Newbery Award-Winning Rajani LaRocca shares personal insights into her writing, including when she started writing, when she came back to it, what she loves about writing in different genres, and how joy fuels her creative endeavors.

Listen in to discover:

• The original spark for her picture book SOME OF US
• The importance of sharing our citizenship stories.
• Surprising things she learned while writing this book.
• How kids respond to SOME OF US.
• Her inspiration for A VACCINE IS LIKE A MEMORY.
• How she balances her work as a physician with her work as an author.
• How being in community inspired her to write
• The struggle to write when times are tough
• The gift of giving your manuscripts time to sit
• If Rajani has a favorite among her books
• The different genres she has written
• What children say to her about her books

Books mentioned in this episode*:

• Some of Us by Rajani LaRocca and Huy Voun Lee
• A Vaccine is Like a Memory by Rajani LaRocca and Kathleen Marcottte
• Seven Golden Rings by Rajani LaRocca and Archana Sreenivasan
• Where Three Oceans Meet by Rajani LaRocca and Archana Sreenivasan
• Summer is for Cousins by Rajani LaRocca and Abhi Alwar
• Fall is for Beginnings by Rajani LaRocca and Abhi Alwar
• Your One and Only Heart by Rajani LaRocca and Lauren Paige Conrad
• Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
• Midsummer's Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca
• Random Body Parts: Gross Anatomy Riddles in Verse by Leslie Bulion and Mike Lowery
• We Are the Light by Rajani LaRocca and Sayan Mukherjee
• Vibhi and the Voice by Rajani LaRocca and Cindy Derby
• Such Great Heights by Rajani LaRocca

Get special deals on Rajani's past 12 x 12 webinars:

• Rock Your Revision for 25% off
• Rhyming vs. Lyrical: When and How (and Why) to Use Each for 25% off
• Get them both in a special bundle for 40% off!

If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Thank you for listening!

Keila V. Dawson has partnered with fellow creatives Jeanette Bradley and Lindsay Metcalf to tell the stories of young activists through the power of poetry. No Voice Too Small, No World Too Big, and No Brain The Same feature kids and teens making a difference for our planet. Keila and her team picked a different poet to celebrate this extraordinary individuals and the results are incredibly moving. (And we learned so many new things!)

A poem may seem like a quiet way to express oneself, but in the hands of these talented writers, the poems in this series of books speak up in ways you won't forget any time soon.

Listen in to discover:

• Where the original idea for these poetry anthologies came from
• The influence her work as an educator, activist, and genealogist had on this project
• How they sold the first book on proposal
• The process used for matching poets to their subjects in each book
• How they ended up with different types of poems in each book
• The design of each page and it houses the poem, a sidebar of more biographical information, and a quote from each subject
• The types of backmatter included—from a glossary to types of poems to author bios
• Additional facts the illustrations provide
• How the sequels came to be
• What they hope kids get out of these books
• A peek at a poem in the newest book in the series
• How to be included in a poem anthology
• Poetry resources
• Poetry practice
• How Keila came to write a poem for the second book
• The difference between a poem and a picture book

Books mentioned in this episode*:

• No Voice Too Small edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley
• No World Too Big edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley
• No Brain The Same edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley
• King Cake Baby by Keila V. Dawson and Vernon Smith
• Yumbo Gumbo by Keila V. Dawson and Katie Crumpton
• Opening the Road by Keila V. Dawson and Alleanna Harris
• Coming in the future: How We Got Here: Conversation with United States History and Annbelle's Beignet Cafe, a sequel to Yumbo Gumbo
• The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

Get 25% off Janet Wong's Poetry in Picture Books webinar HERE.

If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Thank you for listening!

Not a member of 12 x 12 yet? Join the wait list and get a free gift. Join here.

*At no additional cost to you, 12 x 12 may earn a commission on books published through the links in this post. (Links go to Bookshop.org when available.)

