Bianca with Julie Hedlund on Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews

09/05/23 • 45 min

The Children's Book Review: Growing Readers Podcast

Get ready to be inspired by Julie Hedlund and her outstanding involvement in writing communities! In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, she shares her research process behind her masterpiece Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews. Hedlund hopes to inspire readers to learn from Andrews' hard work and celebrate their unique paths.

Julie Hedlund is the award-winning children's picture book author of Over, Bear! Under, Where? She spends much of her time inside her imagination, and when not writing or reading, she enjoys playing in the mountains near her home in Boulder, Colorado. She lives with her two teenage children and their high-maintenance hound dog.

Transcription:

You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review.

Order a Copy:

Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Hedlund on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠.

Resources:

You can find out more about Julie at https://juliehedlund.com/.

Follow her on Twitter @juliefhedlund.

12x12 Challenge: https://www.12x12challenge.com/.

Picture Book Summit: https://picturebooksummit.com/.

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews: https://amzn.to/3PrNAkx.

Discussion Topics:

Julie Hedlund talks about:

Her writing process and the importance of being a reader before becoming a writer.
Her involvement in writing communities like 12 x 12 and Picture Book Summit, where Julie Andrews is a keynote speaker this year.
How a comment from Julie Andrews' daughter led to writing a picture book biography about Julie Andrews
Extensive research for the book, including reading Julie's memoir, doing onsite research in London, and listening to interviews.
The book's emotional climax and how readers can take away the message that they can use their gifts to improve the world.
The benefits of reading from biographies of people who work hard and achieve great things, just like Julie Andrews.
Embracing individual paths and not comparing oneself to others.

Transcription:

You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review.

Order a Copy:

Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Hedlund on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠.

Resources:

You can find out more about Julie at https://juliehedlund.com/.

Follow her on Twitter @juliefhedlund.

12x12 Challenge: https://www.12x12challenge.com/.

Picture Book Summit: https://picturebooksummit.com/.

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews: https://amzn.to/3PrNAkx.

Discussion Topics:

Julie Hedlund talks about:

Her writing process and the importance of being a reader before becoming a writer.
Her involvement in writing communities like 12 x 12 and Picture Book Summit, where Julie Andrews is a keynote speaker this year.
How a comment from Julie Andrews' daughter led to writing a picture book biography about Julie Andrews
Extensive research for the book, including reading Julie's memoir, doing onsite research in London, and listening to interviews.
The book's emotional climax and how readers can take away the message that they can use their gifts to improve the world.
The benefits of reading from biographies of people who work hard and achieve great things, just like Julie Andrews.
Embracing individual paths and not comparing oneself to others.

Previous Episode

Bianca with Nyasha Williams on Ally Baby Can Be Antiracist and Keep Dreaming Black Child

Nyasha Williams discusses her mission to decolonize literature by creating books that share important information accessible for all ages. Her books, including Ally Baby: Can Be Antiracist and Keep Dreaming Black Child, emphasize the importance of taking action and being an ally while acknowledging the need for humility—the conversations her books spark can help create a more equitable world.

Nyasha Williams is an author, creator, and activist who works to decolonize literature, minds, and spiritual practices one day at a time. She is also the author of the picture books What’s the Commotion in the Ocean? and I Affirm Me ABCs.

Transcription:

You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review.

Order a Copy:

Ally Baby Can Be Antiracist on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠.

Keep Dreaming Black Child on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠.

Black Tarot on Amazon and Bookshop.org.

Resources:

For more information, visit https://www.nyashawilliams.online/⁠.

Discussion Topics:

Nyasha talks about:

Her mission to decolonize literature and how she got into writing children's books driven by her love for water and eco-activism.
The writing process through ancestral connection.
Challenges of funding and editing in the publishing world, especially regarding getting sample illustrations and pushing into higher realms.
Creating the "Ally Baby Can" series and incorporating rhyming in the books.
How the illustrations in the books are designed to convey messages even if the child cannot access the words.
The inclusion of a glossary for formal terminology.
How she hopes the books will resonate with readers.
Taking action and being an ally and needing humility, hard conversations, and acknowledging diversity to create a more equitable world.

Next Episode

Bianca with Josh Funk on Dear Unicorn

Join the conversation with author Josh Funk as he discusses the unique nuances between Dear Dragon and Dear Unicorn. In this lively discussion, Funk taps into the concept of duality in relationships—how a balance between positivity and negativity can facilitate growth. Discover the intricate details in the book's illustrations, and learn how asking questions and staying curious can bring color and excitement to life. This conversation encourages readers to appreciate art, celebrate their differences, and learn to connect more deeply with others. Listen up and be inspired to channel your inner creativity and keep an open mind in your day-to-day interactions.

By day, Josh Funk writes C++, Java Code, and Python scripts as a software engineer, which he's been doing for the last twenty years. In his spare time he uses ABC's, drinks Java coffee, and writes picture book manuscripts, such as How to Code a Sandcastle, Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, The Case of the Stinky Stench, Dear Dragon, and more. Josh graduated from the UMass Amherst Commonwealth College with a degree in computer science. He is a board member of the Writers' Loft in Sherborn, Massachusetts, and the co-coordinator of the 2017 New England Regional SCBWI Conference.

Transcription:

You can read the transcription on ⁠The Children's Book Review.

Order a Copy:

Dear Unicorn on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠.

Resources:

You can find out more about Josh Funk at https://www.joshfunkbooks.com/.

Discussion Topics:

Josh Funk talks about:

The inspiration behind his previous book, Dear Dragon, and how it unintentionally became a hit with teachers for its themes of friendship and challenging assumptions.
How he came up with the idea for Dear Unicorn while waiting in line for a roller coaster at Disney World and wrote the entire first draft on his phone with his child's help.
The difference between Dear Dragon and Dear Unicorn
Using art to communicate and express emotions.
Takeaways for kids reading Dear Unicorn.
Balance between positivity and negativity in relationships and how it can lead to growth.
How getting to know someone allows for more authenticity
The characters of Connie and Nic, the unicorn, express themselves differently.
Josh and Bianca read a page from Dear Unicorn.
Using his platform to share the work of other authors and push for inclusivity and representation