The Picture Book Buzz

Whether you're here to support the STEAM Team authors, curiosity, or because you love nonfiction books, I hope you read to the end because you'll discover some amazing authors and super spectacular books!

Today I have the pleasure to introduce you to four creatives from the STEAM Team Books – a group of authors and illustrators who joined together to celebrate and help promote their STEAM books. I hope you enjoy this peek at these delightful books and fascinating creatives.

"STEAM Team Books is a group of authors who have a STEM/STEAM book releasing in 2025. It includes fiction & nonfiction, trade or educational books.” Check out their website for other interviews, activities, and bios.

Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write? How long have you been writing? What is your favorite type of book to write? What drew you to STEAM books? etc.)

Sara Levine – Hello Dog/Hello Human (Roaring Brook Press 3/11/2025) – I enjoy writing fiction and science-focused picture books for children. Writing STEAM books is a natural fit for me as my background is in veterinary medicine, and I taught college level biology for over a decade. I’m very interested in science and especially in introducing young people to new topics that have not yet been featured in picture books.

I write most weekday mornings in a quiet room I reserve at my local public library. It’s useful for me to work in a separate place from where I live. The rhythm of going to the same place at the same time to write makes my mind ready to go the moment I arrive.

[Author of 13 books, including A Terrible Place for a Nest, illustrated by Erika Meza (2024), Poop for Breakfast: Why Some Animals Eat It, illustrated by Florence Weiser (2023), Sensitive, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini (2023), A Peek at Beaks: Tools Birds Use, illustrated by Kate Slater (2021), Germs Up Close (2021), The Animals Would Not Sleep! illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens (2020), Eye by Eye: Comparing How Animals See, illustrated by T.S Spookytooth (2020), Flower Talk: How Plants Use Color to Communicate, illustrated by Masha D'yans (2019), Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones, illustrated by T.S Spookytooth (2018), Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons, by T.S Spookytooth (2013).]

Nancy Castaldo – Whales in the City (Farrar, Straus and Giroux 3/18/2025) – I’ve been writing about science and the planet for decades, first in magazines and then numerous award-winning books for children. I strive to bring stories of conservation and hope to readers that will inform, inspire and empower them to know that they can also make a difference in their own communities.

[Author of 27 books, including The World That Feeds Us, illustrated by Ginnie Hsu (2023), Buildings That Breathe: Greening the World's Cities (2022), When the World Runs Dry: Earth’s Water in Crisis (2022), The Farm That Feeds Us, illustrated by Ginnie Hsu (2020)The Story of Seeds (Jan. 2020), DK Life Stories: Ada Lovelace (2019), Back from the Brink: Saving Animals from Extinction (2018), Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World (2017), Beastly Brains: Exploring How Animals Think, Talk, and Feel (2017).]

Ginny Neil – Salamander Song (Tilbury House 4/18/2025) – I have been writing and drawing since I was able to pick up a pencil. I write on scraps of paper whenever I find myself waiting for someone somewhere and have even jotted down ideas (without taking my eyes off the road, of course) while driving. But, mostly I write at my desk, situated in front of a window, looking out over my farm. Poetry always starts with pencil and paper, but stories are written on my laptop. I prefer to write lyrical or clever books that explain things in ways that will interest kids,. Because I am surrounded by mountains, rivers, fields and farm animals, I especially love writing about the outdoor world.

[Author of The Glorious Forest that Fire Built (2023).]

Ashlee Hashman – Girls Belong in Space (Harper Collins 4/18/2025) – I began writing about 5 years ago just after my first kiddo was born as a way to tap into some of the creativity I’d been storing up (thanks pregnancy hormones!) and to make something I thought my daughter might enjoy. Whenever I had a chance during naps or late night feedings, I would jot down my greatest hopes and dreams for her, and that is when I started realizing I still had hopes and dreams too! And one of those was to make a book. I’ve always been drawn to math and science, even spending the first year of college studying as an electronics engineer so that I could work at NASA, so writing about girls in space seemed natural.

[Debut author.]

What helps you to be inspired? (perhaps a certain place, music, activity, etc.)

Sara Levine – Working with children inspires me—their questions and curiosity and joy in the newness of everything. Other writers inspire me—talking about process and reading their work. I do a lot of that. I’m also inspired by nature—the ocean, woods, and marshlands by my home. I often write in my head while I’m walking outside.

Nancy Castaldo – I become inspired every time I venture out into the world and encounter people making an impact in their community and wild spaces. I’m also inspired by nature, not only in my corner of the world but as I travel to other places and see the beauty and uniqueness they all contain.

