In this episode of the podcast Joe talks to both author Megan Wagner Lloyd and illustrator Michelle Mee Nutter about their fantastic book Squished!
Megan & Michelle dig into themes of the book, why representation matters, and how kids can use books to help them ground their emotions as they group up feeling all different types of 'squished'
It was a fantastic conversation and Squished is a fantastic book - be sure to pick it up from your favorite local bookstore today!
Megan Wagner Lloyd is the author of the bestselling kids’ graphic novels Allergic and Squished, co-created with illustrator Michelle Mee Nutter, and the Super Pancake kids’ graphic novel series, co-created with illustrator Abhi Alwar. Megan is also the author of the children’s novel Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure, the kids’ activity book The Creative Writing Playbook, illustrated by Madeline Garcia, the picture book Finding Wild, illustrated by Abigail Halpin, and several more picture books. She lives with her family in the Washington DC area.
Michelle Mee Nutter is the co-creator, with Megan Wagner Lloyd, of Allergic, an instant bestseller. Michelle graduated with a degree in illustration from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, 3x3 Illustration, Creative Quarterly, and more. Michelle lives in Boston.
Eleven-year-old Avery Lee loves living in Hickory Valley, Maryland. She loves her neighborhood, school, and the end-of-summer fair she always goes to with her two best friends. But she’s tired of feeling squished by her six siblings! They’re noisy and chaotic and the younger kids all love her a little too much. All Avery wants is her own room — her own space to be alone and make art. So she’s furious when Theo, her grumpy older brother, gets his own room instead, and her wild baby brother, Max, moves into the room she already shares with her clinging younger sister Pearl! Avery hatches a plan to finally get her own room, all while trying to get Max to sleep at night, navigating changes in her friendships, and working on an art entry for the fair. And when Avery finds out that her family might move across the country, things get even more complicated.
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Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
AND Thanks to Self Unbound for this episode of the podcast: