Candlewick Press Presents: Recent Episodes
Candlewick Press
Candlewick Press Presents is a new podcast about the storytellers behind your favorite children’s books!
From his childhood in Senegal to his career in the NBA, Tacko Fall’s inspiring story of practice, persistence, and hard work will motivate young readers to overcome obstacles and aim high—and higher still. Listen in as he shares his story with Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul, New York Times best-selling author and founder of Red Clay Educators.
Janet Costa Bates, author of Time for Bed, Old House and Rica Baptista: Llamas, Iguanas, and My Very Best Friend, talks to Candlewick Press about her childhood reading experiences, her “quilting” writing method, and her path to publication.
Episode Show Notes:
- Lee and Low interviews Janet.
- Janet talks to Sonja Cherry-Paul on The Black Creators Series podcast.
- Learn more about Janet at janetcostabates.com.
Chris Van Dusen, illustrator of the Mercy Watson books and author-illustrator of Hattie & Hudson, The Circus Ship, Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit, and Big Truck, Little Island, talks to Candlewick Press about his childhood, his work for children’s media giants like Nickelodeon, and his art outside of the world of kid lit.
Episode show notes and cited sources:
- Chris talks about his childhood in this interview with Reading Rockets.
- Portland Press Herald offers a deeper dive into Chris’s life.
- Chris discusses his early career in illustration in this interview with L.L.Bean.
- Chris talks about his work for Nickelodeon and Disney magazines.
- Learn more about Chris at chrisvandusen.com.
- Flavia talks to The Illustration Department podcast about her PhD work on picture books and horror.
- Flavia talks to The Children’s Book Podcast about her love of monsters.
- Flavia shares the story of her life on her YouTube channel.
- Visit flaviazdrago.com to learn more about Flavia Z. Drago.
Flavia Z. Drago, author-illustrator of Gustavo, the Shy Ghost, Leila, the Perfect Witch, Monsters Play... Counting!, and Monsters Play... Peekaboo! talks to Candlewick Press about her childhood, what it means to have the support of her family, and her love of monsters and spooky things.
- Lindsay talks to the Cracking the Cover blog about her childhood.
- Lindsay talks to the Literary Rambles blog about the fairy tale retellings, plays, and ballets that she wrote when she was a child.
- Lindsay shares her publication journey on The Story of the Book, a podcast hosted by Lindsay and author Hayley Chewins.
Lindsay Eagar, author of The Patron Thief of Bread, Hour of the Bees, Race to the Bottom of the Sea, and The Bigfoot Files, talks to Candlewick Press about her childhood and family, fairy tales, and bread.
- Eugene talks to Publishers Weekly about his childhood memories.
- Elizabeth Bicknell and Eugene Yelchin Discuss Revising a Manuscript for Young Readers.
- In this Q&A with Publishers Weekly, Eugene talks about risking his life for books.
- On his website, Eugene talks about his personal and professional history.
- Eugene talks about feeling emotionally and psychologically guarded after his move to the United States in this interview with the International Literacy Association.
Eugene Yelchin, author of The Genius Under the Table (Sydney Taylor Honor Winner) and coauthor of The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge, talks to Candlewick Press about his childhood in the former Soviet Union, his art, banned books, and more.
- The Jewish News of Northern California features Maggie and The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea.
- Listen to Maggie’s Let’s Not Panic podcast about her travels across South America.
- Maggie shares more of her travels in this Let’s Not Panic video.
- Maggie talks about the process of writing and publishing a children’s book in this blog post: So You Want to Write a Kids’ Book? Oh No.
Maggie Tokuda-Hall, author of Also an Octopus; The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea; and Love in the Library talks to Candlewick Press about the many hats she has worn in the field of children’s literature, her childhood and teen years, and her travels to South America.
Episode Show Notes:
- Chitra talks about the first storytelling prize she received on the Picture Book Den blog.
- Chitra talks about reading and Indian culture on her YouTube channel.
- Chitra shares her publishing experience on the My Book Corner blog.
- Chitra discusses her writing process on The Reading Realm blog.
- Chitra talks about her favorite writing locations on The Parrot Street blog.
Chitra shares the Seven Habits of a Highly Distracted Writer on the Awfully Big Blog Adventure.
