The Picture Book Buzz - June 2025 Interview with STEAM Team Books Members
- Maria Marshall
- 2 days ago
- 17 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 three 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.)
Kirsten Pendreigh - What Fish Are Saying: Strange Sounds in the Ocean (Sourcebooks 6/3/2025) – I’m a journalist, a science communicator, a poet, and an amateur naturalist. I discovered that those skills turned out to be the perfect combo for nonfiction picture books! I love writing language-rich books—using poetic devices and lyrical language to create an engaging read-aloud text. I wrote my first picture book draft about 10 years ago and was soon hooked on the challenge of conveying so much information in such a limited format. I also love how picture books all come together like a movie, once the artist and art director tell their version of the story.
My natural curiosity draws me to STEAM books. In the case of WHEN A TREE FALLS, I was delving into the science of nurse logs long before I thought about writing their story so when it came to writing it, the facts were already in my head.
I’m excited to be part of a new wave of nonfiction writing for children. When I was a kid, nonfiction was very dry and encyclopedic. I wish I’d had access to the kinds of innovative STEAM books that are coming out these days!
As far as where and when I write, it really varies. I used to beat myself up about not having a writing routine but now I’ve learned to let myself write when I have time, and when I feel inspired. I write all over the house, depending on where the best light is and where I won’t be interrupted. If I lived alone, I would probably write in the middle of the night. My best ideas seem to arrive after midnight!
[Author of When a Tree Falls: Nurse Logs and Their Incredible Forest Power, illustrated by Elke Boschinger (2025), Maybe a Whale, illustrated by Crystal Smith (2023), and Luna's Green Pet, illustrated by Carmen Mok (2022).]
Michelle Cusolito – In The World Of Whales (Neal Porter Books 6/17/2025) – I started writing for children around 2007 but didn’t sell my first book until 2016 (which came out in 2018). My first job out of college was as a Naturalist at an environmental camp on Cape Cod. Then I became an elementary school teacher and a science curriculum developer, so the transition to writing STEAM books for kids was a natural one. I have a deep sense of wonder for the natural world, and I want to share that with kids.
I write in a variety of places: at my standing desk, at the kitchen counter or dining room table, in my screened porch, in cafés (before Covid), lounging on the sofa, or in my bed first thing in the morning. (I wrote the first draft of my 4th book—which is not announced, yet—before I got out of bed one morning). I also like writing outside: the first draft of Flying Deep was written while I sat at the edge of a pond.
[Author of Jellyfish Scientist: Maude Delap and Her Mesmerizing Medusas, illustrated by Ellen Rooney (2025); A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone: Twenty-four Days of Science at Sea (2024), Diving Deep: Using Machines to Explore the Ocean, illustrated by Nicole Wong (2022) and Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin, illustrated by Nicole Wong (2018).]
Elizabeth Tracy – Mystery Driver: The Story of Alice Johnson and the First Soap Box Derby (Candlewick/MIT Kids Press 6/25/2025) – I started taking children’s literature classes about ten years ago, just for fun. Next thing I knew, I was hooked! I quickly gravitated toward nonfiction writing, but when I realized how difficult it was to get a book published, I decided to try my hand at magazine writing for a while. Since I’ve always been interested in STEM topics, I submitted proposals to Cricket Media’s Ask and Muse science magazines and published several articles between 2019 and 2022. Then I finally signed my first book contract in 2022. Yay!
Regarding when and where I write—it’s a crap shoot! My life is a bit chaotic now, so I must take each day as it comes, and I’m okay with that. Although I’d like to develop more of a routine in the coming months.
[Author of several articles in Cricket Media’s STEAM magazines - Ask and Muse. Contributing author of Bridges to Literature and Content (2023).]
What helps you to be inspired? (perhaps a certain place, music, activity, etc.)
Kirsten Pendreigh – Walking in the forest and along the shore of the Pacific Ocean near my home, in particular in a park called Lighthouse Park where I have taken my kids since they were babies. The park has wild, rocky outcroppings on the shore, dense fern and moss glens, and HUGE corky Douglas firs. Every time I walk those trails I encounter some new marvel. Even in the cold, rainy winter, it is a refuge for me. Lighthouse Park is where I first noticed nurse logs (and where I took When a Tree Falls for its first photo shoot ☺️). It’s also where I see seals, sea lions, and sometimes whales and wonder what they are saying to each other under the waves, which of course helped spark my interest in other marine communication!
