You May Contribute A Verse

Team Versy 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 Jon Seymour, podcast wizard, author/illustrator and family man.  This episode was proudly sponsored by Tielmour Press Our guest for this conversation was Brian LaRossa. You can find Brian here. DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: If you want to be a part of the #KidlitForKamala movement or want more information click here. THE FIRST CAT IN SPACE ATE PIZZA by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris WHERE ARE YOU FROM? by Yamile Saied Mendez THE AMAZING POWER OF GIRLS by Maria Marianayagam and Skyler White The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new 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 sco

Lucky you if you happen to listen to this episode the day it's released because it's also publication day for Justin Colon and James Rey Sanchez's Impossible Possums! You're also lucky in the future because now you can go read Impossible Possums and then use this episode as a behind the scenes sneak peek into the possum sausage-making, which I guarantee is more fun than it might sound like. ------- DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: ABZUGLUTELY! by Sarah Aronson, illustrated by Andrea d'Aquino WHAT'S IN THE COOKIE TIN? by Yolanda T. Marshall, illustrated by Golnoush Moini WHOLE WHALE by Karen Yin, illustrated by Nelleke Verhoeff The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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 s

Team Versy 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 Jon Seymour, podcast wizard, author/illustrator and family man.  Our guest for this conversation was Maria Marianayagam. You can find Maria here. DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: If you want to be a part of the #KidlitForKamala movement or want more information click here. SPIDER IN A WELL by Jess Hannigan  THE NOTEBOOK KEEPER by Stephen Briseño and Magdalena Mora A SONG FOR NOLAN by Rushie Ellenwood and Sally Chen The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new 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 thi

Bedrooms, bathrooms, and bookshelves. All other people's places we should be staying out of unless invited. Especially if you're a fascist. Martha Brockenbrough is here! Talking Kidlit for Kamala, continuing children's lit education, and the frankly shocking number of books about bigfoot that one person can write. But mostly Kidlit for Kamala! A reminder from Martha: everything is political. All the things we take for granted, all the comforts and joys and holidays and benefits ingrained in our lives were things our forebears had to fight for until codified through political processes. Politics isn't the start of change, it's the end result of action. ------- DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: THE LAW OF BIRTHDAYS by Brenna! Illustrated by Marina Kondrakhina A COSTUME FOR CHARLY by CK Malone, illustrated by Alejandra Barajas The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us by the great Maddie Frost

Team Versy 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 Jon Seymour, podcast wizard, author/illustrator and family man.  Our guest for this conversation was Anita Yasuda. You can find Anita here. DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: If you want to be a part of the #KidlitForKamala movement or want more information click here. THE PRESIDENT OF THE JUNGLE  by André Rodrigues, Larissa Ribeiro, Paula Desgualdo, and illustrated by Pedro Markun THE BOO BOOS OF BLUEBELL ELEMENTARY written by Chelsea Lin Wallace’s and illustrated by Alison Farrell STRONG written by Rob Kearney and Eric Rosswood illustrated by Nidhi Chanani The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new 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 musi

All it takes is one person to believe in your work for you to break through this crazy industry. And all it takes is several hundred persons to listen to this interview with kind soul and skilled author Dianna Wilson Sirkovsky!  Dianna's books, James's Reading Rescue and Just One Pebble, are kind acts of writing based on kind acts of goodness. Give them a read and get inspired! ------- DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: WE ARE DEFINITELY HUMAN by X Fang ON A MUSHROOM DAY by Chris Baker, illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey JET THE CAT (IS NOT A CAT) by Phaea Crede, illustrated by Terry Runyan The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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 Co

Team Versy 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 Jon Seymour, podcast wizard, author/illustrator and family man.  Our guest for this conversation was Sylvie Frank. You can find Sylvie here. DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: If you want to be a part of the #KidlitForKamala movement or want more information click here. THE LION INSIDE by Rachel Bright illustrated by Jim Field JUDGE JULIETTE by Laura Gehl illustrated by Mari Lobo SYDNEY’S BIG SPEECH by Malcolm Newsome illustrated by Jade Orlando The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new 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 s

Team Versy 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 Jon Seymour, podcast wizard, author/illustrator and family man.  Our guest for this conversation was Melody. You can find Melody here. DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: If you want to be a part of the #KidlitForKamala movement or want more information click here. I VOTED: MAKING A CHOICE MAKES A DIFFERENCE by Mark Shulman and Serge Bloch LUNCH EVERY DAY  by Kathryn Otoshi BITZY BAT SCHOOL STAR  by Kaz Windness The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new 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? Fin

Our guest Steph Henson is great! As summer wanes and the school year waxes, we catch up with Steph on her recent release No School, My Rules with Tielmour Press!   -------   DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: MONSTER HANDS by Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan, illustrated by Dion MBD DEEP, DEEP DOWN: THE SECRET UNDERWATER POETRY OF THE MARIANA TRENCH by Lydia Lukidis, illustrated by Juan Calle Velez POPI'S ALL SOULS SONG by C.K. Malone, illustrated by Shelly Swann The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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 as always, let

Team Versy 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 Jon Seymour, podcast wizard, author/illustrator and family man.  Our guest for this conversation was Laura. You can find Laura here. DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: DONUTS FOR EVERYBODY by Jerrold Connors  MY MAMA IS A WORK OF ART written by Hana Acabado THIS BOOK IS DEFINITELY NOT CURSED written by Megan Woodward and illustrated by Risa Rodil The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new 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 Bl

