You May Contribute A Verse
This is the podcast You May Contribute a Verse, where we talk to kidlit creators, share their stories, and learn from their journeys!
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Episodes
3 days ago
3 days ago
I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster.
Josh and I found that with our powers combined, we could make Captain Planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty rad podcast with the help of behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymour.
Our guest for this conversation was Jilanne Hoffmann. You can find Jilanne on Twitter on Instagram and Blue Sky.
DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!
This episode’s book reviews:
GRUMPY MONKEY by Suzanne and Max Lang
NO PANTS written and illustrated by Jacob Grant
I AM MY ANCESTOR’S WILDEST DREAMS written by Tanisia Moore and illustrated by Robert Paul Jr.
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com
Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com
Don’t forget to get your Community Shout-Outs in for our next episode!
WE HAVE MERCH!! Check it out and support the show here!
And special thanks to our sponsor Justin Colon and his new venture The Kidlit Hive.
Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!
Thanks and see ya next time.
You May Contribute a Verse is a homespun production, produced, edited, recorded, conceptualized, and marketed by Josh Monken, Brenna Jeanneret, and Jon Seymour.
Tuesday Nov 28, 2023
Tuesday Nov 28, 2023
The one where Josh embarrasses himself. On purpose.
We talk to Maria Dismondy and Adam Blackman of Cardinal Rule Press this week about how CRP came to be, AND why and how they came to choose and publish Brenna's debut, The Law of Birthdays, out in May 2024 (add it on Goodreads today!)!
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This episode’s book reviews:
RUDELY interrupted by an interloper. Our apologies.
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com
Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com
Don’t forget to get your Community Shout-Outs in for our next episode!
WE HAVE MERCH!! Check it out and support the show here!
And special thanks to our sponsor Justin Colon and his new venture The Kidlit Hive.
Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur, and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!
Tuesday Nov 21, 2023
Tuesday Nov 21, 2023
I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster.
Josh and I found that with our powers combined, we could make Captain Planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty rad podcast with the help of behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymour.
Our guest for this conversation was Laurel Snyder. You can find Laurel Snyder on Instagram.
DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!
This episode’s book reviews:
THE BAD SEED written by Jory John illustrated by Pete Oswald
THE PERFECT SEAT written by Minh Le and Gus Gordon
THERE’S A ZOMBIE IN THE BASEMENT by Stan Yan
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com
Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com
Don’t forget to get your Community Shout-Outs in for our next episode!
WE HAVE MERCH!! Check it out and support the show here!
And special thanks to our sponsor Justin Colon and his new venture The Kidlit Hive.
Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!
Thanks and see ya next time.
You May Contribute a Verse is a homespun production, produced, edited, recorded, conceptualized, and marketed by Josh Monken, Brenna Jeanneret, and Jon Seymour.
Tuesday Nov 07, 2023
Tuesday Nov 07, 2023
"There's a big contract, there are a lot of words in it, and none of them rhyme..."
Ah, the perennial conflict with us picture book writers looking to break through. Thankfully for our guest this week, Rebecca Gardyn Levington, she seems to have managed to figure it out, with her 2022 debut Brainstorm quickly followed by this year's Whatever Comes Tomorrow, and apparently many more to come!
And hey illustrators, or authors if you're feeling bold, stay tuned (or fast forward if you're pressed for time?) for an illustration challenge at the end of the episode! Tag your entry on social with #PingPongPattyVerse!
DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!
This episode’s book reviews:
MY DAD IS A TREE by Jon Agee
THE UNBUDGEABLE CURMUDGEON by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Fiona Woodcock
A PIZZA WITH EVERYTHING ON IT by Kyle Scheele, illustrated by Andy J. Miller (not Pizza, but maybe Pizza? it's very mysterious)
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com
Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com
Don’t forget to get your Community Shout-Outs in for our next episode!
WE HAVE MERCH!! Check it out and support the show here!
And special thanks to our sponsor Justin Colon and The Kidlit Hive.
Find us on the socials at @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster.
Josh and I found that with our powers combined, we could make Captain Planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty rad podcast with the help of behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymour.
Our guest for this conversation was Malcolm Newsome. You can find Malcolm on Twitter and Instagram.
DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!
This episode’s book reviews:
IT’S FALL by Renee Kurilla
HUGO AND THE IMPOSSIBLE THING by Renée Felice Smith and Chris Gabriel illustrated by Sydney Hanson
THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED by Kailei Pew illustrated by Steph Lew
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com
Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com
Don’t forget to get your Community Shout-Outs in for our next episode!
WE HAVE MERCH!! Check it out and support the show here!
And special thanks to our sponsor Justin Colon and his new venture The Kidlit Hive.
Find us on Twitter @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!
Thanks and see ya next time.
