The Children's Book Review: Growing Readers Podcast

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze sits down with Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator Matthew Cordell to talk about his new picture book, 102—a cozy, topsy-turvy nighttime adventure about a sick child who follows a cricket into a hidden, miniature world on a quest to help a family of mice make a very specific batch of soup.
Matt shares the wild story behind the book's art—drawn entirely with a scented, multi-colored ballpoint pen he found in his kids' art supply stash—along with his own soft spot for owls as an avid birder, why curiosity is the thing that drives his work most, and how fatherhood continues to shape the stories he tells. Along the way, they also get a first look at his forthcoming picture book biography, STARMAN.
Read the transcript on The Children's Book Review (coming soon).
Highlights:
The Pen Behind the Book: How a scented ballpoint pen from his kids' art stash became the sole tool for an entire picture book—and why it took sixteen of them to finish
The Owl Spread: Matt's love of birding, and what it was like illustrating a creature he knows intimately with a tool that offered almost none of his usual control
Soup as a Story Shape: Why 102 is the second time Matt has built a quest around delivering soup, echoing his earlier book Evergreen
Curiosity as a Compass: Matt's belief that children's curiosity is the most inspiring force he knows—and why he thinks the world needs more of it
A Preview of STARMAN: A first glimpse into Matt's next book, a picture book biography of David Bowie, out September 1st

Notable Quotes:
"It's a pretty wild, surreal story... I drew the whole book with a multi-colored ballpoint pen I found in my kids' art supply stash. It took 16 of these pens to do the whole thing—not to put too fine a point on it!" —Matthew Cordell
"Children are bursting with curiosity, potential, and creativity. They are the best and most inspiring audience in the world." —Matthew Cordell

Books Mentioned:
102 by Matthew Cordell: Amazon | Bookshop.org
Evergreen by Matthew Cordell: Amazon | Bookshop.org
STARMAN by Matthew Cordell: Amazon | Bookshop.org

About Matthew Cordell:
Matthew Cordell has illustrated many books for children, including The Only Fish in the Sea and Follow That Frog, both by Philip Stead. He has also written and illustrated numerous picture books of his own, including Hello, Neighbor!: The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers, Bear Island, and Wish. His work has been published in languages including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, French, and Italian. Matthew's books have been Best of the Year selections by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe, and his wordless picture book Wolf in the Snow received a 2017 Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor and the 2018 Caldecott Medal. He lives in suburban Chicago with his wife, author Julie Halpern, and their two children.
Visit: matthewcordell.com
Credits:
Host: Bianca Schulze
Guest: Matthew Cordell
Producer: Bianca Schulze

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze sits down with 2026 Randolph Caldecott Gold Medalist Cátia Chien to celebrate her luminous picture book Fireworks, created with author Matthew Burgess.
Cátia takes us from the bowling alley parking lot where she received the Caldecott call, to the childhood in Brazil that inspired the book's heartbeat—two sisters discovering the world together on a steamy summer day. Along the way, she shares her philosophy of experimentation over mastery, her belief that children feel everything deeply before they can name it, and why honoring a child's inner world is at the core of everything she makes.
Read the transcript on ⁠The Children's Book Review.
Highlights:
The Bowling Alley Caldecott Call: The unforgettable moment Cátia received the news—and how her husband and eight-year-old son each responded
Awards and Inner Validation: The conversations Cátia had with her son about external recognition versus what it means to make art for yourself
The Opening Spread: Why the book begins with grandma's kitchen—and how that image of love sets the foundation for every page that follows
The Staggering Finale: Cátia walks through the intimate, luminous final spread and what she was trying to capture about a child's inner world
Translating Sensation Into Art: How she approached—what does sound look like? what does heat feel like?—and why play is always her starting point
Experimentation Over Mastery: Her studio practice today and how she knows when a piece is done
The Librarian Who Changed Everything: How Mrs. Novosel handed picture books to a teenager who couldn't yet speak English
A Thousand Worlds: The origin story of her free picture book directory celebrating BIPOC creators
What Children Can Hold: Why protecting children from complexity can leave them feeling alone—and how picture books can be the bridge
Notable Quotes:
"When someone thinks that your work is not good, it's their opinion of the work. The most important question is: what do I think? And then I ask myself—what do I have to learn?" —Cátia Chien
"Take my love with you. That's what this book is. It opens with grandma feeding them so their bellies are full of love and courage before they venture out." —Cátia Chien
"I wasn't a big talker when I was a kid, but I was a big feeler. I felt everything so big." —Cátia Chien
Books Mentioned:
Fireworks by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Cátia Chien: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠
The Bear and the Moon by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Cátia Chien: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠
A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz, illustrated by Cátia Chien: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠
The Longest Letsgoboy illustrated by Cátia Chien: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠
Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠
If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠
About Cátia Chien:
Cátia Chien is the 2026 Randolph Caldecott Gold Medalist for Fireworks. A Brazilian Taiwanese painter and visual artist, she is also a New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated award winner, a two-time Society of Illustrators Gold Medalist, and a three-time Golden Kite Award winner. Her acclaimed works include The Longest Letsgoboy, The Bear and the Moon, and A Boy and a Jaguar (ALA Notable Book; Schneider Family Book Award). She has also worked as a visual development artist on animated films including Wish Dragon and The Little Prince. She is the founder of A Thousand Worlds—a free, curated picture book directory celebrating BIPOC creators. She lives with her family in the Bay Area of Northern California.
Visit: ⁠https://www.catiachien.com⁠A Thousand Worlds: ⁠https://www.athousandworlds.com⁠
Credits:Host: Bianca SchulzeGuest: Cátia ChienProducer: Bianca Schulze

