The Picture Book Buzz - January 2026 Interview with STEAM Team Books Members
- Maria Marshall
- 6 minutes ago
- 9 min read
Whether you're here to support the STEAM Team authors, curiosity, or because you love nonfiction books, I hope you read to the end because you'll discover some amazing authors and super spectacular books!
Today I have the pleasure to introduce you to two authors from the STEAM Team Books – a group of authors and illustrators who joined together to celebrate and help promote their STEAM books. I hope you enjoy this peek at these delightful books and fascinating creatives.
"STEAM Team Books is a group of authors who have a STEM/STEAM book releasing in 2025. It includes fiction & nonfiction, trade or educational books.” Check out their website for other interviews, activities, and bios.
Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write? How long have you been writing? What is your favorite type of book to write? What drew you to STEAM books? etc.)
Marie-Therese Miller – Concussion Crisis: The Rise of Head Injuries in Youth Sports (Lerner 1/1/2026) – I am an English teacher at Marist University and have five adult children and a grandson. I started writing 25 years ago. I have a home office, but I can usually be found, pen in hand, hunched over a notebook on my bed-- books and articles strewn around my floor. I enjoy all aspects of creating nonfiction books for kids, from the research and interviews to the writing and editing. I write about all sorts of topics, but many of my books have been focused on social science subjects. My undergraduate degree is in psychology and all things psychological still interest me.
[Author of 60 books including, 34 Amazing Facts About Space (2024), 34 Amazing Facts About Minecraft (2024), States of Matter: A Sesame Street Science Book (2023), Sink or Float: A Sesame Street Science Book (2023), Simple Machines: A Sesame Street Science Book (2023), Dogs (An Early Encyclopedia) (2022), A Dog's Best Friend: A Sesame Street Guide to Caring for Your Dog (2021), It's All Art! From Drawing to Dress-up with Sesame Street (2021), Sly as a Fox: Are Foxes Clever? (2021), Crayola Our Colorful Earth: Celebrating the Natural World (2021), Handling Depression (2021), Parents Here and There: A Kid’s Guide to Deployment (2021), Me Love to Share with Cookie Monster: A Book About Generosity (2021), Everyone Has Value with Zoe: A Book About Respect, Caring with Bert and Ernie: A Book About Empathy (2021).]
Katy Tanis – Love Under the Sea (Mudpuppy 1/6/2026) – I do most of my writing and illustrating at the kitchen table or on the couch. I have a desk, but it is usually covered in bits and pieces of too many unfinished projects. I have always made art and told stories. I started focusing on children’s books around 2011. I mostly write about animals, conservation, and ecology topics, but I occasionally write fiction about imagination, exploration, and creativity! I always loved math and science—my first degree is in Computer Science. I appreciate the magic in fiction, but for me, there’s something even more thrilling when you discover the magic in the real world!
[Author/illustrator of 3 books: Love in the Wild (2021), Love Under the Stars (2024), Love Under the Sea (2026). Illustrator of 4 additional books: The Highly Sensitive Rabbit by Judith Orloff and Jennifer Adams (2025), Edward and Annie: A Penguin Adventure, by Caryn Rivadeneira (2022), I Am the Jungle: A Yoga Adventure, by Melissa Hurt (2020), Animal Olympics: Creatures Great and Small Competing in Incredible, Impressive, and Extraordinary Events! Discover Nature's Sporting Stars, by Carron Brown (2020).]
What has been the most interesting or odd experience (you’re willing to share) of your children’s literature career so far?
Marie-Therese Miller – I have an interesting experience to share. Early in my writing career, I was researching my Police Dogs book. The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office allowed me to watch the bloodhound train. One police officer played the part of the “suspect” and ran through the woods, laying a scent trail for the bloodhound. Then, the bloodhound, with his human partner, took off into the woods to trail the scent. The remaining police officers had me join a lineup at the end of the trail. When he finished trailing, the bloodhound sniffed me and continued down the line until he reached the correct “suspect.” Then, he jumped up and put his front paws on the “suspect” to identify him as the one who laid the scent trail. Those dogs have incredible noses!
Katy Tanis - I cannot think of a specific example right now. Sometimes, when I take a moment to pause in the midst of research, I laugh about how ridiculous my internet search history would look to someone else. I once illustrated a game highlighting animal bums. I didn’t know that “whale tail” was slang for someone’s thong showing until I wanted a closer look at the shape of whale tails.
Ha! Thank you both for sharing these moments. Now that we know a little more about all of you, what sparked your interest and caused you to write or illustrate this book?
Marie-Therese Miller – Concussion Crisis: The Rise of Head Injured in Youth (1/1/2026) – Actually, more than 40 years ago, as a young person, I suffered a mild concussion. I was ice skating and slipped. A friend fell on top of me, and my head hit the ice, propelled by the force of her body. It was a scary experience, complete with the confusion, headache, and nausea that often accompany concussion. In addition, my daughter was diagnosed with a concussion after a car accident, and I have young friends, who have experienced multiple concussions tied to their sports activities. Because of these personal experiences, I was drawn to researching the cutting-edge diagnostic tools, treatments, and preventive measures for concussion.
Katy Tanis – Love Under the Sea (Mudpuppy 1/6/2026) – My interest in this series started as a coming-out card for my cousin. We had always drawn animals together and shared fun animal facts. So I wanted to make an animal-themed coming-out painting/card for him. I researched which animal might be appropriate and discovered so many interesting LGBTQ+ themed animal behaviors. A few months later, an LGBTQ+ focused bookstore in the Castro asked if I wanted to do an art show there. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to keep exploring that research. I knew it’d make a great book, but I hadn’t gotten around to writing it yet. Then Emily Kleinman, the art director at Mudpuppy, saw the paintings on my Instagram and asked if I wanted to create a book from the art! I did.
