You May Contribute A Verse

Chickens, Birds, Bees and Compost with Melody Plan

Our guest today is Melody Plan, author of Inside the Compost Bin illustrated by Rong Pham and Vinh Nguyen. We talk birds and animal care, how Melody got her agent, and saying no to an opportunity when it doesn’t line up with your goals.
You can find Melody here.
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This episode’s book reviews:
If you want to be a part of the #KidlitForKamala movement or want more information click here.
I VOTED: MAKING A CHOICE MAKES A DIFFERENCE by Mark Shulman and Serge Bloch
LUNCH EVERY DAY  by Kathryn Otoshi
BITZY BAT SCHOOL STAR  by Kaz Windness
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  
Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 
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.

Like A Good Neighbor, Stay Over There with Steph Henson

Our guest Steph Henson is great! As summer wanes and the school year waxes, we catch up with Steph on her recent release No School, My Rules with Tielmour Press!
 
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This episode’s book reviews:
MONSTER HANDS by Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan, illustrated by Dion MBD
DEEP, DEEP DOWN: THE SECRET UNDERWATER POETRY OF THE MARIANA TRENCH by Lydia Lukidis, illustrated by Juan Calle Velez
POPI'S ALL SOULS SONG by C.K. Malone, illustrated by Shelly Swann
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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  
Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 
Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Inside the Prolific Mind of Laura Gehl

Our guest for this conversation was Laura Gehl author of Robot Shabbat, Snow Is..., Saving Delicia and many more. We chat about being prolific, how she gets her good news, and using neuroscience in picture books!
You can find Laura here.
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This episode’s book reviews:
DONUTS FOR EVERYBODY by Jerrold Connors 
MY MAMA IS A WORK OF ART written by Hana Acabado
THIS BOOK IS DEFINITELY NOT CURSED written by Megan Woodward and illustrated by Risa Rodil
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  
Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 
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.

T.F. Sabin, the Tom Brady of Picture Books

In which Josh says 'inspirational' a lot because he was excited about the conversation. Author T.F. Sabin is great and we can't wait for you to hear all about her journey, what drives her, and how she's driven to be the best she can be.
Here is T.F. Sabin's picture book journal, by the way: GOALS
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This episode’s book reviews:
SCORCH, HEDGEHOG OF DOOM by Cate Berry, illustrated by Margherita Grasso
FARMHOUSE by Sophie Blackall
SYDNEY'S BIG SPEECH by Malcolm Newsome, illustrated by Jade Orlando
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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  
Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 
Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Everything Everywhere All At Once With Maddie Frost

Our guest for this conversation was Maddie Frost–friend of the pod, artist behind Versey the podcast mascot and author illustrator of Smug Seagull, Just Be Jelly and the GN series Wombats. We chat illustrating, switching agents, and working on multiple projects at once. You can find Maddie on Instagram.
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This episode’s book reviews:
VROOM by Barbara Mcclintock 
TATE’S WILD RESCUE written by Jenny Turnbull and illustrated by Izzy Burton
SILLY BOOBIES A LOVE STORY written by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Christopher Weyant
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  
Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 
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.

Writing for Little Me with Chloe Ito Ward

Life hacks and tangents and accidental nonfiction, oh my!
Lots of potential episode titles in this one. Our conversation with Chloe Ito Ward is here!
Grab her book Love Grows Here... here! 
Our podcast service auto-transcribed my intro with the name You Make a Drip Be Diverse. Should we change it to this AI-generated alternative??
(I apologize for the noise on my solo recording that sounded like I was recording from inside an airplane engine!)
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This episode’s book reviews:
MILLIE FLEUR'S POISON GARDEN by Christy Mandin
LUIS AND TABITHA by Steph Campisi (hi Steph!), illustrated by Hollie Mengert
EVERY DOG IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD by Philip C Stead, illustrated by Matthew Cordell
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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  
Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 
Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Desperation and Bookshelves with James McGowan

The vibes are strong with James McGowan! Agent, author, YouTuber, and great guest! 
 
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This episode’s book reviews:
CAN I BE YOUR DOG by Troy Cummings
BUILDING A BEAK: HOW A TOUCAN'S RESCUE INSPIRED THE WORLD, written by Becca McMurdie, illustrated by Diana Hernandez
EMERGENCY QUARTERS, written by Carlos Matias, illustrated by Gracey Zhang
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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  
Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 
Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

One of Three Josh Funks

Papa J Funk is here and he's taking no questions.
Luckily for us, Josh Funk IS taking questions!
 
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This episode’s book reviews:
TOUCH THE SKY by Stephanie Lucianovic, illustrated by Chris Park
THE MESS THAT WE MADE by Michelle Lord, illustrated by Julia Blattman
DUCK AND MOOSE: DUCK MOVES IN and MOOSE BLASTS OFF by Kirk Reedstrom
 
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot Versey, and was generously created for us 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  
Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 
Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Falling Out The Window with Jacob Sager Weinstein

Team Versy is Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster, Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster Jon Seymour, podcast wizard, author/illustrator and family man. 
Our guest for this conversation was Jacob Sager Weinstein. You can find Jacob on Twitter and Bluesky.
DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here!
This episode’s book reviews:
STAY WILD MY CHILD by Mandy Archer, with illustrations by Shane Crampton
A SPOONFUL OF FROGS by Casey Lyall’s illustrated by Vera Brosgol 
SUMMER: A SOLSTICE STORY written by Kelsey Gross and illustrated by Renata Liwska
 
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  
Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!! 
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.

Remembering Katey Howes

The world lost one of the brightest lights in the kidlit sky last week with the passing of author Katey Howes. 
Today we're remembering Katey and honoring her memory with a reshare of a conversation Josh first had with her in July 2021. 
If you have a memory of Katey you'd like to share, please consider doing so via this Google Form. A memory book will be created and gifted to each of her three children, containing photos and remembrances from those of us in the kidlit community who were fortunate enough to know her.
Katey's work is beautiful, sincere, encouraging, and timeless. To further support her family, if you're able, order one of her books or request them from your local library. Katey's published work can be found on her website.
Katey's latest book, Reindeer Remainders, is just a few weeks away from release. Please also consider ordering it from Amazon or your local bookseller.