Michelle Cusolito - This incredible planet and the scientists trying to uncover its secrets inspire me. Almost every day I experience something wonderful while out in nature, when I see an amazing photograph on Instagram (I follow loads of science accounts), or when I read an article about some new scientific discovery. I already have a lifetime of ideas for books and more keep coming. I keep chasing my own curiosity. I figure if I’m interested in something, others will be too.
Elizabeth Tracy – I’ve never had a shortage of ideas. Everywhere I look there’s inspiration. I might be taking a walk, reading a magazine, or listening to the radio and an idea for a story will pop into my head. Finding the time to do the research and then write a compelling story – now that’s the hard part. But it’s also so much fun!
Now that we know a little more about all of you, what sparked your interest and caused you to write this book?
Kirsten Pendreigh - What Fish Are Saying: Strange Sounds in the Ocean (6/3/2025) – As a radio journalist, I edited my own radio documentaries, so I always paid attention to sound. Hearing humpback whales breathing in the night, while camping in a remote bay, inspired my book Maybe A Whale. Then, I heard a marine scientist on the radio talking about how fish make sound to communicate. When he played some of their strange and unique noises, I was hooked. Fish moaning and groaning and whooping and clucking? A shrimp that crackles and snaps? What!?
The more I learned about how and why fish make these strange sounds, the more I wanted to write about it. The fact that the study of sound in the sea is such a cutting-edge science, with new discoveries every day, made it even more compelling. I also love how sound mitigation and sound research are some of the attainable and affordable ways we can help ocean species and restore coral reefs.
Michelle Cusolito – In The World Of Whales (6/17/2025) – I first learned about this true story when I was writing Diving Deep. I listened to a podcast interview with a freediver, who is a friend of Fred Buyle, the man featured in my book. That man related the story of Fred’s encounter with a clan of sperm whales during a birth when he was freediving. I immediately knew it needed to be a book! (But, of course, I didn’t rely on a second-hand account. I did a lot more research and located primary sources).
Elizabeth Tracy – Mystery Driver: The Story of Alice Johnson and the First Soap Box Derby (6/25/2025) – The inspiration for Mystery Driver came to me one morning when I was listening to the radio. A Soap Box Derby representative was being interviewed about the history of the race. Back in 1933, a Dayton Daily News photographer spotted a handful of kids coasting downhill in homemade cars. He convinced the newspaper to sponsor a race for local boys, and hundreds showed up! But one girl, named Alice Johnson, also enlisted – even though girls were not invited.
The Soap Box Derby representative said Alice took second place and won a boys’ bicycle (which wasn’t quite true). Then he went on with his interview, and didn’t mention Alice again. Wait a minute! I thought. Who was this brave girl? How did she sneak in? And why weren’t girls invited? I had to know more. Thus, my quest began.
Wow! Radio programs and podcasts for the win this time around! What makes you passionate about being a children’s author?
Kirsten Pendreigh – I want kids to read books that make them feel they belong in the natural world, even in the face of species loss and climate change. Those are problems we adults created, and I don’t want to burden picture-book-age kids with them. For this age group, I want to celebrate and affirm their natural instincts to notice and nurture other creatures that share our planet. I want to reward their curiosity with fun and engaging books. Paying attention to the small and precious things and being curious about them is a profound way of loving them, and learning more about them is a first step towards saving them and preserving their habitats.
Michelle Cusolito - I love sharing my sense of wonder, curiosity, and excitement about the world with kids. And writing nonfiction allows me to chase my nerdy interests.
Elizabeth Tracy – I love real life inspiring stories, especially when they feature empowered women and girls. Yet so many of these stories remain untold. What better purpose could I have than to unearth these gems, so they can sparkle and shine for others to see?
I love each of your reasons and goals and I think you three are definitely succeeding. Is there anything special you want your readers to know about your book?
Text © Kirsten Pendreigh, 2025. Image © Katie Melrose, 2025.
Kirsten Pendreigh - What Fish Are Saying: Strange Sounds in the Ocean (6/3/2025) – That one of the smallest shellfish, the snapping shrimp, is one of the loudest and most important sound makers in the ocean! A snapping shrimp can be found on each page, leading us through the book and making its trademark “Crackle, Crackle, Snap!” sounds. Scientists are now playing recordings of snapping shrimp in reef restoration projects, to draw fish back. The sound of snapping shrimp (which is like bacon sizzling) is one that fish associate with safety. And the way that snapping shrimp make sound is so fascinating! Their special claw blasts out water bubbles at such high speed that when they pop, they stun their prey, light up for a microsecond, and make an extremely loud sound!