Chitra Soundar, author of Pattan’s Pumpkin; Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship; and Sona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister? talks to Candlewick Press about her deep research into pumpkins, the art of cooking up good stories (and excuses), and her favorite words to spell!
- Chris’s interview with Art + Design Magazine, where he talks about wanting to be an archaeologist or paleontologist.
- Chris’s animation project with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) for the video A Message from Antarctica.
Chris Haughton, author-illustrator of Little Owl Lost, Shh! We Have a Plan, Goodnight Everyone, and more, talks to Candlewick Press about his childhood in Ireland, his love of dinosaurs, and the bad little monkeys in his newest picture book, Maybe…
- Leslie talks more about her favorite books from childhood on the ParentNormal podcast, Breaking Down Parenting.
- Leslie discusses her baby board book series.
- In this Five Questions (Plus One!) video, Leslie talks about Mad Magazine’s influence on her work.
- Leslie draws Lily and Darby from The Rizzlerunk Club and talks about reading Stephen King in middle school.
- Leslie talks to the Hope Is the Word blog about her college experience.
Leslie talks to the Two Writing Teachers blog about writing and getting published.
Leslie Patricelli, author-illustrator of board books like Yummy Yucky and Huggy Kissy and middle-grade fiction like The Rizzlerunk Club: Best Buds Under Frogs, talks to Candlewick Press about finding humor in scary situations, her artwork, music, and the many places her famous baby character has traveled!
- Atinuke’s blog.
- Atinuke talks to the Candid Cocoa blog.
- A review of Atinuke’s storytelling from the Herts and Essex Observer.
Photo by Paul Musso
Atinuke, author of Baby Goes to Market; Too Small Tola; Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country; the Anna Hibiscus series; and more talks to Candlewick Press about her Nigerian roots and the art of oral and written storytelling!
- Tami on the Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) blog.
- Tami on the Brown Bookshelf.
- Tami’s interview with YA Books Central.
- Corey Booker reads Freedom Soup.
- Tami on the DIY MFA podcast.
Tami Charles, author of Freedom Soup and My Day with the Panye, talks to Candlewick Press about her days as an R&B singer, Haitian culture and cooking, her extreme dislike of onions, and how she measures success.
Christina Soontornvat, author of All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team, talks to Candlewick Press about telling the story of the Tham Luang cave rescue through an Eastern lens and what it was like to actually meet the Wild Boars boys’ soccer team!
- Thomas’s blog post about the original Harry Potter cover.
- Thomas’s Walker Books US Twitter takeover.
- Thomas names two of the podcasts he likes to listen to while drawing: The Allusionist and Monster Talk
- Thomas’s blog post about romantic comedies.
- Thomas’s blog post about the strangeness of life by the sea.
Thomas Taylor, author of Malamander and its sequel, Gargantis, talks to Candlewick Press about the strangeness of life in a seaside town, his appreciation for all things weird and monstrous, and . . . romantic comedies?
Carole Boston Weatherford, author of BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom; Beauty Mark; Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library; and Caldecott Honor winner Voice of Freedom, talks to Candlewick Press about writing poetry as a child, winning a Caldecott Honor, and the emotional experience of digging through the past and personal lives of important historical figures.
About this episode: Carole Boston Weatherford, author of BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom; Beauty Mark; Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library; and Caldecott Honor winner Voice of Freedom, talks to Candlewick Press about writing poetry as a child, winning a Caldecott Honor, and the emotional experience of digging through the past and personal lives of important historical figures.
Episode Show Notes:
- Carole’s interview with Reading Rockets.
- Carole’s interview with Bookwatch on PBS.
About this episode:
Kara LaReau, author of the Infamous Ratsos series and the new picture book Baby Clown, talks to Candlewick Press about her writing aspirations, her publishing career, and all the trouble she might have caused as a kid. Also, to get readers excited about Rise of ZomBert—the first book in her creepy new mystery series—Kara shares a spooky story!
Episode Show Notes:
Kara’s cousin . . . JOYCE.
Kara LaReau, author of the Infamous Ratsos series and the new picture book Baby Clown, talks to Candlewick Press about her writing aspirations, her publishing career, and all the trouble she might have caused as a kid. Also, to get readers excited about Rise of ZomBert—the first book in her creepy new mystery series—Kara shares a spooky story!
