhood books is a bit more problematic than you realized as a child? My guest, Shruthi Rao, and I discuss this and more in this week's episode of Turning Back the Pages . Shruthi Rao writes for children. Her books, both fiction and nonfiction, have been published in India and the USA. Shruthi likes books, food, trees, benches, science, ad l...

On this week’s episode of Turning Back the Pages, I am joined by John Martucci. John A. Martucci has always enjoyed story-telling, music, and theater from a young age. Outside of play acting, he was the everyday creator of adventures for his younger brothers. Now, his love for story-telling, the oceans, and its creatures has culminated into children’s book writing. When not writing rhymes and draw...

Every choice a children's book author makes—from the rhythm of their prose to the color of their illustrations—shapes a world where imagination soars, crafting not just stories, but unforgettable journeys for young minds. On this week’s episode of Turning Back the Pages, I am joined by Carrie Finison. Carrie Finison began her literary career at the age of seven with an idea, a box of markers,...

Art is powerful way to explore and express one's inner world, and this week, we spend our time talking about how one little purple crayon has inspired many artists throughout the years. On this week’s episode of Turning Back the Pages, I am joined by Charlotte Cheng. Charlotte Cheng has written and illustrated a variety of books including Night Market Rescue , Roar-Choo! , I Miss You Most(Fall...

Welcome to the first episode of Turning Back the Pages ! In this podcast, I interview authors of children's books about their favorite childhood book. In today's episode, I talk to author Anna Dickson. Anna Dickson has spent many years working in children’s ministry, learning about kids and learning from kids. She earned her master’s in Christian Education from Asbury Theological Seminary,...