You May Contribute A Verse

Today’s guest is Meg Auchenbach, author illustrator of If You Are An Artist! [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-you-are-an-artist-meg-auchenbach/1144008650;jsessionid=ACFC0031C58D3281C977BF3E81197E54.prodny_store01-atgap15?ean=9781441342010&st=AFF&2sid=Linktree%20Inc_100589976_NA&sourceId=AFFLinktree%20Inc] We talk about what it actually looks like when an editor asks for more work, an inside look at what it  takes to be an author/illustrator in today’s market, joining a debut group and the mystery of all mysteries: how do you manage your writing time with other commitments and life!    Make sure to listen until the end for Meg’s Dead Manuscript and my impersonation of Kip from Napoleon Dynamite!   Team Versy is Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster, and Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, and science communicator. This episode was proudly sponsored by Tielmour Press [https://www.tielmourpress.com/] Our guest for this conversation was Meg Auchenbach. You can find Meg here [https://www.instagram.com/megauchenbachart/].  This episode’s book reviews: OLIVIA [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Olivia/Ian-Falconer/9781416980346] by Ian Falconer   VERA LA VALIENTE IS SCARED [https://www.beamingbooks.com/store/product/9781506499185/Vera-La-Valiente-Is-Scared] by Ana Siqueria [https://www.instagram.com/asiqueira1307/] illustrated by Teresa Martinez [https://www.instagram.com/teresamtzjun/]   TO CATCH A GHOST [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-catch-a-ghost-rachel-michelle-wilson/1146064407] by Rachel Michelle Wilson [https://www.rachelmichellewilson.com/]    The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost [https://www.instagram.com/hellomaddiefrost/]or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  [https://www.maddie-frost.com/] Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com [https://scottholmesmusic.com/]   Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here [https://linktr.ee/VerseShow]!!  Find us on IG @joshmonkwords [https://twitter.com/JoshMonkwords] and @brennajeanneret [https://twitter.com/BrennaJeanneret] as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment! Thanks and see ya next time.  You May Contribute a Verse is a homespun production, produced, edited, recorded, conceptualized, and marketed by Josh Monken and Brenna Jeanneret.

