The Picture Book Buzz - September 2024 Interview with STEAM Team Books Members

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 2023. 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 or illustrate? How long have you been writing or illustrating? What is your favorite type of book to write or illustrate? What drew you to STEAM books? etc.)

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.)

Elizabeth Shreeve – The Oddball Book of Armadillos (Norton Young Reader 9/10/2024) – I grew up in a family of writers and scientists along the Atlantic coastline. In 9th grade, my English teacher challenged us by saying that unless you can explain something in words, you really don’t understand it. Yikes! This statement doomed me to life as a writer. Starting with poetry and journaling as a child and then years of business writing, I started writing stories for my kids and became the author of children’s books. These days, from our home in the Bay Area, I’m focused on nonfiction, returning happily to early interests in geology, biology, and paleontology.

[Author of 9 books, including The Upside-Down Book of Sloths, illustrated by Isabella Grott (2023), Out of the Blue: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon (2021), Captain Freddy Counts Down to School, illustrated by Joey Chou (2016), Oliver at the Window, illustrated by Candice Hartsough McDonald (2009), and The Adventures of Hector Fuller chapter book series, illustrated by Pamela R. Levy (2004).]

Laurie Ann Thompson – Let the Light In (Worthy Kids 9/10/2024) - I’ve enjoyed writing ever since I learned how, but I never considered it as a career choice until after I became a parent. Reading to my kids reminded me of the magic of children’s books, so I embarked on a new career path in my early 30s. I’ve always been drawn to nonfiction, as both a reader and a writer, but I occasionally dabble in fiction and poetry as well.

[Author of 12 books, including You Are a Garter Snake!, illustrated by Jay Fleck (2024) You Are a Robin!, illustrated by Jay Fleck (2024), You Are a Honey Bee!, illustrated by Jay Fleck (2023), You Are a Raccoon! illustrated by Jay Fleck (2023), Elizabeth Warren's Big, Bold Plans, illustrated by Susanna Chapman (2020), Two Truths and a Lie: Forces of Nature with Ammi-Joan Paquette, illustrated by Lisa K. Weber (2019), Two Truths and a Lie: Histories and Mysteries with Ammi-Joan Paquette, illustrated by Lisa K. Weber (2018), Two Truths and a Lie: It's Alive! with Ammi-Joan Paquette, illustrated by Lisa K. Weber (2017), Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, illustrated by Sean Qualls (2015), My Dog Is the Best, illustrated by Paul Schmid (2015), Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something That Matters (2014).]

Buffy Silverman –– Starlight Symphony (Millbrook Press/Lerner 9/10/2024) - I started writing for children when my offspring (now in their thirties!) were book-loving toddlers. In the past thirty years I’ve written about many, many different science topics, but am drawn most to writing about the natural world. I usually write in my basement office, which has a view of the swamp and lake that border our home. In addition to writing, I enjoy outdoor time with my dog and watching and photographing nature. In the past I’ve been a naturalist and environmental educator, and taught biology to college students.

[Author of over 90 nonfiction books, including On a Flake-Flying Day: Watching Winter's Wonders (2023), On a Gold Blooming Day: Finding Fall Treasures (2022), On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring (2020), Cutting-Edge Medicine (2020), Surviving a Shipwreck: The Titanic (2019), Can an Old Dog Learn New Tricks?: And Other Questions about Animals (2019), The World of Gaming: Pokémon (2018), Little Pets Series (2018), Mars Missions: A Space Discovery Guide (2017), Shark World Series (2017), and How Vehicles Work Series (2016), as well as numerous poems.]

Megan Clendenan – What Do We Eat? How Humans Find, Grow and Share Food (Orca Books 9/17/2024) – I’ve always written stories and poems, and when my son was a newborn, I decided I would challenge myself and try writing a novel. I wrote the early drafts of my first book, a middle-grade novel, during his naptimes, scribbling away on paper as fast as I could. For many years, I worked full time as a writer for non-profit groups focusing on social and environmental justice, and now I take that knowledge and interest and write middle-grade non-fiction books. But I love variety and find I’m more productive when I have different types of work in a day, so I’m also working on some fiction projects and as well as a non-fiction picture book – but they all have STEAM elements.