- What Book Hooked You podcast
- Christina wins the 2013 Katherine Paterson Prize from Vermont College of Fine Arts for The Mapmaker’s Boy.
- The History of Toads by Christina’s kid
- Christina and her dad get matching perms!
Christina lists her favorite books
Christina Soontornvat, author of A Wish in the Dark, The Blunders: A Counting Catastrophe!, and All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team, talks to Candlewick Press about her childhood, her travels to Thailand, and the connection between her deep love of fantasy and her career in science and engineering!
- Kate draws a squirrel with David Gillette on Almanac.
- Kate visits the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota Libraries.
- In this Reading Rockets interview, Kate talks about rejection letters and more.
- Meet the raccoon that hangs out above Kate’s bedroom skylight.
- Kate receives orange sneakers from Kwame Alexander.
Kate DiCamillo, author of Louisiana’s Way Home, the Mercy Watson series, The Tale of Despereaux, Because of Winn-Dixie, and more, talks to Candlewick Press about her relentless pursuit to become a writer, rejection, the Newbery Medal (twice!), and the raccoon that hangs out above her bedroom skylight.
- In this Five Questions (Plus One) video, Meg talks about her first writing experience with her third-grade teacher, Mrs. Zuckerman.
Meg Medina, author of Merci Suárez Changes Gears, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, Burn Baby Burn, and Mango, Abuela, and Me, talks to Candlewick Press about family, storytelling, her childhood and teen years, and the importance of making space in her life for writing.
- Megan shares her encounter with WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino’s dog.
- Megan talks to Reading Rockets about how she rescued several bags of books.
- For more bio information about Megan, visit judymoody.com.
Megan McDonald, author of the wildly popular, award-winning, best-selling Judy Moody series, talks to Candlewick Press about the importance of storytelling in her own family and how she created the world’s feistiest third-grader (and her brother, Stink). Megan also gives readers the scoop on her career history, recounting her time as a journalist, spy, superhero, and park ranger.
- Burger Wuss book cover
- Feed book cover
- Yvain: The Knight of the Lion book trailer (and Tobin’s trip to France)
- M. T. Anderson poses for a scene in Matt Tavares’s ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.
- M. T. Anderson’s haunted house blog post for UPROXX
This episode contains material that might be inappropriate for younger listeners; discretion is advised. M. T. Anderson, author of Thirsty, Feed, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party, and Yvain: The Knight of the Lion, tells Candlewick Press all about his early life as a fast-food employee and as a Candlewick intern. He also talks about banned books and shows off his singing skills (without laughing too much).
- In this Five Questions (Plus One) video, Teresa talks about “The Broom Closet Murder,” and she shares her personal ghost story.
- If Teresa could step into any painting, she would step into Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s At the Moulin Rouge.
- Teresa shares a photo of a stack of Blackhope Enigma drafts and talks about the revision process in this blog post.
- In this History Girls blog post, Teresa talks more about her research on corvids.
Teresa Flavin, author of The Blackhope Enigma, The Crimson Shard, and The Shadow Lantern, talks to Candlewick Press about what painting she would live in if given the opportunity and the first story she remembers writing as a child (a murder mystery called “The Broom Closet Murder”), and she tells a ghost story!
- In this Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast blog post, Scott talks about Duct Tape Man, a weekly comic strip that he created for his college newspaper.
- An aerial view of the territory Scott roamed as a child while in search of Bigfoot!
- Scott wins a Hot Men of Children’s Literature Award from Betsy Bird at the Fuse #8 blog
Scott Magoon, illustrator of Big Mean Mike, talks to Candlewick Press about his days as a Candlewick employee, the time M. T. Anderson complimented him on his work, and Bigfoot! He also serenades us with a song from the musical Pal Joey.
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- Candlewick Press would like to thank the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Macaulay Library for granting us permission to use the birdcall sounds you heard in this episode of the podcast.
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- Annette talks more about her childhood and secret plans in this blog interview.
Annette LeBlanc Cate, author and illustrator of The Magic Rabbit and Look Up!, talks to Candlewick Press about what it was like to work on an award-winning cartoon on Comedy Central and her fascination with birds, and she practices her seagull impression. She also almost aces our birdcall quiz.
