Way back in August 2018, I was fortunate to spend a morning with the author of The Penderwicks, Jeanne Birdsall. It was a glorious morning, truly, and something surprising came of it. A little idea popped into my head, and it just sort of… rooted itself.

Actually… the idea that popped into my head didn’t just stay an idea.

It became something much bigger resulting in our biggest, newest project here at Read-aloud Revival: we’re launching a boutique publishing house.

Today, I’m telling you all about it.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

How Jeanne Birdsall’s gardening and life philosophy inspired A Little More Beautiful
What Kate DiCamillo said to me casually that really stuck with me
Why we’ve started Waxwing Books, our own boutique children’s publishing house

🎧 Click here to listen to this episode on your favorite podcast player.

📄 Read the transcript

Reading Aloud: A Parenting Power Move

If you’ve been around here long, you already know that reading aloud is a parenting power move. There’s no single better way to set our kids up for academic success while also forming warm, rich relationships with them, and helping them grow in both empathy and fortitude.

When we read a story, we’re rooting for the same heroes, fearing the same villains, crying, laughing, and seeing the world with fresh eyes together.

Here at Read-Aloud Revival, I’ve spent the past 8 years diving into the best picture books I could find. I’ve interviewed some of today’s finest authors and illustrators, and have traveled all over the country meeting thousands of families with the singular aim of helping them have the best read-aloud experience possible.

I’ve maxed out my library card again and again in my effort to find the most beautiful, best-made read-alouds for you. It follows, then, doesn’t it, that we’d start making those kinds of books ourselves?

Introducing: Waxwing Books

It is my enormous pleasure to introduce you to Waxwing Books, our brand new boutique children’s publishing house. I wrote our first picture book, A Little More Beautiful: The Story of a Garden, and today I’m going to tell you all about it.