Meet Chris Raschka, author, illustrator, musician and winner of three Caldecotts (most recently for A Ball for Daisy). Find out how Raschka creates his deeply expressive illustrations and how he's able to reveal the rhythm, experimentation and play of jazz through image and word.To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Meet the Author (Reading Rockets)

Chris Raschka

Meet writer Herman Parish, who has been writing stories about the literal-minded Amelia Bedelia since 1995, inventing new adventures for the beloved character his aunt, Peggy Parish, created 50 years ago.To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Herman Parish

Vicki Cobb, the Julia Child of hands-on science, is a former science teacher with a playful and accessible approach to science. She has published more than 85 books for grades K&8 that explore physics, chemistry and biology, biographies, geography, and the human body. Her new Science Play series targets kids 3&5 years old, who are already natural scientists with their interest in the world around.To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Vicki Cobb

Meet husband/wife team Sarah Stewart and David Small. Together, they've created a number of award-winning picture books. Learn how they work together, their creative process, and all about their sixth collaboration, The Quiet Place.To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Sarah Stewart and David Small

Tomie dePaola, the author and illustrator of Strega Nona and many other favorite books, always knew he wanted to be an artist. In this exclusive video interview with Reading Rockets, Tomie dePaola tells comical childhood tales, reflects on his career, and suggests ways to encourage young readers and artists.To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Tomie dePaola (2012)

Jeff Kinney is perhaps best known as the creator of Greg Heffley, the wry adolescent hero of Kinney&s best-selling Wimpy Kid series. Publisher#38;s Weekly says, 'Kinney has a gift for believable preteen dialogue and narration, and the illustrations serve as a hilarious counterpoint to Greg#38;s often deadpan voice.'To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

Reading Rocket's exclusive interview with author and illustrator Henry Cole -- creator of Celeste, The Worrywarts, Katy Duck, and many other beloved characters -- talks about his early career as a science teacher (who always drew for his students!), why it takes patience to draw what you really see, how he gets those comical animal faces to look just right, and why he loved using a plain Number 2 pencil to create the evocative illustrations for his book A Nest for Celeste.To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Henry Cole (2012)

Meet author/illustrator Chris Van Dusen, whose rich imagination has produced a lively collection of interesting characters (King Hugos Huge Ego), adventures (The Circus Ship), and delightful rhymes (If I Built a Car).To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Chris Van Dusen

Meet Sam McBratney, author of the international best seller Guess How Much I Love You, who has been writing children's books across all genres for more than 30 years.To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Sam McBratney

Meet Newbery winner Susan Cooper (Dark Is Rising series) whose work weaves rich language and contemporary concerns with fantasy, history and traditional literature to create compelling, timeless novels for a wide range of readers. To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Susan Cooper

Meet the Feiffers! Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist dad, Jules, is well-known for his social commentary, but also writes and illustrates books for young readers. So does his daughter, Kate. Whether working alone or in collaboration, Jules and Kate Feiffer's books are funny and observant, with stories drawn from very real and familiar family situations.To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Jules and Kate Feiffer

Children's Choice Book Award winner Jarrett Krosoczka (the Lunch Lady series) talks about his very first book (an original Greek myth in the third grade), the inspiration for his books, and why he writes for kids.To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Jarrett Krosoczka (The Lunch Lady Series)

Julianne Moore, author of the Freckleface Strawberry series, talks about falling in love with storytelling and reading as a young child, why she writes for kids, and how to encourage young writers..To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Julianne Moore (Freckleface)

Caldecott winner Allen Say talks about living alone in Tokyo at age 12, studying with cartoon master Noro Shinpei, his career as a photographer, and finally returning to his love of storytelling through words and pictures.To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Allen Say (Grandfather's Journey)

Katherine Paterson, Newbery winner and the 2011 National Ambassador of Young Peoples Literature, talks about families reading aloud together, the joys of writing historical fiction, and the challenge of adapting classic works.To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education..

Katherine Paterson (2011 National Ambassador of Young Peoples Literature)

Reading Rockets' interviews with top children's book authors and illustrators are an excellent way to introduce students to those who create books kids know and love. Not just for children, these interviews are also enjoyed by parents, teachers, librarians, and other educators who appreciate the value of children's literature and get a kick out of putting a face and voice to the authors and illustrators whose work we enjoy. These interviews are available from ReadingRockets.org in audio and video formats. To see a transcript from these interviews, to find out more about each author, or to watch the full interview, see Reading Rockets' Books & Authors section.