You May Contribute a Verse is a homespun production, produced, edited, recorded, conceptualized, and marketed by Josh Monken, Brenna Jeanneret, and Jon Seymour.
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
We recorded this during a break in Josh's workday. Please ignore his work phone buzzing incessantly in the background!
Chelsea Lin Wallace is incredible and we hope you enjoy this chat! Chelsea's mom is a psychologist, but it's only here that we really delve into the deepest recesses of her mind and our writing inspiration.
DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!
This episode’s book reviews:
Humphrey the Egg-Splorer by Nadia Ali, illustrated by Valenti Gubianas
Vampenguin by Lucy Ruth Cummins
Donuts for Everybody by Jerrold Connors!
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com
Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com
Don’t forget to get your Community Shout-Outs in for our next episode!
WE HAVE MERCH!! Check it out and support the show here!
And special thanks to our sponsor Justin Colon and The Kidlit Hive.
Find us on the socials at @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!
Tuesday Sep 26, 2023
Tuesday Sep 26, 2023
I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster.
Josh and I found that with our powers combined, we could make Captain Planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty rad podcast with the help of behind-the-scenes wizardry from Jon Seymour.
Our guest for this conversation was Kate Allen Fox. You can find Kate on Twitter BlueSky and Threads.
DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!
This episode’s book reviews:
FOLLOW THAT FROG by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Matthew Cordell
HIDDEN GEM by Linda Liu
BANANA written and illustrated by Zoey Abbott
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com
Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com
Don’t forget to get your Community Shout-Outs in for our next episode!
WE HAVE MERCH!! Check it out and support the show here!
And special thanks to our sponsor Justin Colon and his new venture The Kidlit Hive.
Find us on Twitter @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!
Thanks and see ya next time.
You May Contribute a Verse is a homespun production, produced, edited, recorded, conceptualized, and marketed by Josh Monken, Brenna Jeanneret, and Jon Seymour.
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
The one where Josh makes Tara Lazar cry with his questions, and the state of the publishing industry makes us all cry. Tara's Flat Cat, illustrated by Pete Oswald, releases today (as of episode publication, September 19th, ALSO unrelatedly Talk Like A Pirate Day)! Check it out!
DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!
This episode’s book reviews:
The Smart Cookie by Jory John and Pete Oswald (of Flat Cat fame!)
Goldilocks and the Three Knocks by Gregory Barrington
Louis by Tom Lichtenheld
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com
Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com
Don’t forget to get your Community Shout-Outs in for our next episode!
WE HAVE MERCH!! Check it out and support the show here!
And special thanks to our sponsor Justin Colon and The Kidlit Hive.
Find us on the socials at @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
This is You May Contribute A Verse!
I’m Brenna Jeanneret. Kidlit author, and co-host of this podcast, duh!
I’m joined by my co-host, Josh Monken, kidlit author, dad, and science communicator. And Podcast Wizard Jon Seymour, an author-illustrator, family man, and data dude.
If you’re in the query trenches, if you’re hearing crickets on sub, if you just started, keep going. Steph’s book WHAT IS HOPE illustrated by Kelsey Buzzell drops today and is the perfect button for Steph’s opening point–writing takes time and it’s ok to take a break, sometimes a long break, writing will be here and so will hope.
Also, you’ll want to check Steph’s page to see Tara Hannon’s original illustrations that helped to inspire this beautiful and important book.
Our guest for this conversation was Steph Lucianovic. You can find Steph on Twitter.
DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!
This episode’s book reviews:
MINA by author-illustrator Matthew Forsythe
THE ELDERS ARE WATCHING by David Bouchard illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers
THE DAY I SWAPPED MY DAD FOR TWO GOLDFISH written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com
Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com
Don’t forget to get your Community Shout-Outs in for our next episode!
WE HAVE MERCH!! Check it out and support the show here!
And special thanks to our sponsor Justin Colon and his new venture The Kidlit Hive.
Find us on Twitter @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!
Thanks and see ya next time.
You May Contribute a Verse is a homespun production, produced, edited, recorded, conceptualized, and marketed by Josh Monken, Brenna Jeanneret, and Jon Seymour.
Tuesday Aug 29, 2023
Tuesday Aug 29, 2023
The title of this episode is, of course, a play on our guest Jess Townes's latest book Sometimes I Cry, due out in September (2023, for those of you in the future).
Jess and Josh are Midwest neighbors! Josh thinks it's really cool that his new buddy Jess works at his own local bookstore. Brenna also thinks it's cool to feature cake in your books. In this episode we kind of unveil some things about cake in Jess's work.
Josh is here, Brenna is here, and Jon is here! And our Linktree is here (please subscribe!).
And Justin Colon's Kidlit Hive editorial services (and other upcoming events!) are here!
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Our reviews this week:
Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall
Monet's Cat by Lily Murray, illustrated by Becky Cameron
Superbuns! by Diane Kredensor