Picture Books Are for Grown-Ups Too!
Picture books aren’t just for children. Picture books are for grown-ups too! Listen in as we speak with picture book authors, illustrators, and enthusiasts about how these stories contribute to human thriving. Discover how picture books can affirm our experiences, introduce us to new perspectives, serve as conversation starters, foster meaningful reflection, and give us words to make sense of the world! Ultimately, you’re never too old for a great picture book AND these tiny tales can lead to big connection! Join us for the journey, and discover something that might contribute to YOUR thriving.
Episodes
23 episodes
Season 1 Reflection | Nyasha Gopo Interviews Patrice Gopo :)
In this end-of-season bonus episode of Picture Books Are for Grown-Ups Too!, Nyasha Gopo, Patrice’s husband, hosts the podcast and asks Patrice her thoughts about this first season. Listen as Patrice reflects back and shares a couple e...
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Season 1
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21:07
S1E20 | Judy Allen Dodson and 'The Ashe Brothers: How Arthur and Johnnie Changed Tennis Forever'
“We can give and share our gifts no matter where we are. No matter where we are in life, no matter what we are going through, we all have gifts to share.” –Judy Allen DodsonToday we’re talking the beauty and importance of sports, sibling...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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23:30
S1E19 | Patty Lyons and 'Something about Grandma' (written and illustrated by Tania de Regil)
“We have to be very conscious about how we’re going to tell our stories to our children and our grandchildren.” –Patty LyonsToday we have a lovely discussion with picture-book enthusiast and librarian Patty Lyons about thinking about who...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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21:28
S1E18 | Amanda Davis and 'Moonlight Memories'
“Art can be a place of comfort and healing after loss.” and “Healing isn’t linear. It’s a journey that continues on.” –Amanda DavisJoin in today’s thoughtful and poignant conversation about grief, loss, and the power of art to help us he...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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24:10
S1E17 | Alliah L. Agostini and 'Big Tune: Rise of the Dancehall Prince'
“It’s important for people to understand that there is more than one immigrant experience, there is more than one Jamaican-American experience. There are so many.” –Alliah L. AgostiniToday’s conversation is filled with joy, energy, and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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25:13
S1E16 | Kamalani Hurley and 'Unspeakable' (written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper)
“We don’t ignore the past. We live with the past every day. And so this idea of ignoring difficult past subjects really doesn’t make too much sense for me. How will you learn if you don’t talk about it?” –Kamalani HurleyListen in as ...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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23:55
S1E15 | Jenin Mohammed and 'Song in the City'
“It does feel like when you’re reading a picture book for the first time, there is a stop in time.” –Jenin MohammedToday we talk about the reality that life doesn’t allow everyone the time to face a “wall of text,” the process of bringin...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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20:58
S1E14 | Shirin Shamsi and 'Zahra’s Blessing: A Ramadan Story'
“Picture books are a way of connecting our human family and making the world kinder and more empathetic. I really hope we can make the world better by sharing stories with everyone.” –Shirin ShamsiListen in as Shirin Shamsi talks about u...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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25:01
S1E13 | Abbigail Glen of Shelves Bookstore & 'Ruby Finds a Worry' (by Tom Percival)
“Picture books show us is that there was a point in all of our lives where you were allowed to just figure things out. Is there room in your life now to give yourself that same grace?” —Abbigail Glen of S...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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20:47
S1E12 | Gloria Amescua and 'Child of the Flower-Song People'
“I hope [this story] helps people appreciate where they came from and who they are and being proud of that . . . Adults also feel, ‘I can be proud of my origins. I can be proud of who I am and what I have to give to the world.’” –Gloria A...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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25:42
S1E11 | Holly Hatam and 'A Good Deed Can Grow'
“You don’t have to have this huge good deed that you have to do. Something that is not obtainable. A good deed is just opening a door or saying “hello” or helping someone with their bags . . . I wanted to show that a good deed can be so s...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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21:12
S1E10 | Terry Catasús Jennings and 'The Little House of Hope'
“Hope is the beginning of progress. Hope is the beginning of moving forward.” –Terry Catasús JenningsToday we’re talking about immigration experiences, seeing past labels, and the power of hope with Terry Catasús Jennings.Tod...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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25:09
S1E9 | Maria Marianayagam and 'Watercress' (written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin)
Join us for this touching, poignant, and important conversation about family stories, shame, understanding our history, engaging our humanity, and the power of rewriting the stories we tell with picture book enthusiast Maria Marianayagam.
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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20:14
S1E8 | Michelle Nott and 'Teddy, Let’s Go'
Listen in as Michelle talks about love and trust, the emergence of stories, and the ways thinking about first moments can connect with others.“Just by pure design, a picture book is for all ages, for all generations.” –Michelle Nott<...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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24:19
S1E7 | Alicia D. Williams and 'The Talk'
“To see the beauty, though, to see the beauty of a Black family in a picture book and how they all care for him in such a gentle way.” –Alicia D. WilliamsListen in as Alicia D. shares the origins of this story (it CHOSE her!), the joy s...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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29:00
S1E6 | Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and 'Mae Makes a Way'
Today we talk the glory of hats, the beauty of using our gifts, and the impact we can have on another person’s life. “Activism is not just one thing. There’s no one way to be an activist. There’s no one way to serve your community. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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22:07
S1E5 | Des Cooper and 'Nothing Special'
“When we left, that word ‘home’ became very complicated.” –Des CooperListen in as Des talks about how picture books are art and exist on multiple levels, and how what might appear as a simple story can hold even more meaning for an adult...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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22:25
S1E4 | Adrea Theodore and 'A History of Me'
Join us for this thoughtful and important conversation about telling a different narrative, considering what characteristics we might inherit from our families, creating space for stories that might connect us, and more!“You can see forw...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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25:58
S1E3 | Carter Higgins and 'Big and Small and In-Between'
Join us for a fabulous conversation about lists, journaling prompts, shared stories, and so much more!“Don’t be afraid to collect picture books as a grown-up who has no connection to children. That doesn’t make you strange or weird. That...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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21:03
S1E2 | Jyoti Rajan Gopal and 'American Desi'
Today we’re talking celebrating identity, straddling multiple cultures, and being seen for all the parts of who we are with Jyoti Rajan Gopal!“Connection is created through curiosity and conversation.” –Jyoti Rajan GopalToday’s...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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26:10
S1E1 | Tameka Fryer Brown and 'Twelve Dinging Doorbells'
Today we’re talking family, fun, food traditions, and love with Tameka Fryer Brown!“I think picture books minister to us. In all kinds of ways. Not only do they bring joy, but they also can encourage healing. They can make us feel seen.”...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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19:57
A Few Stories While You Wait . . .
I won’t be releasing the first official episode of this podcast until sometime in January 2023. However, I just wrapped up recording my first couple of interviews. These were great conversations about how picture books can create connection. Bu...
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Season 1
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6:02