Michelle Cusolito's love for writing nonfiction picture books is palpable and, we dare say, contagious. In this episode, she generously shares her process, where her ideas have come from, and how she follows the muse—even when she's on deadline for a different project.

No matter what you write, Michelle's interview is a good reminder to write what you love... because that's when the passion shines through.

Listen in to discover:

• Why Michelle is drawn to writing about the ocean
• How she came to write a latest picture book about trees (that aren't in the ocean!)
• The information she gives to her illustrators (and what she leaves out)
• How she researches her books
• The importance of experiencing things firsthand when she's writing about a topic
• Her recommendations to writers who can't travel to do in-person research
• Where science is happening (Hint: it might be closer than you think!)
• How she organizes her research
• Her love of notebooks and working analog-style
• Nonfiction author Beth Anderson
• The beauty of spare text
• How In the World of Whales was inspired by a real-life event
• What made her stop everything to write the first draft
• How the 12 x 12 Creativity Book Group works
• How to handle critiques
• How she was able to go on a weeks-long expedition with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute to do research for her books
• Why it's important to make genuine connections as a writer

Books mentioned in this episode*:

• In the World of Whales by Michelle Cusolito and Jessica Lanan
• Flying Deep by Michelle Cusolito and Nicole Wong
• Diving Deep by Michelle Cusolito and Nicole Wong
• A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone by Michelle Cusolito
• Jellyfish Scientist by Michelle Cusolito and Ellen Rooney
• Rooted in Wonder by Michelle Cusolito and Mayra Wright
• Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews by Julie Hedlund and Ilaria Urbinati
• Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book by Kirsten W. Larson
• Giant Squid by Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann

Get 25% off Michelle Cusolito's Rigorous Research webinar (co-presented with Charlesbridge editor Karen Boss) here: www.12x12challenge.com/michelle

Please note: There is a change in the sound level about halfway through the podcast. We've adjusted it as much as we can. We apologize for any inconvenience while listening.

If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Thank you for listening!

The National Poetry Month celebration continues! 12 x 12 charter member, poet, and author Lisa Rogers shares how poetry comes into play when writing picture books—even picture book biographies.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• What it's like to be a poet and write a picture book about a poet
• How she finds the emotional throughline in her stories
• Why she's drawn to writing about creative people
• The impact of writing her John Cage book in second person
• Why she writes picture book biographies
• Why she didn't give up writing picture books
• The steps she took to stay committed to the writing craft
• How she determines the stories she's meant to write
• Why reading and writing poetry helps with writing picture books
• How word choice influences her writing choices
• The importance of creating mental images in your stories
• How sounds influence her word choice

Books mentioned in this episode*:

• 16 Words: William Carlos Williams and "The Red Wheelbarrow" by Lisa Rogers and Chuck Groenink
• Beautiful Noise: The Music of John Cage by Lisa Rogers and Il Sung Na
• Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony by Lisa Rogers and Stacy Innerst
• Woody's Words: Woodrow Wilson Rawls and Where the Red Fern Grows by Lisa Rogers and Susan Reagan
• Hound Won't Go by Lisa Rogers and Meg Ishihara
• All the Small Poems and Fourteen More by Valerie Worth and Natalie Babbitt
• Gnomes and Ungnomes: Poems of Hidden Creatures
• Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice by Kari Lavelle and Bryan Collier

Get the 12 x 12 Poetry Playbook for Picture Book Writers HERE: https://12x12challenge.com/poetryplaybook

If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Thank you for listening!

