Welcome to the Wonder House: Adventures with Author and Illustrator Deborah Freedman

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Today's guest is  Deborah Freedman, author/illustrator of  such beloved children's books as Carl and The Meaning of Life. Tiny Dino, Shy, Is Was, and the soon to be published Welcome to the Wonder House. Educators, librarians, and families will love the resources on her website to accompany her books, which includes many teaching ideas, connected experiences and activities, and suggested read alikes for each book.

I first met Deborah at the Shenandoah University Children's Literature Conference. I was tasked with creating games and learning activities to get elementary students excited about meeting the authors. I immediately fell in love with the beauty of her illustrations and the wonder in which she was able to combine science and illustrations for such books as Tiny Dino and  Carl and The Meaning of Life.

In this episode, we discuss dinosaurs (did you know they now think they looked AND sounded like birds?), where ideas and artistic inspiration arise, our first book friends and influences, and several exciting projects that connect the realms of wonder, curiosity, and nonfiction.

• [01:13] Adventures in Learning: How did you get to where you are today
• [06:44]  Carl and The Meaning of Life
• [07:52] Shy 
• [09:48] Florence, the yellow bird, who spans multiple books
• [12:53] Tiny Dino, Birds, And Igniting a Passion for Science
• [19:30] Welcome to the Wonder House
• [24:06] What new adventures lie in store?
• [26:50] Describe your process when creating a book.
• [32:10] What books inspired you as a child and later as an author/illustrator? Mary Ann Hoberman, Mike Mulligan and The Snowy Day.
• [37:21]  What are you hoping to work on next?

You can keep up with Deborah Freedman on her website or follow her on Facebook,

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