SLJ Blog Network +

Posts by Travis Jonker

December 7, 2025 by Travis Jonker

Newbery Winner Rebecca Stead on THE EXPERIMENT

Rebecca Stead takes us behind the scenes of THE EXPERIMENT.

November 16, 2025 by Travis Jonker

POP! Betsy Bird is on The Yarn

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.

October 18, 2025 by Travis Jonker

“It was mass psychosis.” Katie Kennedy Talks About DID YOU HEAR WHAT HAPPENED IN SALEM?

Travis: Back in June at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Philly, I sat down with Katie Kennedy to talk about her excellent middle grade nonfiction book Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? The Witch Trials of 1692. In this episode, Katie talks about what it was like to revisit one of the […]

More Recent Posts

Making SUNDUST with Zeke Peña

September 29, 2025 by Travis Jonker

Travis: Back in June, I talked with author/illustrator Zeke Peña about his beautiful new picture book, SUNDUST. In this episode, Zeke talks about the unique way SUNDUST was created, and his unconventional path to making picture books. We hope you enjoy this episode. Subscribe below to catch every episode of The Yarn: iTunes Spotify Stitcher

SPEED ROUND with the 2025 Newbery Winners!

July 28, 2025 by Travis Jonker

SPEED ROUND with the 2025 Newbery winners!

The Yarn LIVE with the 2025 Newbery Winners! (Part I)

July 19, 2025 by Travis Jonker

A special LIVE episode with all the 2025 Newbery winners!

Behind the Scenes of a Caldecott Honor Winning Book: Molly Mendoza and Aida Salazar Discuss JOVITA WORE PANTS

June 1, 2025 by Travis Jonker

Aida Salazar and Molly Mendoza take us behind the scenes of their Caldecott Honor winning book.

‘The best poem is the one that starts with ‘and”: Mk Smith Despres Visits The Yarn

May 3, 2025 by Travis Jonker

Author Mk Smith Despres takes us behind the scenes of their poetic picture book THERE'S THAT SUN AGAIN.

The Making of a Sequel: JUST ONE WAVE

April 15, 2025 by Travis Jonker

Travis: In the latest episode, Colby and I talk about the making of Just One Wave, the summertime sequel to my author/illustrator debut, Just One Flake. You can find it at these locations: McLean & Eakin | Bookshop | Amazon I share the inspiration for the book, how the art was made, and why a fancy piece of technology […]