Ginny Neil – Any space in my life where there is mindless activity like vacuuming, driving, mowing the lawn, or digging in the garden seems to open channels of creativity that I can’t access any other way. Hence the endless piles of scraps of paper I mentioned above. I have also realized that play time and storytelling time with my grandchildren opens the childlike part of my mind that really goes in crazy fun directions. I have several, not nature-themed stories, percolating in my brain that are a result of supreme silliness with these children.

Ashlee Hashman – Being in nature is one of my go-to sources of inspiration. I have the great privilege of staying home with my kids, so I get to go play outside all the time! Sometimes my best ideas come during a walk around the neighborhood or while I’m working in the garden. And having curious kids asking questions gets my own curiosity flowing: “Why does that flower have two different colored petals? What are stars made up of? Does Neptune really rain diamonds?” I love looking at the world through the eyes of my children!

Now that we know a little more about all of you, what sparked your interest and caused you to write this book?

Sara Levine – Hello Dog/Hello Human (3/11/2025) – I was on the way to the library with my dog when a girl stopped to say hello. She asked if she could pet my dog, and I said yes. The girl wanted to be friendly, but her body language scared my dog. This happens a lot, but this time it sparked the idea that I could write a book for children about how to read dogs’ body language, and approach dogs safely and respectfully. And also, as a fun twist, I could write a version for dogs, as well. That double perspective inspired it to be a flip book—a side for each audience.

Nancy Castaldo – Whales in the City (3/18/2025) – As a Hudson Valley native, I’ve witnessed the degradation and conservation of one of the world’s most vital and beautiful rivers. While riding the train beside the Hudson River, I shared the story of the return with two visiting friends, who suggested I write it down. I put fingers to my keyboard at the start of the pandemic. Little did I realize how important and comforting my river would be during that troubling time and how the story would take shape.

Ginny Neil – Salamander Song (4/18/2025) – Finding salamanders on a walk in the woods or along a country lane is like finding jewels. They are such elusively interesting critters. As a Master Naturalist, I took a field trip to visit vernal pools full of salamander egg masses. Then I read about cities working to help salamanders cross busy roads to get to those critical breeding grounds and I knew that I wanted to tell that story. Besides, what kid doesn’t love these cute critters?

Ashlee Hashman – Girls Belong in Space (4/18/2025) – In high school, I was the only girl in my calculus class. Then, in some of my engineering courses in college, I was one of only two girls in a classroom of thirty or forty students. That feeling of not truly belonging in those spaces never quite left me, and it was something I was determined my daughter and daughters around the world would not feel. The women in this book probably felt similar, but they followed their wildest dreams anyway, and it is thanks to them that the next generation can read a book full of women who reached for the stars. It is my hope that this work will inspire even more girls to follow their passions for work in STEM fields.

What makes you passionate about being a children’s author?

Sara Levine – I find biology inherently fascinating and love figuring out how to share topics in exciting, interactive, and humorous ways that will translate this enthusiasm to others. I also care deeply about incorporating and encouraging empathy in my books. I want children to see themselves and their experiences reflected, even as they see new perspectives. And I want to extend empathy to animals [and the rest of the natural world], and show that science can include this, even though the field has not always historically valued or prioritized this kind of empathy.

Nancy Castaldo – Every time I visit a school or hear from a reader who has enjoyed one of my books, my writing is given a significant boost. I recently received a note from a wildlife biologist who was inspired to pursue her career and study tropical birds after reading my book, RAINFORESTS, as a child. Her note now proudly hangs in my office, a constant reminder of the impact of my work. This kind of feedback is what fuels my passion as a children’s author. Our readers are not just important, they are integral. I strive to inspire and empower them, but they also inspire and empower me.

Ginny Neil – Kids are so full of possibility and open to wonder. Everything is still new and fresh for them. I love being the one to introduce them to something I find amazing. Or creating something that might make them realize how much fun it is to play with words.

Ashlee Hashman – Children are so wonderfully curious! They look at a problem not with eyes that see all the ways something can go wrong, but hearts that believe anything is possible. I love writing for them because they bring an exuberant joy of learning that makes the world around them light up. And I want to be one of the people that extends that joy to them through my books.

Is there anything special you want your readers to know about your book?

Text © Sara Levine, 2025. Image © Suzanne Kaufman, 2025.

Sara Levine – Hello Dog/Hello Human (3/11/2025) – It’s a flip book, made with two audiences in mind, so you can read it with your kids AND with your dogs!

Text © Nancy Castaldo, 2025. Image © Chuck Groenink, 2025.

Nancy Castaldo – Whales in the City (3/18/2025) – I hope that Whales In The City provides my readers with an example of how we all have the power to effect change and make a difference in our own communities -- in our own watersheds.

Text © Ginny Neil, 2025. Image © Charli Vince, 2025.