[Author of 6 books, including Cities: How Humans Live Together, illustrated by Suharu Ogawa (2023), Fresh Air, Clean Water: Our Right to a Healthy Environment, illustrated by Julie McLaughlin (2022), Design Like Nature: Biomimicry for a Healthy Planet, co-written with Kim Ryall Woolcock (2021), and Offbeat (2018).]

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

Elizabeth Shreeve – Like many writers, I find inspiration in nature—the ocean beach, a hillside trail, a forest. Many brilliant authors, from Friedrich Nietzsche to Rebecca Solnit, have commented on the value of walking. I love visiting museums, too. Natural history museums, of course—and I also love to wander art collections. Ancient art, in particular, always reminds me of the human drive to express and create. And reading!

Laurie Ann Thompson – Many of the things I included in Let the Light In as ways to deal with feelings of sadness are the very same things that fuel my creativity. It’s hard to be creative when you’re feeling down, and taking some time for rest and self-care usually lifts my mood and provides creative inspiration at the same time—it’s a win-win! My favorite activities for both are going for walks in nature, listening to music and/or dancing, and spending time with loved ones (including pets!).

Buffy Silverman – Spending time outdoors every day is a great source of inspiration for me. When I slow down, I find fascinating things to observe in my own back yard—blue jays burying acorns, bumble bees sipping nectar and gathering pollen from flowers, monarch caterpillars chomping milkweed leaves, and red squirrels scolding from tree branches. I often focus my camera on the creatures I watch, and grow more curious about their lives.

Megan Clendenan – Nature! Often my best ideas come when I’m outside on my local trails running or biking. I always bring my phone so I can frantically type out my thoughts before I get home and potentially forget. J I’m also inspired to write by reading! I read a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction and many of my ideas have been sparked by reading. It’s pretty awesome that reading is a part of my job description.

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

Elizabeth Shreeve – The Oddball Book of Armadillos (9/10/2024) – Short answer: I love learning about weird animals, both the ones that share our world today and the prehistoric wonders that left their stories in the fossil record. Slightly longer story: The opportunity began at a conference, when my editor at Norton Young Readers surprised me with a question: “What else do you have for me?” Gulp! Was I prepared to answer? Nope. Did I have an idea in my back pocket? Yup! Fortunately, I had recently watched a PBS Eons video about prehistoric sloths, which are amazing. My babbled answer led to The Upside-Down Book of Sloths, published in 2023, followed by The Oddball Book of Armadillos this month.

Laurie Ann Thompson – Let the Light In ( 9/10/2024) – I’ve always felt like we do a disservice to children when we avoid talking about supposedly “negative” emotions like anger, loneliness, sadness, and grief. As humans, we all experience those feelings at some point, and we should be able to discuss them and support each other’s experiences with them much more openly than we seem to do in our current culture. This book evolved over the course of a few difficult years as I watched a dear friend navigate a tragic loss, as we all struggled to cope with the impacts of the pandemic, and, finally, as my marriage was ending. How do we cope when bad things happen? How can we support the people around us who are experiencing sadness, grief, and/or depression? These experiences drove home to me that although we may not always feel like taking care of ourselves, seemingly small actions can help us weather the storms of life. I hope this book can help readers build their own resilience as well as better support those around them.

Buffy Silverman –– Starlight Symphony (9/10/2024) – You might think that a home in rural Michigan would be surrounded by quiet. Nothing could be further from the truth! Starting with the spring peepers in March, the nightly chorus of frogs, birds, mammals, and insects outside our windows can be deafening! Starlight Symphony is basically a love letter to the animals that live near our home, and a tribute to the summer sounds we are lucky enough to listen to every night.

Megan Clendenan – What Do We Eat? How Humans Find, Grow and Share Food (9/17/2024) – During the Covid-19 pandemic, there were times when I went to my local grocery store and found empty shelves. I began to wonder: how difficult would it be to survive without going to the grocery store? That led me to more questions. How did people in difficult situations in history manage to eat? What about people exploring the world? Escaping from injustices? Stranded far from home? How do people facing climate change adapt when their food no longer grows due to extreme weather patterns? My curiosity led me to research, and I discovered that human ingenuity and cooperation has gone a long way to help people survive and thrive through war, harsh geographies, adventure, and injustices. This book is the result of all these wonderings (and a LOT of research!).

