SCBWI Podcast Season 2

Peter Brown has written and illustrated many best-selling and award-winning picture books, including Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, Children Make Terrible Pets, and The Curious Garden. His illustrations for Creepy Carrots, written by Aaron Reynolds, earned him a 2013 Caldecott Honor. His first novel for young people is The Wild Robot. Peter speaks with Theo Baker about the evolution of his style, his process and the use of technology.

Connie Hsu is an executive editor at Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Publishing, a founding member of the Children’s Book Council Diversity Committee, and a member of the Brooklyn Book Festival Children’s Planning Committee. Her authors include Vera Brosgol, Ruth Chan, Angela Dominguez, Shannon Hale, Kathryn Otoshi, Dan Santat, Steve Sheinkin, Mariko Tamaki, Susan Tan, and Tillie Walden. Connie speaks to. Theo Baker about her journey to being an editor, how she sees an editor’s role, and what she’s looking for in a manuscript.

Sara Varon is a graphic novelist and children’s book author/illustrator living in Brooklyn. Her books include Odd Duck, which was selected by Kirkus Reviews as one of the Best Children’s Books of 2013, Bake Sale, which was named a YALSA Great Graphic Novel for 2012, and Robot Dreams, which was on Oprah’s Kids’ Reading List in 2008 and selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the 150 best books of 2008. She was a recipient of the 2013 Maurice Sendak Fellowship and an Eisner nominee in 2014, and currently teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York. In this interview with Theo Baker, Sara shares about the evolution of her art, her style, and insights she’s gained on the journey.

Gail Carson Levine’s first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a Newbery Honor Book. Levine’s other books include Ever, a New York Times best seller; Fairest, a Best Book of the Year for Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal, and many others. In this conversation with Theo Baker, Gail shares about her career, her process, and some of the lessons—and techniques—she’s learned along the way.

Mike Curato is the award-winning author/illustrator of Little Elliot picture book series, as well as the illustrator of Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian, All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle. Mike tells Theo Baker about his career journey, what it took to get his portfolio ready, and how SCBWI changed everything.

Cheryl Klein, editorial director at Lee & Low Books, speaks with Theo Baker about the insights she’s gained as an editor, the importance of diverse voices, the publishing and writing sides to the question “who can write what?”, and telling the story of your heart. Klein also speaks about her own books, the writing craft The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults and the picture books Things with Wings and Thunder Trucks.

President and publisher of her eponymous imprint at Penguin Young Readers, Nancy Paulsen shares her vision, her list, the process of revision for middle grade novels, what goes into publishing a picture book, and much more in conversation with host Theo Baker.

Illustrator Raul Colon discusses his inspirations, from comic books to the impressionists, dives deep into his process, discusses digital versus analog methods of creating art, offers his advice to illustrators still trying to find their unique style, and much more with Theo Baker.

Covering Jennifer Laughran’s running start as a (now senior) agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, the importance of sharing a vision with her author and illustrator clients, the elements of building a career, the years behind some “overnight successes,” creates a lively discussion with Theo Baker.

Host Theo Baker delves into conversation with author Stephanie Garber about her publishing journey, her writing process, and the success of her debut YA fantasy, Caraval, that hit the New York Times bestseller list.

Javaka Steptoe’s art education (both in-school and out) as well as his creative process and the role of curiosity are part of the conversation with Theo Baker and the Caldecott-winning, Coretta Scott King Award-winning, and New York Times bestselling author/illustrator.

Spanning the challenges of being an editor, thoughts on world-building and character, and insight into the founding of the Salaam Reads imprint of Simon & Schuster, Zareen Jaffery’s conversation with Theo Baker overflows with her passion for increasing the diversity of children’s literature and smart advice about how to be part of the solution.

Sean Qualls talks about his journey to becoming a children’s book creator, what inspired him, and how his own style evolved. An award-winning children’s book illustrator, artist, and author, Qualls’ talk with Theo Baker is packed with insights about his process, his collaborations, and much more.

Vice president and publisher of Beach Lane Books Allyn Johnston’s one-on-one conversation with Theo Baker is filled with wisdom, and stories of Beach Lane Book’s authors and illustrators, including the questions Johnston asks of each project, and the lessons she’s learned as an editor and publisher.

Join Neal Porter, editorial director of Neal Porter Books at MacMillan’s Roaring Brook Press, in a discussion with host Theo Baker about how a background in theater paid off in picture books, the many different roles of an editor, the business of children’s books and where it’s going.

Find out about the apprenticeship process of becoming an editor, the importance of YA, what makes it on her own list, and the surprising book she read as an 8th grader that changed everything. Join president and publisher of Dutton Books, Julie Strauss-Gabel, in conversation with Theo Baker.

Join Newbery Award-winning Author Linda Sue Park in a one-on-one conversation with Theo Baker covering poetry, revision, her process, #WeNeedDiverseBooks, and more.