Ethan Murrow and Vita Murrow, the author/illustrator team behind The Whale, talk to Candlewick Press about playing together, creating together, and applying their talents to the world of picture book art. They also share their love story and talk about their childhoods. Oh, and there are strange farm sounds.
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- Annie’s blog post about fear
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- Annie’s blog post about anxiety
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- Annie’s podcast: Crossover Appeal
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- The airplane dress Annie wore for one of her debut author events
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- Annie’s blog post about giving without taking
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- The portrait of the sea captain by Pfötsch:
Annie Cardi at the Candlewick offices:
Annie Cardi, author of The Chance You Won’t Return, talks to Candlewick Press about the literary value of YA books, her time as a Candlewick intern, and the importance of social media. Annie also opens up about the sea captain who has been squatting in the home she shares with her husband.
Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant, co-editors of Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories and Monstrous Affections, talk to Candlewick Press about how (not) to apply for a bookstore job and working with fellow author M. T. Anderson. They also give readers the scoop on the most epic New Year’s Eve party a book-lover could ever attend.
- Jannie finally gets to dress her baby as a chicken for Halloween!
- Jannie shares the ultimate immigrant story.
- Jannie’s daughter inspires her to create a mockup of The Fart Parade.
Jannie Ho, illustrator of the Violet Rose activity books series, the Tiny Tab Books, and the forthcoming Halloween ABC board book, talks to Candlewick Press about what it’s like to work with our London-based imprint Nosy Crow. She also chats about farts and her love of food . . . but not simultaneously. If you’re wondering about how Jannie Ho came to be known as the Chicken Girl, this is your chance to find out!
Martin W. Sandler, author of The Impossible Rescue, Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation, and The Whydah, talks to Candlewick Press about why he believes nonfiction is more exciting than fiction. He also tells of uncovering the truth about pirates and shares the story behind his 1954 invention of chocolate bread pudding.
- Ekua shows the desk from her childhood where she began creating collage art.
- “I would cut and shape and create a world for myself, and it was very comforting. . . .”
- “Research and patience were crucial to the book illustration process. . . .”
- From the City to the Sea
- Ekua describes herself as a “huge hoarder” in this WBUR interview.
- Ekua’s Martin Luther King Jr. Google Doodle
- “I’ve always loved children’s books. . . .”
Ekua Holmes, illustrator of Voice of Freedom and Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets, talks to Candlewick Press about the power of positivity, creating art as a child, and the hoarding, hunting, and gathering process of collage-making. She also shares her fangirl moment with renowned children’s book illustrator Jerry Pinkney.
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Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Aaron Becker
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Aaron’s blog post about heading to Candlewick Press
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Aaron’s blog post about the success of Journey
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Aaron in Candlewick’s 20th Anniversary Video
Aaron Becker, award-winning author and illustrator of the wordless picture books Journey, Quest, and Return, talks to Candlewick Press about destiny, Star Wars, the Caldecott Medal, and finding inspiration in the works of Chris Van Allsburg. Journey into Aaron Becker’s world of childlike wonder to find out why he tells stories.
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Lesléa talks more about the concept of Tikkun Olam in this blog post.
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“Ketzel Cotel: Piece for Paws”
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Lesléa talks about hitchhiking and studying under Allen Ginsberg in this podcast.
Lesléa Newman, author of October Mourning, Heather Has Two Mommies, and Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed, talks to Candlewick Press about being the author of one of the most challenged books of the 1990s and her role as an author and activist. She also talks about her hitchhiking days and her deep appreciation for cats.
- M.T. Anderson poses for a scene in Matt Tavares’s ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.
- Matt Tavares travels to the Dominican Republic for Growing Up Pedro.
Matt Tavares, author and illustrator of Becoming Babe Ruth, Growing Up Pedro, Crossing Niagara, and the forthcoming Red and Lulu, talks to Candlewick Press about how he rediscovered his love of picture books during college, how he used fellow author M. T. Anderson as a picture book model, and the wildest thing he’s ever done as a Red Sox fan.
You already know the stories between the pages of your favorite children’s books, but do you know the stories behind them? Join Candlewick Press as we take you on a storytelling journey. Listen to the teaser episode of Candlewick Press Presents now!