You May Contribute A Verse

Team Versey is Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster, Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster and Jon Seymour, podcast wizard, author/illustrator and family man.  Our guest for this conversation was Brian Gehrlein. You can find Brian on Twitter .   DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!...

An XL-sized episode gift for the holidays follows! Our chat with Federico Erebia about his debut novel Pedro and Daniel (and WAY beyond) is so great.   This episode's book reviews:  LOU by Breanna Carzoo SEALS ARE JERKS by Jared Chapman THE BEAR ATE YOUR SANDWICH by Julia Sarcone-Roach   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot, Versey (holiday version!), and was gener...

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I found that with our powers combined, we could make Captain Planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty rad podcast with the help of behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymou...

The one where Josh embarrasses himself. On purpose. We talk to Maria Dismondy and Adam Blackman of Cardinal Rule Press this week about how CRP came to be, AND why and how they came to choose and publish Brenna's debut, The Law of Birthdays , out in May 2024 (add it on Goodreads today!)! DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!   This episode’s book reviews: RUDELY interrupted by an...

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I found that with our powers combined, we could make Captain Planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty rad podcast with the help of behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymou...

"There's a big contract, there are a lot of words in it, and none of them rhyme..." Ah, the perennial conflict with us picture book writers looking to break through. Thankfully for our guest this week, Rebecca Gardyn Levington , she seems to have managed to figure it out, with her 2022 debut Brainstorm quickly followed by this year's Whatever Comes Tomorrow, and apparently many more to come! And h...

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I found that with our powers combined, we could make Captain Planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty rad podcast with the help of behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymou...

We recorded this during a break in Josh's workday. Please ignore his work phone buzzing incessantly in the background! Chelsea Lin Wallace is incredible and we hope you enjoy this chat! Chelsea's mom is a psychologist, but it's only here that we really delve into the deepest recesses of her mind and our writing inspiration.   DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter  here!   This episode’...

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I found that with our powers combined, we could make Captain Planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty rad podcast with the help of behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymou...

The one where Josh makes Tara Lazar cry with his questions, and the state of the publishing industry makes us all cry. Tara's Flat Cat, illustrated by Pete Oswald, releases today (as of episode publication, September 19th, ALSO unrelatedly Talk Like A Pirate Day)! Check it out! DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter  here!   This episode’s book reviews: The Smart Cookie by Jory John and...

This is You May Contribute A Verse!   I’m Brenna Jeanneret. Kidlit author, and co-host of this podcast, duh! I’m joined by my co-host, Josh Monken, kidlit author, dad, and science communicator. And Podcast Wizard Jon Seymour, an author-illustrator, family man, and data dude.    If you’re in the query trenches, if you’re hearing crickets on sub, if you just started, keep going. Steph’s book WHAT IS...

The title of this episode is, of course, a play on our guest Jess Townes 's latest book Sometimes I Cry, due out in September (2023, for those of you in the future). Jess and Josh are Midwest neighbors! Josh thinks it's really cool that his new buddy Jess works at his own local bookstore. Brenna also thinks it's cool to feature cake in your books. In this episode we kind of unveil some things abou...

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I found that with our powers combined, we could make Captain Planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty rad podcast with the help of behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymou...

Little Thoughts Issue 6 is officially open for submissions, and this episode is officially open for your ears to consume! Our guest this week is Claire Taylor, purveyor and proprietor of Little Thoughts Press Magazine . We get a great glimpse into how Little Thoughts came to be and where things stand today. At the time of recording, the theme reveal late in the episode was a real journalistic scoo...

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I found that with our powers combined, we could make Captain Planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty rad podcast with the help of behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymou...

Kristin Wauson is Josh's Disney hookup. Want to know more? Better listen! Also, Kristin Wauson's debut picture book Mr. Thatcher's House is wonderful!    Josh is here , Brenna is here , and Jon is here ! And our Linktree is here (please subscribe!). And Justin Colon's Kidlit Hive editorial services (and other upcoming events!) are here ! ------ Our reviews this week: Carson Crosses Canada , writte...

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our...

This week's conversation is with - according to their website - artist, author, aunt, and alliterator Anne Appert . And yes I had to re-record all those a-words a bunch of times to get this right. Anne's the author-illustrator of Blob, a book with which I hope you're familiar, which champions individual self-expression, even if it doesn't mean adhering to strict labels other than "I'm me." Their f...

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our...

Once upon a time (whoa-oh), we had a chat with Tara Trudel (wait a minute, wait a minute, there must be more to the story). Tara's take on music, entertainment, kidlit, marketing, and more is fresh and delightful. You know what else is fresh and delightful? Tara's album, FRACTURED: FAIRY TALES REMIXED, which debuted on May 5, just a few weeks ago!  Tara Trudel is here . Josh is here , Brenna is he...

No written intro can do this week's conversation with Ame Dyckman justice! If we style ourselves a celebratory and joyous (and educational) kidlit podcast (which we do), this episode maybe sets a new high-water mark for ear-to-ear energy and joy bubbles throughout (except for when I - Josh - have to interrupt with intros and book reviews in my NPR voice, of course), as well as actionable and inspi...

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our...

This week we talk to an author and poet whose two books releasing in 2023 cover subjects so incredibly worthy of investigation and exploration. As of the episode drop date, Jessica Whipple 's Enough Is... is a week away from release, and deals with a concept we all could stand to grasp a bit better.  I Think I Think A Lot releases in August of this year and is similarly special and personal in its...

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our...

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our...