Text © Michelle Cusolito, 2025. Image © Jessica Lanan, 2025.
Michelle Cusolito – In The World Of Whales (6/17/2025) – This story is 100 percent true. I watched video footage of the event and Fred Buyle himself vetted my manuscript. I also want readers to know that they should not try to dive or swim with whales. Fred has a special license from the Portuguese government that allows him to do so.
I still get goosebumps every time I read the book or tell the story to someone. It’s so wondrous and beautiful.
Text © Elizabeth Tracy, 2025. Image © Anna Aronson, 2025.
Elizabeth Tracy – Mystery Driver: The Story of Alice Johnson and the First Soap Box Derby (6/25/2025) – Mystery Driver stands proudly alongside other recent “hidden histories” that finally acknowledge someone’s big discovery or accomplishment. But what sets Alice Johnson’s story apart is that she was still a child when she achieved her great feat. I hope kids will find this inspiring. I sure did!
Each of these books are gorgeous and truly amazing! 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?
Kirsten Pendreigh - What Fish Are Saying: Strange Sounds in the Ocean (6/3/2025) – I had no idea when I dove into fish sounds how complicated it would be! For each species, I had to find a documented recording. Recording fish sounds is still so new, that recordings don’t yet exist for all species, so it wasn’t possible to include all the species I wanted to. I also had to group fish in ways that made sense: fish that lived in the same ocean, in similar regions, at similar ocean depths etc. Then, we added a layer of rhyme, which wasn’t in my original submission. So: similar regions, similar depths, documented recordings, and rhyme! A Rubik’s cube of research and organization!
Some other challenges included finding the best way to explain, in kid-friendly rhyme— the mechanisms of how fish and shellfish make sound. They don’t have vocal cords like we do, instead they use a variety of strange mechanisms to make sound, from squeezing bellies, to farting, to rubbing their bones together. It did prompt my favorite line in the book:
Some make strange sounds
with their skeletal bones,
Which they rub and grind together,
like bony telephones!”
At the end of the day, I’d love to have included more information about reef restoration using sound, and about how we can mitigate human sound and its impacts on marine life. But for this age group, I think it was great to spark their curiosity and keep this a fun and informative read focusing on the fish!
Michelle Cusolito – In The World Of Whales (6/17/2025) – As I mentioned, I learned this story from someone who was not present when it happened, so I needed to chase down primary sources. This proved to be more difficult than I had expected.
I started on Fred’s website, where I found still images and confirmed the very basic details of the event, but that wasn’t enough to write a story. There was reportedly video footage of the event, so I searched “Fred Buyle” on YouTube. Soon I had dozens of tabs open with videos featuring Fred freediving. I watched how he dives and jotted notes about his movements. When there was sound, I cranked it up so I could hear the noises he makes as he exhales at the surface and then breathes in again before diving. But I couldn’t find a video of this event.
Finally, when I had cleared all but one tab, I started watching an interview that, to be frank, looked like it would be boring. It was two guys with headphones and Fred on Zoom. Not exactly as compelling as videos of Fred freediving with sharks, for example. But finally, in this video, I hit the motherload. Fred related the whole experience in detail. I realized the rough draft I had written matched his storytelling with a few adjustments. Hooray! And then, just as I was about to close the interview, he revealed the most important piece of information: the name of the man who was diving with him (freedivers go in pairs): Kurt Amsler. And THAT led me to Kurt’s video footage of this experience. I finally had enough information to revise the manuscript and feel confident it was accurate. And that’s when I reached out to Fred to ask if he would review my work to make sure he felt I accurately portrayed his experience. Thankfully, he agreed!
See Fred’s photos here: https://nektos.net/2014/09/02/whale-newborn-encounter/
And Kurt’s extraordinary video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5xbtCWCFUk
Elizabeth Tracy – Mystery Driver: The Story of Alice Johnson and the First Soap Box Derby (6/25/2025) – I was surprised, at first, how little information was available about Alice Johnson. The Soap Box Derby website didn’t mention her in their history or Hall of Fame. Luckily, I was able to find accurate information in the Dayton Daily News archives, and other historical records. Then my real breakthrough came when I reached out to Alice’s family -- and they answered me back! Her daughter shared material from family archives, including Alice’s own account of her racing experience. I’m forever grateful for the support and encouragement I received from Alice Johnson’s family (as well as my own), and I can’t wait to share this book with them.
I love how you each dealt with and overcame the obstacles you encountered. And ended up with some amazing discoveries along the way. Are there any upcoming projects that you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?