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze sits down with illustrator Z.B. Asterplume to talk about baking joy, courage, and community into Rainbow Cookies, written by Lesléa Newman. When a beloved neighborhood bakery faces backlash over a heart-shaped, rainbow-striped Pride cookie, young Cookie refuses to let that be the end of the story—and what follows is a quiet act of community that reminds readers of every age what love in action looks like.
Z.B. shares how this collaboration came together through an SCBWI connection, why her pen name carries the fingerprints of everyone who has helped her make books, and what it means to illustrate a story that doesn't flinch. She also talks color palettes, digital barrettes, and why the process — not the end game — is the whole point.
Read the transcript on The Children's Book Review (coming soon).
Highlights:
Inclusive Is the Word: What Z.B. hopes every child carries with them after the last page
ZB Asterplume Is Not One Person: The story behind the pen name and why collaboration is baked into every book she makes
The Villain Gets Very Little Airtime: Why Lesléa's decision to focus on action over intolerance was the choice Z.B. connected with most
The Line Around the Block: The book's most joyful spread and why every tiny vignette tells its own whole story
A Book as a Constant: Why Z.B. believes a beloved picture book never changes—and why that permanence is the gift she most wants to give young readers
Don't Focus on the End Game: Z.B.'s honest advice to picture book creators on staying in the process, even when it takes 20 years
Notable Quote:
"The words in that book don't change. They might change meaning for you as you shift. But the book itself doesn't say, I didn't say that. It's not a moving target like so much of the rest of the world can be." — Z.B. Asterplume
Books Mentioned:
Rainbow Cookies by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Z.B. Asterplume: Amazon or Bookshop.org
To Knit a Ghost by Z.B. Asterplume, illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee: Amazon or Bookshop.org
Sometimes a Tiger by Z.B. Asterplume: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠
About Z.B. Asterplume: Z.B. Asterplume is the author-illustrator of Sometimes a Tiger and the illustrator of Rainbow Cookies. Her forthcoming book To Knit a Ghost arrives July 20, 2026 from Penguin Random House. A longtime SCBWI Rocky Mountain member, she lives in Colorado. https://asterplume.com/
Credits: Host: Bianca Schulze | Guest: Z.B. Asterplume | Producer: Bianca Schulze

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze sits down with award-winning author and illustrator Philip C. Stead to talk about A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic: Or, Like Lightning in an Umbrella Storm, his uproarious debut middle grade novel from Neal Porter Books.
Best known as the Caldecott Medal–honored creator behind the Amos McGee books, Philip shares what it felt like to step into the novelist's chair and why middle grade has always been the genre closest to his heart. He traces his love of books like The Phantom Tollbooth, The Westing Game, and Roald Dahl, and pulls back the curtain on his writing process—200 words a day, carved in stone—and the feedback that led him to tell Bernadette's story out of order.
Whether you're a parent hunting for funny middle grade books for kids 9–12, an educator drawn to stories that trust young readers, or a writer curious about how a picture book creator builds his first novel, this episode is a celebration of heart, humor, and why every choice matters.
Read the transcript on The Children's Book Review (coming soon).
Highlights:
From Picture Books to Middle Grade: Why Philip felt like an "imposter" stepping into the novelist's chair—and why middle grade has always been his first love as a reader
The Books That Made Him a Reader: How Roald Dahl, Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth, and Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game shaped his sense of what a book can do
200 Words a Day: Philip's deceptively simple writing practice and how he treated each word as if "carved in stone"
The Out-of-Order Revelation: How one friend's honest feedback unlocked the book's unusual structure—and why he never looked back
A Castle on 24 Goats: Where Bernadette, Adelbert the forgetful magician, and a Boat That Does Not Grant Wishes actually came from
24 Chapters, 24 Morals: Why Philip gave himself this arbitrary boundary, and the throwaway phrase that became his favorite of them all
Heart Over Cleverness: The guiding principle that kept the book from feeling "cute but dead"
The Influence Nobody Knows: The lesser-known Norton Juster book Philip discovered at 19 that became the most important influence of his career
Notable Quotes:
"A thing stored in the brain is never as important as a thing stored in the heart." — from A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic
"Cleverness belongs mostly to the maker and really can't belong much to the person experiencing the art. But heart really can." — Philip C. Stead
"If you're a writer and you're listening to this, just figure out how you write and how you do it. How do you put one word in front of another, in front of another? And whatever that answer is, that's the right way to do it." — Philip C. Stead
Books Mentioned:
A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic: Or, Like Lightning in an Umbrella Storm by Philip C. Stead: Amazon or Bookshop.org
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and Erin Stead: Amazon or Bookshop.org
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster: Amazon and Bookshop.org
Alberic the Wise, and Other Journeys by Norton Juster: Amazon and Bookshop.org
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin: Amazon and Bookshop.org
A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears by Jules Feiffer: Amazon and Bookshop.org
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig: Amazon and Bookshop.org
Swimmy by Leo Lionni: Amazon and Bookshop.org
The Twits by Roald Dahl: Amazon and Bookshop.org
The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo: Amazon and Bookshop.org
About Philip C. Stead: Award-winning author and illustrator of picture books, including the Caldecott Medal–winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee and A Home for Bird. A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic is his debut middle grade novel. He lives and works in Michigan. Visit him here: https://www.numberfivebus.com/
Credits: Host: Bianca Schulze | Guest: Philip C. Stead | Audio Editor: Kelly Rink | Producer: Bianca Schulze