Ginny Neil – Salamander Song (4/18/2025) – The illustrations in this book, done by Charli Vince who lives in England, are simply amazing. They really help fill in the gaps left by the lyrically spare text. I think it is a perfect pairing of words and pictures.

Text © Ashlee Hashman, 2025. Image © Gillian Eilidh O’Mara, 2025.

Ashlee Hashman – Girls Belong in Space (4/18/2025) – I encourage all my readers to spend time on every page getting to know the women through Gillian Eilidh O’Mara’s beautiful artwork. She brings such life to the book. I also hope they use the biographies of each woman to spark deeper research into the lives and careers of these exceptional women in space. They really are an incredible group that deserve to have their stories explored!

What was the hardest, or most challenging, part of writing or researching your book? Was there a bit of your research you didn’t get to include?

Sara Levine – Hello Dog/Hello Human (3/11/2025) – While I do a good bit of research for most of my science books, this one relied on experience and knowledge I’d already gained from being a veterinarian, teaching Animal Behavior to college students, and raising a human and several dogs.

Nancy Castaldo – Whales in the City (3/18/2025) – I have so much more to say about the conservation of the Hudson River that couldn’t be shared in a short picture book format, and so I also wrote a middle grade book that extends the conversation for readers. It also releases this spring and is titled Riverkeeper. It’s full of photos and is a perfect companion book to Whales In The City. I’m excited to share these positive conservation stories with readers this year.

Ginny Neil – Salamander Song (4/18/2025) – Salamanders are part of a larger group of amphibians who can do amazing things like breathe through their skin, live both underwater and on land, and most astonishing of all, freeze solid and then thaw out.

Ashlee Hashman – Girls Belong in Space (4/18/2025) – There was SO MUCH I wanted to include in this book but simply didn’t have the room for! You could spend years researching the incredible women who have contributed to aerospace exploration and still never scratch the surface. The hardest part by far was choosing which women to highlight as there are so many that deserve a shout-out: Dr. Kathryn Sullivan (first American woman on a spacewalk); Valentina Tereshkova (first woman in space); Helen Sharman (first British person in space)...The list goes on and on!

Are there any upcoming projects that you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?

Sara Levine – Yes! I have four new science-focused books coming out. Watching and Waiting: What Hatches from Nature’s Nurseries features plant galls and egg cases from animals not often shown in picture books. This book also encourages empathy for other living things.

Talking to Worms is about siblings who design science experiments to determine the preferences of their new pets.

A Visit with the Birds is an interactive nature book about observing and connecting with wildlife in a city park.

How We Fly is a lyrical exploration of winged flight, and the mammals, birds, insects, seeds and machines that fly.

Nancy Castaldo – I ventured into a new genre after writing these two river conservation books for children. Look for my first adult natural history book to be released in the fall. It’s all about squirrels! Other books for kids are in the works.

Ginny Neil – Hoping to announce a deal soon for a book about an invisibly visible wonder of nature soon.

Ashlee Hashman – Let’s just say that girls belong in ALL STEM fields, and I would like to explore many of those areas for future picture books! :)

These sound intriguing. We will definitely need to keep our eyes open for them. Last question, what animal or natural feature (place) do you want to learn more about? Why?

Sara Levine – I’ve been going for walks at night through a marsh near my home and have recently discovered some new (to me) bioluminescent animals—comb jellies and the larva of lightning bugs. I’d like to learn more about these animals.

Nancy Castaldo – That’s a tough one. Every book I research and write leads to more questions and more inspiration. I continue to live and pursue research after all my books, in addition to being sparked to pursue new subjects all the time. Will all those sparks become books? Probably not, but some might!

Ginny Neil – I always wanted to visit the Galapagos islands, and even applied for a grant to go, once. That is a dream trip.

Ashlee Hashman – Last year, a team of scientists discovered a “super-Earth” exoplanet that could be at the right distance from its star to support liquid water. I am very excited to learn more about that discovery and look forward to the research coming out about this possibly habitable planet!

NOW, let me take a moment to introduce you to these amazing STEAM books!

Hello Dog/Hello Human by Sara Levine, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman (Roaring Brook Press 3/11/2025) – Using a fun flip format, different colored backgrounds for each direction (yellow for the child's version and blue for the dogs side), and cartoon-like illustrations, this cute dual instruction manual helps children and dogs learn about each other and how to become the best of friends. A sweet STEM book for young readers.

Synopsis: Learn how to properly introduce yourself to a dog or human in this enticing flip book guide that is two stories in one, perfect for fans of May I Pet Your Dog?, Tails Are Not For Pulling, and all dog-lovers.

A clever, useful how-to flip book guide for both humans and our canine best friends, Hello Dog / Hello Human offers advice to little humans (and dogs) on how to politely introduce themselves.