Content advisory: Portland, rainbows, girl cheese, gender expansiveness, A Song for Nolan [https://littlebeebooks.com/books/a-song-for-nolan/], Rushie Ellenwood [https://littlebeebooks.com/authors/rushie-ellenwood/], and big energy! (And Vicki Johnson)   Enjoy responsibly!   This episode was proudly sponsored by Tielmour Press. [https://www.tielmourpress.com/]   --------   DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! [https://brennajeanneret.com/]   This episode’s book reviews:   VERA LA VALIENTE IS SCARED [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222341951-vera-la-valiente-is-scared] by Ana Siqueira [https://anafiction.com/], illustrated by Teresa Martinez [https://www.instagram.com/teresamtzjun/?hl=en] ISLAND STORM [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218461960-island-storm] by Brian Floca [https://brianfloca.com/], illustrated by Sydney Smith [https://www.sydneydraws.ca/]   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  [https://www.instagram.com/hellomaddiefrost/]or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  [https://www.maddie-frost.com/]   Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes. You can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com [https://scottholmesmusic.com/]     Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here [https://linktr.ee/VerseShow]!!    Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords [https://twitter.com/JoshMonkwords], @brennajeanneret [https://twitter.com/BrennaJeanneret], and @jonseym0ur [https://twitter.com/JSeym0ur] and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Ana Siqueira [https://anafiction.com/] is a beacon of dedication and inspiration! Her latest books VERA LA VALIENTE [https://anafiction.com/vera-la-valiente-a-journey-of-courage/] and STICKY HERMANA [https://anafiction.com/the-joys-and-challenges-of-sisterhood-a-fun-picture-book/] come out in August and October 2025, respectively, and both are equally wonderful.   This episode was proudly sponsored by Tielmour Press. [https://www.tielmourpress.com/]   --------   DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! [https://brennajeanneret.com/]   This episode’s book reviews:   MISTACO! A TALE OF TRAGEDY Y TORTILLAS [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/215805870-mistaco] by Eliza Kinkz [https://www.elizakinkz.com/] DINOSAURS: A SHINE-A-LIGHT BOOK [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41061817-dinosaurs] by Sara Hurst [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16982178.Sara_Hurst], illustrated by Lucy Cripps [https://www.instagram.com/lucycripps_illustration/?hl=en] FORTS [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220998980-forts] by Katie Venit [https://katievenit.com/], illustrated by Kenard Pak [https://www.pandagun.com/]     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  [https://www.instagram.com/hellomaddiefrost/]or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  [https://www.maddie-frost.com/]   Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes. You can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com [https://scottholmesmusic.com/]     Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here [https://linktr.ee/VerseShow]!!    Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords [https://twitter.com/JoshMonkwords], @brennajeanneret [https://twitter.com/BrennaJeanneret], and @jonseym0ur [https://twitter.com/JSeym0ur] and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Sue Lancaster [https://www.tielmourpress.com/post/an-author-interview-with-sue-lancaster] is here to enrich your ears with her voice and your eyes with her books... and her magazine, The Toy [https://thetoypress.com/]! Check out last year's Supermoon [https://www.tielmourpress.com/books/supermoon](from Tielmour Press!) and, out in May, Outside the Box [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/229144911-outside-the-box]!    This episode was proudly sponsored by Tielmour Press. [https://www.tielmourpress.com/]   --------   DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! [https://brennajeanneret.com/]   This episode’s book reviews:   SANTIAGO'S DINOSAURIOS [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60373302-santiago-s-dinosaurios] by Mariana Rios Ramirez [https://marianariosramirez.com/], illustrated by Udayana Lugo [https://www.udayana-lugo.com/] GROUCHO THE GROUCHY GROUNDHOG [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220159973-groucho-the-grouchy-groundhog] by Lydia Lukidis [https://www.lydialukidis.com/], illustrated by Tara Hannon [https://www.tarajhannon.com/] I AM COW, HEAR ME MOO [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18667815-i-am-cow-hear-me-moo] by Jill Esbaum [https://www.jillesbaum.com/], illustrated by Gus Gordon [https://www.gusgordon.com/]   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  [https://www.instagram.com/hellomaddiefrost/]or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  [https://www.maddie-frost.com/]   Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes. You can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com [https://scottholmesmusic.com/]     Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here [https://linktr.ee/VerseShow]!!    Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords [https://twitter.com/JoshMonkwords], @brennajeanneret [https://twitter.com/BrennaJeanneret], and @jonseym0ur [https://twitter.com/JSeym0ur] and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

It's Brenna, Jenna, and Josh. Oh my. Jenna Johnson [https://www.jennaelysejohnson.com/] joins us today for discussion of her debut books [https://www.jennaelysejohnson.com/books] EVERY BODY MOVE! (out in September 2025, and a singalong!) and I SPARK LIKE LIGHTNING (out in winter 2026). And believe us when we say there's more goodness to come from Jenna soon!  Our chat with Jenna goes way beyond her debuts to permission, persistence, passion, and the agonizing roller coaster that is the publishing industry. We hope you enjoy!   This episode was proudly sponsored by Tielmour Press. [https://www.tielmourpress.com/] -------- DON’T MISS AN EPISODE! Sign up for our newsletter here! [https://brennajeanneret.com/] This episode’s book reviews: CARSON CROSSES CANADA [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31952702-carson-crosses-canada], written by Linda Bailey [https://www.lindabaileybooks.com/] and illustrated by Kass Reich [https://www.kassreich.com/] THE BABY WHO STAYED AWAKE FOREVER [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214537815-the-baby-who-stayed-awake-forever], by Sandra Salsbury [https://www.sandrasalsbury.com/] SAFE CROSSING [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/212923939-safe-crossing], by Kari Percival [https://karipercival.com/]   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  [https://www.instagram.com/hellomaddiefrost/]or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  [https://www.maddie-frost.com/]   Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes. You can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com [https://scottholmesmusic.com/]     Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here [https://linktr.ee/VerseShow]!!    Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords [https://twitter.com/JoshMonkwords], @brennajeanneret [https://twitter.com/BrennaJeanneret], and @jonseym0ur [https://twitter.com/JSeym0ur] and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!