Wow! Thank you all so much for sharing this background information; it's always so interesting to learn where a book got its start. What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of being a children’s author?

Elizabeth Shreeve – The waiting! Publishing is a long, slow process. You pour your heart into a project, giving it love and thought and time…and then it’s out of your control. The slow timeframes are such a contrast to my former “day” job in the architecture business, with its fast and furious deadlines. I try to focus on what is under my control, like starting a new creative project or just getting outside for exercise.

Laurie Ann Thompson – Oof, I think that has to be rejection, doesn’t it? It’s difficult to work hard on something and then have it not be received in the way you intended or hoped, whether that’s by industry professionals (agents, editors, book reviewers), by consumers, or by readers. There’s a certain amount of optimism and hope necessary to do the work in the first place and a certain level of vulnerability required to put your work out into the world, so it’s definitely painful when things don’t go quite the way you wanted. But it’s all part of living a creative life. For me, knowing that I created something that didn’t exist before, that I added something to the world, is enough. I can only control my part of the equation by doing the best work I possibly can.

Buffy Silverman – For many years I wrote work-for-hire books and still write work-for-hire passages for educational publishers. While that work has certain constraints, it comes with a deadline which I find very motivating. Imposing a deadline on myself when no one is waiting for me to create something new and when I am unsure if there will be an editor interested in what I’m writing can make it challenging to tackle a writing project. But I love the freedom of investigating whatever sparks my interest and finding an approach that I think will resonate with young readers.

Megan Clendenan – The waiting! There’s sooooo much waiting involved in this industry. I find that hard because there’s nothing you can do to make things happen faster. So, I try to focus on what I can control, which is creating quality work. And rejection is another tough part of the job. Whether or not my work sells is not something I can control, but I choose projects and topics that I’m genuinely interested in, so it’s an enjoyable process to learn more as I write.

Great advice to focus on what we each can control. Is there anything special you want your readers to know about your book?

Text © Elizabeth Shreeve, 2024. Image © Isabella Grott, 2024.

Elizabeth Shreeve – The Oddball Book of Armadillos (9/10/2024) – I hope that readers will enjoy the unique traits of armadillos, both present and past. They are so unique—the only mammals, for example, with hard bony coverings, called carapaces. No other animals are quite like them, and for over 50 million years they’ve been ambling through the Americas outfitted in full sets of armor and oversized claws. Through time, they’ve taken many sizes and features. For example, the pink fairy armadillo—an elusive, nocturnal creature of Central Argentina—weighs only about four ounces. Yet its ancient ancestor Doedicurus grew to the size of a small car. Its spiked tail club was fit for a dinosaur!

Text © Laurie Ann Thompson, 2024. Image © Adriana Predoi , 2024.

Laurie Ann Thompson – Let the Light In ( 9/10/2024) – The self-care tips included in the book are not just my own personal recommendations but researched and proven techniques for managing one’s feelings of sadness, grief, and depression. Yes, there are concrete actions we can all take to help ourselves and those around us heal. That said, I don’t in any way want to minimize the value of seeking professional help. Sometimes, the problems are bigger than our coping mechanisms can handle, and there’s absolutely no shame in calling on mental health experts for additional support when needed.

Buffy Silverman –Starlight Symphony (9/10/2024) – I hope young readers will be inspired by Starlight Symphony to go outside and listen to the sounds of the animals that live near them. No matter where you live you can hear birds singing to their mates, insects calling one another in summer, and squirrels warning about the two-legged creature who is watching them!

Text © Laurie Ann Thompson, 2024. Image © Meegan Lim, 2024.

Megan Clendenan – What Do We Eat? How Humans Find, Grow and Share Food (9/17/2024) – This is a book about food, but it’s also a book about the power of human innovation, resourcefulness, and cooperation. These three themes guided me as I chose examples. I wanted to share with readers a hopeful message – that by thinking creatively, using resources at hand, and working together much can be accomplished. I hope that this book sparks questions, discussion, and curiosity about how we can work together to find sustainable and equitable food solutions for the future, especially in the face of climate change.

What a great range of topics and all so intriguing. 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?