The book opens with a primer on how little humans should interact with dogs. Flip the book and find another story that advises dogs on how to interact with humans, offering a fun insight into a dog's mind while also providing additional information and empathy for our four-legged friends.

This delightful guide encourages readers to properly interact with the furry companions, and the format is perfect for younger hands, robust and ready to be read and shared. With a charming cast of dogs, sweet art, and a fun special format, this is the perfect gift book for families looking to adopt a furry friend, or anyone who wants to celebrate our canine pals.

Whales in the City by Nancy Castaldo, illustrated by Chuck Groenink (Farrar, Straus and Giroux 3/18/2025) – This stunning STEM picture book looking at the relationship between BIG whales and the Hudson river begins from the whales' point of view as they describe the progression of human habitation, overfishing, and the change in the river from "clean and fresh and clear" to "darker and dirtier...and sickly sweet." Which forced the fish and the whales to flee to the ocean. Whereupon, the narrative shifts onshore to the people who eventually "wanted clean water again...missed the whales and the fish. So we picked up trash...protested, marched, and voted." They started the first Earth Day in 1970 and worked until the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972. Featured among protestors is the singer and activist Pete Seeger. Over the years, the waterway recovered, and the fish returned - to a world shared by people and whales. The back matter contains an author's note, whale information, a great timeline, information on activists, and ways readers can get involved in protecting rivers.

Synopsis: For fans of If Sharks Disappeared, this kid-friendly picture book is a true story about how community action saved the whales of New York Harbor and reversed the effects of climate change.

Spanning from pre-colonization to today, learn how the industrial revolution, overfishing, and pollution drove whales away from New York Harbor and the Hudson River by the early 20th Century.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Passionate citizens were able to band together and clean up the harbor through activism and legislation. The first whales were spotted in the Hudson after over 100 years in 2019!

Here is an uplifting environmental success story full of towering skyscrapers and underwater dramatics that highlights the power of community – voicing to readers of all ages that each of us can make a difference. Also includes backmatter on whales and water pollution around the country.

Salamander Song by Ginny Neil , illustrated by Charli Vince (Tilbury House 4/18/2025) – As a lovely, lyrical text follows the life cycle of salamanders from fall to spring, a diverse class of kids romp and explore through illustrations packed with animal and plant treasures. After learning about salamanders, the class creates posters, braves the warm spring "salamander rain," and participates in a citizen science project to protect migrating salamander. The back matter contains more detailed information on amphibians and salamanders, as well as a magnificent link for citizen science projects. An engaging, stunning STEM ode to salamanders and citizen science.

Synopsis: A spring refrain! A salamander rain! This lush, lyrical story illuminates the convergence of wildlife and citizen science--and the big impact young readers can have on vulnerable species.

Salamanders and children alike hear the rhythms and song of the seasons as winter gives way to spring. Salamanders begin to squirm and stretch in the early spring sun, while the children and their teacher plan. They meet on a night of salamander rain (the first warm rain of spring), when the children and their teacher work to help the salamanders cross a busy road to the vernal pool on the other side. This lyrical, parallel narrative story reinforces the idea that kids can make a big difference. The author's note includes information about amphibian migrations and descriptions of citizen science activities that kids can participate in to help keep the world wild and beautiful. Full-color illustrations.

Girls Belong in Space by Ashlee Hashman, illustrated by Gillian Eilidh O’Mara (Harper Collins 4/18/2025) – A space loving girl and her enthusiastic dog discover where "girls fit in infinite space." Combining with succinct, rhyming text which explores the talents (Katherine Johnson's mathematical mind), scientific abilities (Christina Hammock Koch), mechanical skills (Ellen Ochoa), and other abilities of women working in the space program, the boldly colored, stunning illustrations feature the universe, space flight, and cameos of these amazing and diverse female scientists and astronauts. A wonderful author's note and mini biographies complete this STEM celebration of women in space and encourage readers to be curious and "go forth and explore!"

Synopsis: From launching the first US astronauts into space to guiding rovers to Mars, Girls Belong in Space introduces young dreamers to innovative women who prove that girls can do anything and go anywhere!

This lyrical and inspiring picture book celebrates women who soared to new heights in the field of aerospace and space exploration and is a perfect pick for fans of Mae Among the Stars and the She Persisted series.

Thank you all for giving us a little peek into yourselves and your books. Wishing you all enormous success.

To learn more about these writers, or to contact them:

Sara Levine – Hello Dog/Hello Human (Roaring Brook Press 3/11/2025) –

Website: https://www.saralevinebooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saralevinebooks/

X/(Twitter): https://x.com/saraclevine

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saralevinebooks/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/saraclevinebooks.bsky.social

Nancy Castaldo – Whales in the City (Farrar, Straus and Giroux 3/18/2025) –

Website: https://nancycastaldo.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.castaldo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NCastaldoAuthor