In celebration of Earth Day, listen to our conversation about Conservation in children’s literature with Lynne Rae Perkins, author of Nuts to You.
We talk about unexpected inspirations for stories, a subconscious interest in rodents, the fine art of writing about connections (those missed, and those made), and how writers choose phrases and metaphors that can plant seeds in the minds of student readers.
Lynne Rae Perkins won the Newbery Medal for Criss Cross. She has written other novels about humans including All Alone in the Universe and Secret Sisters of the Salty Sea, and many beautiful picture books that have some animals and some humans. While illustrating a book about Johnny Appleseed, the seed of an idea for a book about squirrels took root and grew into the delightful story of adventure, loyalty, persuasion, and the importance of trees, that became Nuts to You.
