Send us a text Starting school can feel exciting — and a little scary too! In this episode of Picture Book Podcast, I’m sharing five picture books that are perfect for easing first-day jitters. From stories that spark giggles to tales of quiet courage, these books are ideal for helping children (and parents) step into school with confidence. Books mentioned in this episode: The Koala Who Could by Rachel Bright & Jim FieldSchool’s First Day of School by Adam Rex & Christian Robin...

In this episode, Chris sits down with former teacher turned award-winning author and storyteller, Jude Lennon. From her early days in the classroom to the creation of her beloved storytelling mascot Lamby, Jude shares her inspiring journey into the world of children’s literature and beyond. Chris and Jude dive into the stories behind her popular picture books, explore the themes of kindness, mindfulness, and adventure that run through her work, and offer an exclusive peek at what’s coming nex...

Chris chats with speech and language therapist Marie Robert to discuss bilingualism, dyslexia, phonic awareness and dyslexia.

Happy New Year! Chris starts the year off by revealing his top 10 picture books of 2024. These books are: 1. The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers & Sam Winston 2. The Search for Carmella by Chloe Savage 3. The Bridges by Tom Percival 4. The Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales by Catherine Cawthorne 5. Grey by Laura Dockrill 6. Flower Block by Lanisha Butterfield 7. How to Hide. star by Oliver Jeffers 8. Let’s All Say Yes! By Nia Roberts 9. I Follow the Fox by Rob Biddulph 10. ...

In this episode, Chris reflects on a year filled with reading. From exploring picture books on the podcast to helping older children develop their reading skills in the classroom, and sharing the joy of stories with his daughter, Chris dives into the lessons learned and moments that made this year special. Join him as he celebrates the power of reading in teaching, learning, and family life.

After being absent fo over a month, Chris is thrilled to be back with a brand new episode. In this week’s episode, Chris chats with author Mindy Burks who talks about her debut book ‘Santa’s Baby’, a story with a concept that is sure to intrigue many readers. As the title suggests, the book is about Santa’s baby daughter who learns how to live amongst the many elves in the North Pole environment and how to stay off the naughty list. Throughout the story, Santa’s baby learns how Christmas is ...

Chris chats with author Paula Banks about her new book, ‘Dream Big: Peyton’s Hip-Hop Adventure’. The story follows Peyton, an energetic young girl with a love for hip-hop music, who discovers the courage and bravery to overcome fear and self-doubt. Paula shares her inspiration for the book and what she hopes readers will gain from Peyton’s journey. You can purchase your own copy of ‘Dream Big: Peyton’s Hip-Hop Adventure’ https://amzn.eu/d/58lUcEY Find Paula on Instagram @authorpaulab...

After a being absent for a few weeks, Chris is back with a brand new episode of Picture Book Podcast. In this episode Chris talks about fairy tales and how they have evolved over time but still stay appealing to young readers. Chris particularly focuses on how fairy tales are an important part of a child’s reading progress and how both original and modern versions of these tales have morals that readers can learn from.

Chris chats with author Sara H Fowler to discuss her debut book ‘Castle of Knots’. When a beautiful young princess is trapped within a castle of knots---a mighty fortress covered in brambles, tangled weeds, and underbrush---a brave knight, also known as Mom, must cross the Valley of Dollies and Laundry Lake to take on the impossible task of freeing the princess...just in time for school. Sara talks about how this idea came about and how she embedded themes of a fairy tale and adapted it to f...

This week, Chris chats with author Jennifer Nestor to talk about her debut picture book ‘Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality’. During the chat they discuss the importance of celebrating individuality and how we all must embrace and love who we are. Chris also recommends other picture books that celebrate individuality. You can purchase a copy of ‘Jane Escapes to the Jungle of Individuality’ via Amazon. https://a.co/d/3WCa89i You can learn more bout Jennifer by going to ...

In this episode of the *Picture Book Podcast*, host Chris Marland explores the role picture books play in promoting anti-racism and acceptance. He discusses several impactful books that address themes of diversity, unity, and empathy, highlighting how they can shape young readers' understanding of the world. Here is the complete list of all the books Chris mentions in this episode 1. Here We Are Author:Oliver Jeffers Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers 2. Begin Aga...

Chris chats with author MG Prezioso to talk about her book series Whole Wilde World. MG has released two books in this series so far, ‘Charlie’s Big Race’ and ‘Callie’s Birthday Surprise’, with the former focusing on asthma and the latter focusing on allergies. Chris and MG discuss the importance of promoting health conditions and how picture books can be used to help young readers understand the symptoms of them. Chris also recommends picture books that focus on different health conditions....

This week, Chris joins author Mia McGlynn to discuss the various picture books that she has released. During the interview Mia speaks a great deal about how she hopes her books that talk about acceptance, diversity and kindness will help improve how we treat each other and as a result improve mental health. So Chris decided to include some book recommendations at the beginning of this episode that promote kindness and acceptance. The books that Chris mentions are: Quiet by Tom Percival...

In this week’s episode you will hear an episode from the brilliant ‘The Children’s Book Podcast’ hosted by Matthew Winner. In this episode of The Children’s Book Podcast’, Matthew chats with author Katz Windness. Kaz Windness, Bitsy Bat, School Star (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books) and Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends (Simon Spotlight), creates stories with themes of navigating relationships, building resilient friendships, and being accepted for the spicy little weirdo you are. ...

Chris discusses how repetitive phrases in picture books is an important element in helping children with their reading. He later discusses this with author Linda Penisten and why she includes it in her ‘The Adventures of Granola Squatch’ books. Books mentioned in this podcast: 1. ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?’ by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle 2. ‘We're Going on a Bear Hunt’ by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury 3 ‘Chicka Chicka Boom Boom’ by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault...

Chris interviews chats with author Natasha Iregbu to talk about her debut picture book 'Slow Down Amaya'. 'Slow Down Amaya' tells the story of the butterfly Amaya who with the help of her friend Sammy the sunflower learns how to use mindfulness to help her slow down and be in the moment. Throughout the conversation Chris and Natasha discuss the importance of mindfulness and how through picture books children can gin a better understanding of how they can use it to hlp them slow d...

Send us a text Chris chats with author Ronda Wojcicki to discuss her upcoming book ‘When the World Slowed Down’ and ‘Speech Class Rules’. During this episode Chris and Ronda talk about the importance of including a good message in your story and how writing what we know can give us the best outcomes. You can find Ronda via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057613451183 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechplacepub?igsh=MWVscW14M3F4ZXdiYg== Support her Kickstarter ...

In this episode Chris explains why he believes that picture book play a crucial role in a child’s development and how they can support them throughout their childhood.

Chris is joined by author Dr Jen Mott, illustrator Sara Relojo and formatter Emily Hunter-Higgins to talk about their book ‘Why Teaching?’. ‘Why Teaching?’ Is about a young child who is encouraged to to take different job paths in the future but continues to insist that she wants to be a teacher. The book is a voice to those who want to be teachers but also those who are or have been teachers and have inspired others. You can find Jen Mott via her website: https://drjenmott.com/...

Send us a text Chris chats with author and illustrator Callen Till to talk about his book ‘Do You Think Molly Is Unique’, a book that gives an important message about standing up for yourself and being proud of who you are. During the interview, Callen chats about his inspirations, his illustrating process and how he approached writing the book. To find out more about Callen you can check out his website https://callentill.net/ You can purchase ‘Do You Think Molly Is Unique?’ via Amazon htt...