These are great personal and family connections. Is there anything special you want your readers to know about your book?
Marie-Therese Miller – Concussion Crisis: The Rise of Head Injured in Youth (1/1/2026) – I think readers would benefit from the practical tips about protecting the brain from injury that they can find in the book. They will also discover interesting facts about concussion, such as complete bedrest is no longer the gold standard for treatment. Instead, the injured person is encouraged to get up and get moving a bit at a time. Exercise helps the brain repair its damaged connections.
Katy Tanis – Love Under the Sea (Mudpuppy 1/6/2026) – Like the previous two books in this series, there are hidden hearts on every page, and a supplemental educational PDF is available via my books page. [Under "Resources - Educators & Librarians"] I also hid a katydid in each of the books, even the ocean-themed one.
What was the hardest, or most challenging, part of writing or researching your book? Was there a bit of your research you didn’t get to include?
Text © Marie-Therese Miller, 2026. Lerner Publishing, 2026
Marie-Therese Miller – Concussion Crisis: The Rise of Head Injured in Youth (1/1/2026) – I researched thoroughly so that I had a firm grasp on how the brain works and could explain the human brain in an understandable way. That is always the challenge with difficult concepts.
Text & Image © Katy Tanis, 2026
Katy Tanis – Love Under the Sea ( 1/6/2026) – All three books in the series were a balancing act of rhyme scheme, science, age appropriateness, celebrating diversity, and potential for fun artwork.
Luckily, doing three books in the series allowed me to include some animals that didn’t make it into previous books. But the world is filled with great love stories, and I couldn’t fit them all in. Clownfish seemed important to include from the beginning, but I was struggling to make it work in the rhyme scheme. I finally came up with a solution, very late in the process. I had already started illustrating a manta ray spread when I swapped to the clownfish. I also cut an anglerfish from the deep-sea spread. The art felt more magical when it was less crowded. So I’ll share her here. Sorry anglerfish!
© Katy Tanis, 2026.
Thanks Katy for sharing the anglerfish illustration! Are there any upcoming projects that you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?
Marie-Therese Miller – Thank you for asking, Maria. I just submitted a manuscript, Developing and Maintaining Relationships. It’s all about methods for making and keeping friends, both platonic and romantic. I also include tips for having healthy relationships with parents, teachers, and coaches. The book is slated for publication this coming fall.
Katy Tanis - I am currently illustrating So Many Salamanders by Diane Lang, published by Smokies Life, which will be out in Fall 2026.
These books sound intriguing. We'll have to keep our eyes open for them. Last question, who is your STEAM hero or heroine, living or dead (scientist, naturalist, author, teacher, etc.)? Why?
Marie-Therese Miller – I have to say my science teachers, from grammar school through college, are all my STEAM heroes. They showed up day after day to share their enthusiasm for and knowledge of science with us. Their lessons sparked a fascination with science that remains with me these many years later. I’m proud to say that my son has joined their ranks and is a science educator. And my dad was a particular STEAM hero of mine. He was a clinical psychologist and a psychology professor, who fostered my interest in human physiology and the social sciences.
Katy Tanis - All those conservationists, working for little pay or recognition, in tough conditions, dedicating their lives to the causes they believe in.
NOW, let me take a moment to introduce you to these amazing STEAM books!
Concussion Crisis: The Rise of Head Injuries in Youth Sports by Marie-Therese Miller (Lerner 1/1/2026) - The book's lightly conversational tone does a great job of drawing the reader into a discussion of the anatomy of the brain, the diagnosis and causes, physical and mental health symptoms, and risks of concussions for teen athletes. In addition to examining ongoing research and recent changes in concussion treatments and legislation, the book lists the riskiest sports and activities. Great concise sidebars offer fascinating nuggets of extra information. A timeline and additional resources in the back matter help make this a great STEM book on brain health and children's sports.
Synopsis: Each year in the United States, about 1.6 to 3.8 million athletes experience a concussion.
A concussion is a brain injury caused by a hit to the head that forces the brain to move quickly inside the skull. Concussions can be minor with few side effects, or they may be severe with symptoms impacting the body, emotions, and brain function. Doctors can diagnose concussions and suggest a treatment plan.
Among young athletes, the sports most likely to cause a concussion are football, soccer, lacrosse, and ice hockey. Learn how concussions occur and how they are diagnosed and treated. Then discover the dangers of concussions in sports and how athletes can prevent getting injured.
Love Under the Sea by Katy Tanis (Mudpuppy 1/6/2026) - Culminating in a stunning double page spread featuring ocean dwellers fanned out in a ROYGBIV seascape, this vibrantly colorful and tender rhyming board book explores the ways sea creatures share love with a partner, a child, or a found family. Every animal is accompanied by its common name, which is particularly fun with the six fancy nudibranchs. Each spread also features a rainbow (arch, coloring - as in the cover - or arrangement) and a hidden heart. It's a great STEM book about ocean inhabitants to share with young readers.
Synopsis: Explore themes of love and trust in Katy Tanis' board book Love Under the Sea! With colorful artwork and sweet rhyming words, this splashy companion to the author's previous books, Love in the Wild and Love Under the Stars, introduces many different ways that ocean animals express love. Educational and inspiring, this book sparks curiosity in the natural world for even the youngest readers. Durable board book construction withstands countless reads and cuddles, making it ideal for babies and toddlers.
Thank you both for giving us a little peek into yourself and your new books. Wishing you both enormous success with you upcoming projects.
Marie-Therese Miller – Concussion Crisis: The Rise of Head Injuries in Youth Sports (Lerner 1/1/2026)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarieThereseMlr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorteri/
Katy Tanis – Love Under the Sea (Mudpuppy 1/6/2026)
Portfolio: http://daughterearth.com