In which Josh says 'inspirational' a lot because he was excited about the conversation. Author T.F. Sabin is great and we can't wait for you to hear all about her journey, what drives her, and how she's driven to be the best she can be. Here is T.F. Sabin's picture book journal, by the way: GOALS -------   DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: SCORCH, HEDGEHOG OF DOOM by Cate Berry, illustrated by Margherita Grasso FARMHOUSE by Sophie Blackall SYDNEY'S BIG SPEECH by Malcolm Newsome, illustrated by Jade Orlando The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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, @

Team Versy 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 Jon Seymour, podcast wizard, author/illustrator and family man.  Our guest for this conversation was Maddie Frost. You can find Maddie on Instagram. DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: VROOM by Barbara Mcclintock  TATE’S WILD RESCUE written by Jenny Turnbull and illustrated by Izzy Burton SILLY BOOBIES A LOVE STORY written by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Christopher Weyant The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new 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 P

Life hacks and tangents and accidental nonfiction, oh my! Lots of potential episode titles in this one. Our conversation with Chloe Ito Ward is here! Grab her book Love Grows Here... here!  Our podcast service auto-transcribed my intro with the name You Make a Drip Be Diverse. Should we change it to this AI-generated alternative?? (I apologize for the noise on my solo recording that sounded like I was recording from inside an airplane engine!) -------   DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: MILLIE FLEUR'S POISON GARDEN by Christy Mandin LUIS AND TABITHA by Steph Campisi (hi Steph!), illustrated by Hollie Mengert EVERY DOG IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD by Philip C Stead, illustrated by Matthew Cordell The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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

The vibes are strong with James McGowan! Agent, author, YouTuber, and great guest!    -------   DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: CAN I BE YOUR DOG by Troy Cummings BUILDING A BEAK: HOW A TOUCAN'S RESCUE INSPIRED THE WORLD, written by Becca McMurdie, illustrated by Diana Hernandez EMERGENCY QUARTERS, written by Carlos Matias, illustrated by Gracey Zhang The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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 as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Papa J Funk is here and he's taking no questions. Luckily for us, Josh Funk IS taking questions!   -------   DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: TOUCH THE SKY by Stephanie Lucianovic, illustrated by Chris Park THE MESS THAT WE MADE by Michelle Lord, illustrated by Julia Blattman DUCK AND MOOSE: DUCK MOVES IN and MOOSE BLASTS OFF by Kirk Reedstrom   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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 as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Team Versy 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 Jon Seymour, podcast wizard, author/illustrator and family man.  Our guest for this conversation was Jacob Sager Weinstein. You can find Jacob on Twitter and Bluesky. DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: STAY WILD MY CHILD by Mandy Archer, with illustrations by Shane Crampton A SPOONFUL OF FROGS by Casey Lyall’s illustrated by Vera Brosgol  SUMMER: A SOLSTICE STORY written by Kelsey Gross and illustrated by Renata Liwska   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new 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

The world lost one of the brightest lights in the kidlit sky last week with the passing of author Katey Howes.  Today we're remembering Katey and honoring her memory with a reshare of a conversation Josh first had with her in July 2021.  If you have a memory of Katey you'd like to share, please consider doing so via this Google Form. A memory book will be created and gifted to each of her three children, containing photos and remembrances from those of us in the kidlit community who were fortunate enough to know her. Katey's work is beautiful, sincere, encouraging, and timeless. To further support her family, if you're able, order one of her books or request them from your local library. Katey's published work can be found on her website. Katey's latest book, Reindeer Remainders, is just a few weeks away from release. Please also consider ordering it from Amazon or your local bookseller.

Team Versy 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 Jon Seymour, podcast wizard, author/illustrator and family man.  Our guest for this conversation was Charles Santoso. You can find Charles on Twitter and Instagram. DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: SOMETIMES: A DAY FULL OF FEELINGS by Stephanie Stansbie, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli TOO MUCH SLIME by Frances Gilbert illustrated by Vin Vogel  NANCY BESS HAD A DRESS by Claire Noland illustrated by Angela C. Hawkins   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new 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 t

Pants vs Cake. Pantsing vs archaeology. The Mental Snack Drawer. Flax Eggs. Blogs on Saturday. The meh shelf. Betsy Bird pops into the co-host chair as we grill Brenna on her debut The Law of Birthdays in what turned out to be quite the conversation! Get The Law of Birthdays here! ------- DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: I DO NOT EAT CHILDREN by Matthew Cutler I AM NOT A CHAIR by Ross Burach EVERGREEN by Matthew Cordell The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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 as always, let us know what you think via a rating, re

A generous helping of Adam Rex awaits you. No cause for alarm, the episode title is merely a play on the title of one of Adam's three 2023 book releases! Catch these books in order of age group: Oh No, the Aunts are Here, The Story of Gumluck the Wizard, and A Little Like Waking! Guess what? YOU MAY CONTRIBUTE A VERSE IS FIVE YEARS OLD.  Thank you for listening! I wish this milestone would have coincided with our 100th episode, but we're ALMOST THERE. ------- DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! This episode’s book reviews: HOW TO MAKE A PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH IN 17 EASY STEPS by Bambi Edlund A LITTLE LIKE WAKING by Podcast Guest Adam Rex! KATHI Q BUILDS A TIME MACHINE by Jo-Anne Scranton, illustrated by Gabi Moraes The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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 mu