Elizabeth Shreeve – The Oddball Book of Armadillos (9/10/2024) – It was challenging to pare down the research. As I went along, I began to realize how armadillos help us appreciate the natural history of the Americas, a topic with special meaning for students with roots in Mexico and Central and South America. Today only nine-banded armadillos inhabit the United States, and they are expanding their range. It’s a great way to introduce concepts about migration, geography, and climate change—but I didn’t have space to explore those topics.

Laurie Ann Thompson – Let the Light In ( 9/10/2024) – This book came to me in rhyme! I tried to rewrite it as prose, but it really wanted to be told in rhyming couplets. Eventually I gave in and embraced the form. This is very different from how I usually write, so it was a stretch for me craft-wise. And, of course, revision is so much harder when you’ve locked yourself into a particular rhyme scheme and meter! I had fun with it, though. It was a challenging puzzle to solve, and it felt oh-so-satisfying when all the pieces finally fell into place.

Buffy Silverman –– Starlight Symphony (9/10/2024) – Starlight Symphony started life as a perfectly-fine-but-not-particularly-special prose manuscript which I envisioned as a bedtime story. I was lucky to win a picture book mentorship with Kelly DiPucchio in 2019, and sent her the prose version of the story. Kelly’s immediate response was that the story concept was great but would be stronger in rhyme. Of course she was correct—a symphony should have musical language! Changing a PB manuscript from prose to rhyme was a challenge, but I already knew basically where I wanted the story to go. The rhyming version that I wrote during the mentorship was similar to what was eventually published except for the ending. It took another couple of years before I realized that the story arc should reflect the timing of the animal musicians, ending with the dawn chorus. [ooh, do I sense a sequel in the works?]

Megan Clendenan – What Do We Eat? How Humans Find, Grow and Share Food (9/17/2024) – The hardest part of writing this book was the sheer volume of research that was needed. I wanted to give readers a range of examples, but that meant a LOT of research for me to do. I used many online and print sources, and tried to find as many primary sources as I could. I also interviewed a range of people, from academic experts to sustainability food activists, as well as spoke with people who had lived in the countries where I featured examples. While it was a time-consuming component of writing the book, it was also so enjoyable to speak with so many people.

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

Elizabeth Shreeve – Sure! I’m working with Atheneum on a book entitled Dinosaurs to Dragons: The Lore and Science of Mythical Creatures. It’s a middle nonfiction project that explores the origins of mythical animals like the kraken, mermaid, and dragons. Lots of fun challenges, including selecting photo images that will complement artwork by Violeta Encarnacion. I’ve learned so much through the project; it profoundly deepened my appreciation of cultures and mythologies across the world.

Laurie Ann Thompson – I’ve been working on a picture book about a cat who loves doing physics experiments, much to the dismay of his human family! It’s based on my very own science-loving feline, Thor, and his frequent need to test gravity.

Buffy Silverman – I’m working on a few projects right now, including a couple of picture books and a novel-in-verse. All have STEM tie-ins.

Megan Clendenan – I have a non-fiction picture book coming out in Fall 2025 with Charlesbridge called Just in Case. It’s about saving seeds in the Svalbard Vault. I’m also working on two more middle-grade non-fiction books and am noodling around with a middle grade fiction manuscript.

These projects sound great! We'll have to keep our eyes open for them. Best of luck to you all. How do you deal with, or celebrate, rejections?

Elizabeth Shreeve – It’s tough. A rejection is something to grieve—it’s the loss of a dream that you’d hoped and worked for over the months and years. With time, it gets easier to let go and move. Stay busy, start the next thing! And remember, as people often say: if you’re not getting rejected, you’re not working hard enough!

Laurie Ann Thompson – Ah, the age-old question! I think it’s important to recognize that they do hurt, no matter how much of a professional you are. There’s simply no getting around it. So, I give myself some time to grieve and wallow. I focus on self-care and doing things that bring me joy. I spend time with friends who can help me pick my self-esteem up the floor, especially writer friends who’ve been there and can remind me that it’s only temporary. Then I remind myself that I did my part—I did the work—and that’s all I can do. Then I get back to work. I found the book The Bulletproof Writer: How to Overcome Constant Rejection to Become An Unstoppable Author by Michael Alvear to be really helpful in setting up and maintaining a healthy mindset around rejections.

