The author of the classics Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, and over 150 children's books, Eric Kimmel, sits down with me for a chat. Eric and I have been friends for over a decade, supporting, admiring, arguing, exchanging ideas, and inspiring one another as all artists do. 

I'm honored to call him my friend and you guys are in for a treat. We talk about how he was happy he didn't have to become a doctor! We talk about how changes in the world have affected the children's book industry. We talk about Dr. Suess, the criticism he faces these days. We talk about storytelling as the heart of literature. We talk about how we rush to make our children literate and by doing so we inadvertently have hampered their enthusiasm for literature.

We talk about the iconic concert he missed when he was writing his first children's book. And how he started to write his first children's book from Chapter 8! (Don't try this at home)

Eric brought up a new question to my podcast, one pertained to the Own Voices discussion: should a writer be limited to their own experiences, gender, and ethnicity?  Another topic he wanted to address and we talked about is the demise of the story picture book, picture books for older readers, and graphic novels.

I hope you give a listen and enjoy. Here is Eric's website. He has many books coming out this year. https://www.ericakimmel.com/

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