Welcome to National Poetry Month! We begin the celebration with one of our favorite poets AND poetry teachers, author Renee LaTulippe. Renee shares why she loves poetry and how, over her career, she's worked to help others understand and use poetry techniques in their own work.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How Renee helped set our 12 x 12 poetry elves up for success
• Why Renee is so passionate about poetry
• What is so appealing about free verse
• How to make poetry exciting for anyone
• Enjoying poems vs. determining their symbolism
• What should your readers take away from your work
• What she loves about the craft of writing
• What she sets out to do (and not do) with her poetry
• The definition of "common measure"
• How she went from writing poetry anthologies to a poetry picture book to a poetry graphic novel
• Ways Limelight: Curtain Up on Poetry Comics could be used in Drama and English classes.
• The difference between a poem, an anthology of poetry in picture book form, and a poem picture book
• What she's working on now

Renee LaTulippe's books*:

• Crab Ballet by Renee LaTulippe and Cécile Metzger
• Limelight: Curtain Up on Poetry Comics by Renee LaTulippe and Chuck Gonzales

Whether you adore poetry or you're afraid of it, you're bound to be inspired by this episode.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Renee LaTulippe's Writing Lyrical and Rhyming Picture Books Bundle is now available for 25% off here
• Renee's Lyrical Language Lab here
• Renee's Story Lark Road Curriculum here
• Get the free poetry download here.

If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Thank you for listening!

Welcome to our first After-Party! After-parties will be a semi-regular feature on the 12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast, where we'll take some time after a 12 x 12 webinar to dive a little deeper into something the speaker talked about or maybe ask a few questions we didn't get to during the live webinar.

Our first after-party guest is author-illustrator and bookseller Julie Rowan-Zoch. Her recent webinar, "Ask a Bookseller," is available to the public now! (Podcast listeners get 25% off! Click here.)

In the webinar, Julie shared how booksellers choose books to include in their inventory, what they want book creators to know, and how you can increase your chances of booking an event—even giving us a sneak peek at their behind-the-scenes software. In this after-party, we discuss what to actually say to a bookseller when trying to book an event or pre-order campaign, and more!

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How to approach a bookseller about hosting an event
• How pre-order campaigns work
• How far in advance should you try to schedule in-person events and pre-order campaigns
• How to set up a book event when you're traveling
• Dates and times to NOT schedule your events
• Do's and Don'ts of using social media to connect with bookstores
• How a little kindness can go a long way

Julie Rowan-Zoch's books*:

• Debug This Book written by Omar Abed and illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch
• I'm a Hare, So There! written and illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch
• Stopping By Jungle on a Snowy Evening written by Richard T. Morris and illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch
• Louis by Tom Lichtenheld and illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch
• Not All Sheep Are Boring by Bobby Moynihan and illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch
• You're Here! (Year-by-Year Books) by Karla Oceanak and Julie Rowan-Zoch
• You're One! (Year-by-Year Books) by Karla Oceanak and Julie Rowan-Zoch
• You're Two! (Year-by-Year Books) by Karla Oceanak and Julie Rowan-Zoch

Julie Rowan-Zoch's "Ask a Bookseller" webinar is now available for 25% off here.

The bookstore Julie Rowan-Zoch talks about in this episode is Old Firehouse Books.

Not a 12 x 12 member yet? Join the newsletter to find our upcoming free events, scholarships, and sales. Click here.

If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Thank you for listening!

*At no additional cost to you, 12 x 12 may earn a commission on books published through the links in this post. (Links go to Bookshop.org when available.)

What's the silver lining of having a broken arm?

While Julie is away, Kelli will play! Kelli is taking over the podcast today. And, just like writing, an idea starts in one place, and then life smacks you down, and you have to head in a different direction. She didn't intend to break her arm/shoulder and do an episode about it, but when life gives you lemons, make lemon drop martinis!

You'll discover:

• How Kelli broke her arm (and still made her flight!)
• The good and bad of breaking your dominant hand
• Praise for lefties!
• The importance of learning something new
• How to apply this to writing (It all connects, we promise!)
• Ideas for changing up your writing routine
• The benefits of finding a new perspective
• The importance of finding a critique group
• The pros of adding a new critique partner
• Type-written vs. hand-written first drafts
• A challenge to write in a different genre
• The growth that comes along with changing things up

If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Thank you for listening!