Janet Costa Bates, author of Time for Bed, Old House and Rica Baptista: Llamas, Iguanas, and My Very Best Friend, talks to Candlewick Press about her childhood reading experiences, her “quilting” writing method, and her path to publication.

Episode Show Notes:

• Lee and Low interviews Janet.
• Janet talks to Sonja Cherry-Paul on The Black Creators Series podcast.
• Learn more about Janet at janetcostabates.com.

Chris Van Dusen, illustrator of the Mercy Watson books and author-illustrator of Hattie & Hudson, The Circus Ship, Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit, and Big Truck, Little Island, talks to Candlewick Press about his childhood, his work for children’s media giants like Nickelodeon, and his art outside of the world of kid lit.

Episode show notes and cited sources:

• Chris talks about his childhood in this interview with Reading Rockets.
• Portland Press Herald offers a deeper dive into Chris’s life.
• Chris discusses his early career in illustration in this interview with L.L.Bean.
• Chris talks about his work for Nickelodeon and Disney magazines.
• Learn more about Chris at chrisvandusen.com.

• Flavia talks to The Illustration Department podcast about her PhD work on picture books and horror.
• Flavia talks to The Children’s Book Podcast about her love of monsters.
• Flavia shares the story of her life on her YouTube channel.
• Visit flaviazdrago.com to learn more about Flavia Z. Drago.

Flavia Z. Drago, author-illustrator of Gustavo, the Shy Ghost, Leila, the Perfect Witch, Monsters Play... Counting!, and Monsters Play... Peekaboo! talks to Candlewick Press about her childhood, what it means to have the support of her family, and her love of monsters and spooky things.

• Lindsay talks to the Cracking the Cover blog about her childhood.
• Lindsay talks to the Literary Rambles blog about the fairy tale retellings, plays, and ballets that she wrote when she was a child.
• Lindsay shares her publication journey on The Story of the Book, a podcast hosted by Lindsay and author Hayley Chewins.

Lindsay Eagar, author of The Patron Thief of Bread, Hour of the Bees, Race to the Bottom of the Sea, and The Bigfoot Files, talks to Candlewick Press about her childhood and family, fairy tales, and bread.

• Eugene talks to Publishers Weekly about his childhood memories.
• Elizabeth Bicknell and Eugene Yelchin Discuss Revising a Manuscript for Young Readers.
• In this Q&A with Publishers Weekly, Eugene talks about risking his life for books.
• On his website, Eugene talks about his personal and professional history.
• Eugene talks about feeling emotionally and psychologically guarded after his move to the United States in this interview with the International Literacy Association.

Eugene Yelchin, author of The Genius Under the Table (Sydney Taylor Honor Winner) and coauthor of The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge, talks to Candlewick Press about his childhood in the former Soviet Union, his art, banned books, and more.

• The Jewish News of Northern California features Maggie and The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea.
• Listen to Maggie’s Let’s Not Panic podcast about her travels across South America.
• Maggie shares more of her travels in this Let’s Not Panic video.
• Maggie talks about the process of writing and publishing a children’s book in this blog post: So You Want to Write a Kids’ Book? Oh No.

Maggie Tokuda-Hall, author of Also an Octopus; The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea; and Love in the Library talks to Candlewick Press about the many hats she has worn in the field of children’s literature, her childhood and teen years, and her travels to South America.

Episode Show Notes:

• Chitra talks about the first storytelling prize she received on the Picture Book Den blog.
• Chitra talks about reading and Indian culture on her YouTube channel.
• Chitra shares her publishing experience on the My Book Corner blog.
• Chitra discusses her writing process on The Reading Realm blog.
• Chitra talks about her favorite writing locations on The Parrot Street blog.

Chitra shares the Seven Habits of a Highly Distracted Writer on the Awfully Big Blog Adventure.