Episode Sponsor: https://www.rickwilliamsbooks.com/

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze sits down with legendary children's book author and SCBWI co-founder Lin Oliver to talk about Pooch on the Loose, the first book in the brand-new series The After-School Kindness Crew, co-written with Academy Award–winning actress and Mind Up founder Goldie Hawn.
Lin shares how a single phone call from Goldie blossomed into a creative partnership rooted in a shared concern for children's mental health—and how the two set out to write books where, in the publisher's words, kindness meets chaos. She introduces the trio at the heart of the series—Tony, Mia, and River—three "outlier kids" thrown together in Ms. Gold's fourth-grade classroom, and pulls back the curtain on her decades-long love affair with humor as a "gateway" into the hearts of young readers. She also explains how she and Goldie found a way to weave Mind Up's brain breaks directly into the story so that the reader at home is invited to pause and breathe right alongside the characters.
Whether you're a parent looking for funny, big-hearted chapter books that model resilience, an educator searching for stories that show kids what it looks like to choose kindness, or a writer curious about how a 50-year kidlit legacy keeps evolving, this episode is a joyful celebration of why every kid deserves to feel seen on the page.
Read the transcript on The Children's Book Review.
Highlights:
A Phone Call with Goldie: How an unexpected conversation turned into a co-authoring partnership Lin had previously turned down with countless other celebrities
Three Outlier Kids: Why Lin built Tony, Mia, and River as kids who don't fit in with their peers
Humor as a Gateway: The story of a mother who heard her son laughing through his bedroom door at night—and why that moment shapes every book Lin writes
Brain Breaks on the Page: The lightbulb moment when Lin and Goldie realized they could write mindfulness directly into the story for both the characters and the kid at home
Even Lyle Deserves Love: Why the class bully gets compassion too, and how Mind Up's framework of choice runs underneath the comedy
The Accidental Founding of SCBWI: How a 22-year-old Lin and Steve Mooser started what is now the largest children's writing organization in the world
Hopeful, Not Happy: Lin on the one rule that separates children's literature from adult literature
What's Next for the Crew: A sneak peek at Slam Dunk Day (book two) and a community TV talent show adventure (book three)
Notable Quotes:
"If you start with humor, hopefully there's subtext of plot and storyline and heart and values there. But if you start with the humor, you've got the kids." — Lin Oliver
"You don't have to have a happy ending, but you have to have a hopeful ending. There's a difference there." — Lin Oliver
"If you don't see yourself on the page, you'll go looking for yourself in all the wrong places." — Richard Peck, quoted by Lin Oliver
Books Mentioned:
The After-School Kindness Crew: Pooch on the Loose by Goldie Hawn and Lin Oliver, illustrated by Breanna Chambers: Amazon or Bookshop.org
About Lin Oliver: New York Times bestselling author of more than 65 children's books, including the Hank Zipzer series (with Henry Winkler), Alien Superstar, and Detective Duck. Co-founder and longtime executive director of SCBWI.
About Goldie Hawn: Academy Award–winning actress, producer, bestselling author, and founder of MindUP, a global children's mental health program that has reached over 7 million children in 48 countries. Visit: https://www.mindup.org/
Credits: Host: Bianca Schulze | Guest: Lin Oliver | Audio Editor: Kelly Rink | Producer: Bianca Schulze