Buffy Silverman – It’s taken me many years to develop the thick turtle shell that keeps the rejection monster from eating away at my soul. Occasionally that shell still develops a few cracks. What helps me most is to remember that so much of this process is beyond my control., and that no matter how much I fall in love with something that I’ve written, it’s okay for someone else to see it differently. I try to keep my focus on the part of the journey I can control, and write the best manuscript I can. I also try to write poetry that is just for my own enjoyment, with no chance of rejection!

Megan Clendenan – Rejection is part of being a children’s author – that being said, it can still sting! Every author I know puts so much effort and heart into their writing, me included. I rely on my writing friends to help me weather rejections. We support each other through rejections and I find that extremely helpful. I also find that if one of my manuscripts receives many rejections, I put it aside for a while and then picking it up later with fresh eyes. Meanwhile, I write new ideas!

Great advice, thank you all. And Buffy, I love the idea of creating (whether poetry, gardening, art, or any of creative outlet) just for ourselves. Last question, is there a plant or flower you love growing, or wish you could grow, in your yard or garden?

Elizabeth Shreeve – I love my Meyer lemon tree. To dig fingernails into one of those lemons and sniff—oh yeah. Delicious

Laurie Ann Thompson – My entire front yard, literally, is a giant sequoia tree. It is around 150 feet tall, and the view from my wall of living room windows is all branches. It feels like I’m living in a treehouse (except much drier, warmer, and cozier)! I LOVE my giant sequoia. When we first bought the house, it was a very competitive real estate market. There were multiple offers besides ours, some even at a higher price, but ours was the only one that didn’t come with a contingency to cut down the tree prior to transfer. The previous owners loved the tree as much as we did, so we got the house! Now I feel a bit like I’ve been entrusted with its care and preservation, and it’s not always easy. I have to have to get it treated regularly to slow its growth and “soften” the roots, so it doesn’t destroy the foundation, the driveway, and/or the street. It constantly drops needles and cones that need to be cleaned up. And it sometimes needs pruned so the branches don’t scrape against the siding and eaves. But it’s worth it. It sequesters a whole lot of carbon from the atmosphere, it’s a spectacular landmark in the center of my neighborhood, it keeps my house cool in the summertime, and it’s a sight to behold when we point the projector at it during the holidays.

Buffy Silverman – Many years ago we stopped mowing much of our property. I planted many kinds of native plants, and scattered seeds that I collected on our walks. Goldenrods, asters, and other plants started growing on their own. Near the lake I planted cardinal flower, swamp milkweed, and a few other wetland plants. This year I counted thirty swamp milkweed plants flowering near our dock and found many monarch caterpillars eating their leaves. The seeds from our milkweed plants have spread to some of our neighbor’s lakeshore (with a little help from me and my kayak!)

Megan Clendenan – I love growing vegetables! We have boxes because the soil where I live needs a fair amount of amendments as it’s very rocky. My favorite veggies to grow are greens – lettuce, kale, mustard greens, spinach, etc. – because I love picking my salad for dinner each night. I’ve been wanting to grow asparagus and this year I finally tried, but sadly, only one stalk came up and then it was overtaken by my nearby potato crop. Hopefully more will sprout but otherwise I’ll try again next year. Otherwise, I like to keep mostly native plants in our yard, which in our area means lots of ferns!

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

The Oddball Book of Armadillos by Elizabeth Shreeve, illustrated by Isabella Grott (Norton Young Reader 9/10/2024) – A really fun nonfiction which examines and compares fascinating existing and prehistoric armadillos. As mixed up as a platypus, these truly odd mammals have genetically identical quadruplets, long tongues and claws, hair and armor, and can walk underwater or roll into a ball. The book compares six of the twenty-three existing species to their fossil relatives and explores the ranges and environmental limits and dangers for each. It's an entertaining and enlightening look at a largely nocturnal and often subterranean mammal.

Synopsis: From the creators of The Upside-Down Book of Sloths, this delightful new picture book traces the history of one of Earth’s strangest animals.

