If you are looking for the perfect summer read to add to your picture book pile then look no further! The Quacken will satisfy all and we loved chatting with author Justin Colón and editor Kendra Levin!

Learn more about Justin here:

Website: https://justincolonbooks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinryancolon/

Oh my hedgehogs! You will not want to miss this masterclass of an episode with the delightful and brilliant Cate Berry!

Find out more about Cate here: https://cateberry.com/

Follow Cate here: https://www.instagram.com/cateberryatx

Wow- you will not want to miss this incredible conversation with Lesa Cline-Ransome, James E. Ransome, and editor Paula Wiseman about the making of Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis and you will not want to miss this biography either!

***Find out more about Lesa here:

Website: https://www.lesaclineransome.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lclineransome/

***Find out more about James here:

Website: https://jamesransome.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jransomillustr/

It's Pride month! We have some great mentor texts for your around this month's theme and we can't wait for you to check them out! Pride is important all year long - we see you, we love you, we support you!

Kirsti's Picks:

Silly: Bunnybear by Andrea J. Loney and Carmen Saldaña

Rhyme: Love in the Wild by Katy Tanis

Nonfiction: Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders and Steven Salerno

Unique Structure: Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian and Mike Curato

Illustrations: Pride Puppy by Robin Stevenson and Julie McGlaughlin

Kim's Picks:

Silly: Leo and the Pink Marker by Mariyka Foster

Rhyme: Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty and David Roberts

Nonfiction: Strong by Rob Kearney and Eric Rosswood and Nidhi Chanani

Unique Structure: The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish by Lil Miss Hot Mess and Olga de Dios Ruiz

Illustrations: The Wishing Flower by A.J. Irving and Kip Alizadeh

Join us for this delightful conversation with Ellen Tarlow and Julien Chung and get the behind the scenes details about their engaging and important book, Becoming Blue.

***Find out more about Ellen here:

Website: https://www.ellentarlow.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarlowellen/

***Find out more about Julien here:

Website: https://www.julienchung.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julienchungdesigns/

We're back with more Picture Book Picks! We have more great mentor texts for you around this month's theme: Mental Health Awareness. Listen to the episode to see why we made our picks!

Kim's Picks:

Unique Structure: A Whale of a Mistake by Ioana Hobai

Illustrations: Out of a Jar by Deborah Marcero

Silly: I am STUCK by Julia Mills

Rhyme: Even Superheroes Make Mistakes by Shelly Becker and Eda Kaban

Non-Fiction: The Girl Who Figured it Out: The Inspiring True Story of Wheelchair Athlete Minda Dentler Becoming and Ironman World Champion by Minda Dentler and illustrated by Stephanie Dehennin

Kirsti's Picks:

Silly: Out of a Jar by Deborah Marcero

Rhyme: Like a Girl by Lori Degman & Mara Penny

Non-fiction: A Walk in the Words by Hudson Talbott

Unique structure: The Whatifs by Emily Kilgore & Zoe Persico

Illustrations: After the Fall by Dan Santat

We can't wait for you to hear our conversation with Lydia Lukidis, Sawyer Cloud, and Josh Gregory about this star of a biography that shines a light on the first Black woman in space! Don't miss Dancing Through Space: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights!

***Find out more about Lydia here:

Website: http://www.lydialukidis.com/

Instagram: @cosmiclydia7

***Find out more about Sawyer here:

Website: https://www.sawyer.cloud/

Instagram:@sawyercloud01

We're back with more Picture Book Picks! We have more great mentor texts for you all around the theme of poetry! Listen to the episode to see why we made our picks!

Kim's Picks:

Nonfiction: A Stone is a Story by Leslie Barnard Booth, illustrated by Marc Martin

Silly: Animals in Pants: A Poetry Picture Book by Suzy Levinson, illustrated by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell

Structure: Body Music: Poems About the Noises Your Body Makes by Jane Yolk & Ryan G. Van Cleave illustrated by Luis San Vicente

Illustrations: Harlem at Four by Dr. Michael Datcher, illustrated by Frank Morrison

Rhyme: Cool Off and Ride: A Trolley Trip to Beat the Heat by Claudia Friddell, illustrated by Jenn Harney

Kirsti's Picks:

Silly: Animals in Pants: A Poetry Picture Book Hardcover by Suzy Levinson and Kevin Howdeshell & Kristen Howdeshell

Rhyme: Yuck, You Suck!: Poems about Animals That Sip, Slurp, Suck Heidi E. Y. Stemple and Jane Yolen, Eugenia Nobati

Non-fiction: There Was a Party for Langston:King O Letters by Jason Reynolds , Jerome Pumphrey (Illustrator)

Unique Structure: Poetree Shauna LaVoy Reynolds, illos by Shahrzad Maydani

Illustrations: Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, art Vivian Mineker