You May Contribute A Verse

Josh Monken and Brenna Jeanneret
  • 0.0 (0)
  • BOOKS
  • TWICE MONTHLY

This is the podcast You May Contribute a Verse, where we talk to kidlit creators, share their stories, and learn from their journeys!

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Une Episode Avec Andrea Caulfield

    It's author and educator Andrea Caulfield on the podcast today! Andrea is World Language Curriculum Specialist for Denver Public Schools and is quadrilingual, something I (Josh) hope to be when I grow up. Andrea has partnered with Voces Digital to publish Les Zombies Attaquent Quebec, a French-language short novelette for French learners. Andrea's perspective on language learning is refreshing and new here. Her experiences with Voces and path to publishing her book are both entertaining and enlightening, which is also all you can hope for when you're reading something educational in a language you're trying to learn! Shout out to our friend Jan Thomas for connecting us to Andrea! This chat was absolutement un plaisir. PS I had one good window to record my intro, found my mic settings all messed up, and then a crew started jackhammering the street right outside my window. Apologies for the very poor quality on my end! _________   This episode’s book reviews:    STILL FRIENDS, words by Troy Wilson, pictures by Mike Deas VIGDIS: A BOOK ABOUT THE WORLD'S FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT by Ran Flygenring _________ The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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 and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

    56 min

  2. 7 APR

    There's a Stan Yan in the Basement

    Otherwise known as The Many Misfortunes of Stan Yan's Internet Connection, which we managed around quite successfully, I'd say! Join us for a chat with Stan Yan, author-illustrator-graphic novelist-comic artist of (yes, I already made the book title puns above) There's a Zombie in the Basement and (JLG Gold Standard) The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang! Despite our intermittent connection issues this was an absolutely wonderful chat as we got to know the breadth of Stan's educational and illustrative chops. Next time we'll talk more about his history as a stockbroker. _________ This episode’s book reviews:  THE STUFF BETWEEN THE STARS, words by Sandra Nickel and illustrations by Aimee Sicuro SPARKLE PIGS by Kit Holliday (hi Steph!) _________ The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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 and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

    51 min

  3. 24 MAR

    Ocean's Heart, Land's Heart with Jilanne Hoffman

    Jilanne Hofmann is back (here's her first episode)! She has some updates from several things we discussed in our first chat, namely that now The Ocean's Heart is out in the world, and HeartLand is soon to be born!  We talk about both of these as well as her work with the educational market. And lots more! Stay tuned for passion and... heart? _________   This episode’s book reviews (all author-illustrators this week!):    THE OCEAN'S HEART by Jill herself, illustrated by Khoa Le CALVIN GETS THE LAST WORD by Margo Sorenson, illustrated by Mike Deas --------- The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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 and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

    1hr 5min

  4. 10 MAR

    Literary Manager Lindsey Aduskevich, After All These Years

    It's not every day we get to hear fresh thoughts from a literary agent/manager in her first four months of agenting. Lindsey Aduskevich joins us today for some insights on her journey to becoming a Junior Literary Manager at Martin Literary!   What's more important is that we have known Lindsey for six years, since one fateful Twitter (RIP) thread led to the creation of our first critique group. And look at us now!   _________   This episode’s book reviews (all author-illustrators this week!):    DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE by John Hare THE SEARCH FOR OUR COSMIC NEIGHBORS by Chloe Savage NO MORE GNOMES by Beth Mills ---------   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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 and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

    56 min

  5. 27 FEB

    Winsome Bingham on Friday!

    Winsome writes. Winsome reads. Winsome cares. And Winsome Bingham speaks. About her editorial voice, her lyricism, her Reycraft family, her views on humor, joy, trauma, craft, and the perfect mix of art and words. Winsome Bingham is the author of several very acclaimed books, including Soul Food Sunday, Fish Fry Friday, The Walk, Missing Momma, The Table, Life is Beautiful, and, coming September 1, 2026, On Fridays, her latest collaboration with Jason Griffin (go listen to our conversation with him if you haven't yet!). Today our reviews are for On Fridays, because you should go and preorder it or request it from your library immediately! You are going to love Winsome's verse!   ---------   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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 and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

    1hr 11min

  6. 24 FEB

    Right Moves and Mistakes with Jason Griffin

    The Michaelangelo to Bob Ross to Akira Kurosawa to Jason Griffin pipeline is strong. Master Collaborator and accomplished visual artist Jason Griffin is a Caldecott Honoree for his work with Jason Reynolds on their 2022 collaboration Ain't Burned All the Bright, their third book together (we'll talk about the others in this episode). But his work with our friend and future guest Winsome Bingham is what brings us here today. The 2024 multicultural, multi-generational picture book collab The Table will be followed in September by the amazing, poignant, gorgeous On Fridays. Check out our Instagram later this week (on Friday, actually) for some very cover-y things to be revealed! Resources to consume that were discussed in this episode: Elizabeth Gilbert's TED Talk featuring THE Tom Waits anecdote Akira Kurosawa's iconic blood spray oopsie _________ This episode’s book reviews:  RAINBOW PANDA, words by Lisa Muchnik, pictures by Emilie Timmermans ALBERTO SALAS PLAYS PAKA PAKA CON LA PAPA, words by Sara Andrea Fajardo, pictures by Juana Martinez-Neal THE BLACK MAMBAS THE WORLD’S FIRST ALL-WOMAN ANTI-POACHING UNIT by Kelly Crull   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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 and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

    59 min

  7. 10 FEB

    Jess Yoon's Jeong

    Jess Yoon stands on business. And she's doing way more than sitting in her little room, typing away. She's tapping into her inner child to great effect! She manifested a Little Golden Book into being and now her Blackpink biography is out in the world! Her picture book Jeong Is Jeong JUST released this month (February 2026), AND her junior novelization of K-Pop Demon Hunters comes out next month!  _________   This episode’s book reviews:    SLEEP TIGHT, DISGUSTING BLOB by Huw Aaron SEALS ARE JERKS by Jared Chapman   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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 and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

    50 min

  8. 27 JAN

    Abominable Steph Lau!

    Now with 100% more consternation! Or less. Not sure where we landed on consternation. Steph Lau has gotten some good experiences over the years. Some published, some TBD. But at least we have thus far been graced with ABOMINABLE SNOW DANCER, and will be graced with MEDUSA'S PET ROCK later this year! And more to come! Steph, you'll have to come back on so we can talk more about pancakes and pastries.    _________   This episode’s book reviews:  THE CAVE DOWNWIND OF THE CAFE by Mikey Please DESERT QUEEN by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illustrated by Svabhu Kohli   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our 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 and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

    54 min
See All (100)

About

This is the podcast You May Contribute a Verse, where we talk to kidlit creators, share their stories, and learn from their journeys!

Information

  • Creator
    Josh Monken and Brenna Jeanneret
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ℗ & © 2023 You May Contribute A Verse
  • Show Website
    You May Contribute A Verse

You Might Also Like