Armadillos are a hodgepodge of different animal parts and behaviors rarely seen together―in short, they’re oddballs! In this companion to The Upside-Down Book of Sloths, Elizabeth Shreeve explores the evolutionary history of armadillos and how they became the burrowing, swimming, roly-poly, armored predators of today. She pairs modern species like the adorable pink fairy armadillo, the chilling screaming hairy armadillo, and the iconic nine-banded armadillo with their ancient counterparts, such as the glyptodont, which could be as large as a car, had a turtle-like dome of armor, and even a spiked tail club!

Entertaining, educational, and completely endearing, The Oddball Book of Armadillos digs deep into armadillos, their evolutionary history, and their future in our changing world.

Let the Light In by Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Adriana Predoi (Worthy Kids 9//10/2024) – This gorgeous, rhyming picture book deals with sadness in such a wonderfully accepting and encouraging way. By leaving the sadness undefined, it creates a universal applicability. The lovely poem offers many diverse suggestions from physical movement, music, creativity, time with friends or family, or simply giant hugs as things we can all do to "let the light" back in.

Synopsis: Help little ones move from sadness to brighter days with this hopeful and encouraging look at a universal emotion.

It’s normal to feel sad, but for kids, sadness can often feel overwhelming and confusing. Let the Light In meets children in their moment of sadness and offers empathetic ideas on how to navigate it. Concrete and simple ideas include creative expression, going for a walk, paying attention to the world around them, and visiting a friend. Little ones will be left with the uplifting message that, whether it happens in big ways or small, all at once or over time, sadness will eventually fade, and better days will come.

Starlight Symphony by Buffy Silverman (Millbrook Press/Lerner 9/17/2024) – This wonderful, poetic ode to animals sounds from twilight to dawn is accompanied by stunning photographs of the animals and their habitats. Formatted as an analogy of animals to players in an orchestra, the book wonderfully weaves each animal's sounds into the rhyming quatrains. Fun back matter introduces each of the animal 'musicians' and the mechanics and reasons for their calls and then the musical instruments they are compared to - like a bagpipe, cello, or slide whistle. It's a wonderful introduction to nighttime animals and some fun instruments.

Synopsis: Eee-oh-lay! Chirp-a-chirp! Rat-a-tat!

Nature is full of music. Listen in as a wood thrush, a cricket, a woodpecker, and many other animals perform a symphony under the stars. Rhyming verse and eye-catching photos will draw in animal lovers and music lovers alike!

This is a great fit for educators looking for STEAM content, bringing together animal behavior, figurative language as animals are compared to musicians, and lots of onomatopoeia. Back matter includes more about each of the featured animals and each of the featured instruments.

What Do We Eat? How Humans Find, Grow and Share Food by Megan Clendenan, illustrated by Meegan Lim (Orca Books 9/17/2024) – Looking at the interesting ways explorers, adventurers, and astronauts have tackled having sufficient fresh or preserved food to ensure their survival, the inventive ways armies and countries have survived historic and current conflicts, seizures, and wars, and the ancient and modern methods of growing food in concert with nature, this book evaluates the interactions and interconnectivity of people, communities, and food. Drawing connections to the social issues and discoveries that affect daily lives of people all around the world. Fun sidebars of "Challenges," Menus," and "Cautionary tales," enhance each of the sections. It's a fascinating and poignant evaluation of humanity's interaction with food.

Synopsis: Every day, no matter where we are or where we need to go, humans need food.

Imagine carrying meals with you as you parachute into a war zone. Or trying to stay well fed while building the pyramids. People have always found ways to work together to put a meal on the table. What Do We Eat? is a delicious celebration of human creativity and cooperation, wrapped up in bite-sized slices of history, with a look at what scientists and inventors are cooking for the future. We are gobbling up Earth's resources, and food is not shared equally. But today there's a magic tree transforming the dry African plains, food "ambulances" on the move and cities that have declared access to food a human right. Hungry to find out more? Let's roll up our sleeves and find out what's for dinner.

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:

Elizabeth Shreeve – The Oddball Book of Armadillos (Norton Young Reader 9/10/2024) –

Website: https://elizabethshreeve.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.shreeve

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

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsZMOyhdzwVkwjZOHSaz_fg

LinkTree: https://tr.ee/7FPr9kF3jw

Laurie Ann Thompson –Let the Light In (Worthy Kids 9//10/2024) –

Website: https://lauriethompson.com/

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