Good Comics for Kids
June 21, 2026 by Travis Jonker
Travis: I had a great time talking with author Aaron Reynolds about the entire Jasper Rabbit universe – beginning with Caldecott Honor winner Creepy Carrots! (and its sequels), to the new Creepy Tales chapter book series. We hope you enjoy this episode: Subscribe below to catch every episode of The Yarn: iTunes Spotify Stitcher
May 31, 2026 by Travis Jonker
Travis: It was a pleasure talking with Nancy Hudgins about her biography of Ursula Nordstrom. In this episode Nancy takes us behind the scenes of the life and work of this legendary children’s book editor. We hope you enjoy this episode. Subscribe below to catch every episode of The Yarn: iTunes Spotify Stitcher
April 30, 2026 by Travis Jonker
A middle grade novel! A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic is out now and has already received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Booklist. I sat down with Philip back in October, as he had just put the finishing touches on the book. We talk about his path […]
March 7, 2026 by Travis Jonker
Jasmine Warga takes us behind the scenes of her latest middle grade novel.
February 28, 2026 by Travis Jonker
Travis: To celebrate the 400th (!) episode of the Fuse 8 n’ Kate poscast, Colby Sharp and I joined Betsy Bird and her sister Kate to discuss THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET. Is it a classic? Is it a picture book? We look at the matter from all angles. We hope you enjoy this episode: […]
February 18, 2026 by Travis Jonker
Travis: It was a pleasure to talk with Caldecott Honor winning author/illustrator Elisha Cooper about his latest book, The Rare Bird. In this episode, Elisha talks about the push and pull between making art and considering your audience, and the importance of coffee in his creative process. We hope you enjoy this episode. Subscribe below […]
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January 2, 2026 by Travis Jonker
Travis: In the latest episode of The Yarn, Colby and I look ahead to 2026. We talk about upcoming books, make some predictions, and realize that fanclubs don’t exist anymore. We hope you enjoy this episode. Subscribe below to catch every episode of The Yarn: iTunes Spotify Stitcher
December 24, 2025 by Travis Jonker
Travis: Every December Colby and I like to look back at the year in children’s books. We had a lot to talk about. In this special extended episode we discuss our favorite books, memorable moments, Newbery/Caldecott predictions, and many other topics. We hope you enjoy this episode: Subscribe below to catch every episode of The […]
December 7, 2025 by Travis Jonker
Rebecca Stead takes us behind the scenes of THE EXPERIMENT.
November 16, 2025 by Travis Jonker
Back in late June I talked with author, librarian, and Fuse #8 Production blogger Betsy Bird about her excellent 2025 picture book POP! GOES THE NURSERY RHYME.
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Teen Librarian Toolbox
by Amanda MacGregor
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