Kirsten Pendreigh – I just finished edits on a fiction book called Camping Is A Terrible Idea, which follows a routine-loving city kid reluctantly going camping for the first time and predicting chaos and calamity. In this one, I layered in what I find most comforting and restorative about being in nature—that there are rhythms and patterns every day we can feel and observe, from sunrise times, to tide times, to bird song and star positions, to seasonal changes. In the story, discovering those natural rhythms brings our little routine-lover comfort too. The book will be out in 2026. And we’re soon sending a lyrical nonfiction on sub. It’s all about trails in nature – how humans and animals make and use trails and why we are called to follow them.
Michelle Cusolito - My next book, Rooted in Wonder: Celebrating the World’s National Trees, illustrated by Marya Wright (Moon + Bird), comes out in March of 2026. Watch for a cover reveal soon! This book might feel like a departure to some—because it’s not ocean-themed—but this is squarely a “Michelle Book.” Trees have always played an important role in my life, and I’ve hugged many of the trees featured in the book, from a baobab in Niger to olives in Morocco and Italy and strangler figs in Ecuador and Puerto Rico.
I have another ocean-themed book coming in Fall of 2027, but it hasn’t been announced yet.
I just started a new project that is a bit of a change for me. The topic is familiar: I’m drawing upon research I did when I went to sea with Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution while working on A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone: Twenty-Four Days of Science at Sea. What’s different is that I’m collaborating with another well-known nonfiction author on this project. We had our first official planning meeting this week. I’m very excited!
Elizabeth Tracy – I’m working on another STEM-related picture book, and I’ll be getting back to work soon on a couple girl-power stories (one middle grade and one YA) that I had to put on the back burner a couple years ago due to a breast cancer diagnosis. I’m eager to get back in the saddle again!
These all sound super intriguing! Best of luck to all on these projects, we'll have to keep our eyes open for them. Last question, what animal or natural feature (place) do you want to learn more about? Why?
Kirsten Pendreigh – Wolverines have captured my attention lately. They are so elusive! I’ve been following a group of researchers who spend endless cold days and nights trying to learn more about these fierce and mysterious beasts in the Pacific Northwest. I love seeing that kind of human obsession and dedication to learning more about other creatures. It’s like that photographer who waited seven months to snap a picture of a snow leopard. Amazing dedication and results!
Michelle Cusolito - It would be shorter to list animals or natural features I don’t want to learn about. The answer is: none! Lol.
Seriously, though, I’m curious and interested in so many things. It’s difficult to narrow down my list. Similarly, when people ask where I’d like to travel next, I don’t have a specific answer. I generally say, “I’m up for traveling nearly anywhere in the world, as long as travel there is relatively safe.” Thankfully my spouse feels the same as me!
Elizabeth Tracy – I’ve been fascinated by wombats ever since I went to Australia several years ago. Somewhere, deep in my files, I have an informational fiction manuscript I wrote about a little girl who longs to keep a pet wombat in New York City but discovers – the hard way -- that maybe it is not such a great idea. 😊 [Ha!]
NOW, let me take a moment to introduce you to these amazing STEAM books!
What Fish Are Saying: Strange Sounds in the Ocean by Kirsten Pendreigh, illustrated by Katie Melrose (Sourcebooks 6/3/2025) – Gorgeously illustrated and full of onomatopoeia and some really unusual sounds, this book employs rhyming couplets to highlight how and why fish are making sounds. A wide variety of underwater life is featured, in addition to scientific devices (hydrophones) and terms. It's a great book for science and nature lovers and a fun read aloud.
Synopsis: Did you know that fish grunt, shellfish crackle, and some sea creatures even burp and boop to communicate? Dive into a fascinating underwater adventure as one little shellfish guides readers through the surprisingly loud world beneath the waves!
This upbeat, rhyming nonfiction picture book features:
STEM Connections – Introduces young readers to the science of bioacoustics in an engaging, age-appropriate way
Educational Fun – Supports early science learning with fascinating facts and real ocean sounds
Lively Rhyming Text – Keeps kids engaged and entertained while they learn
Vibrant Illustrations – Brings the noisy ocean world to life with colorful, playful art
Perfect for Classrooms & Home Libraries – Great for read-alouds, science units, and nature-themed storytime
Whether you're a parent looking to nurture a love of science, a caregiver encouraging curiosity, or a teacher adding ocean-themed nonfiction to your shelves, What Fish Are Saying is a must-have addition to your collection.
Be sure to check out the book's Activity Kit and some actual fish sound recordings.
In The World Of Whales by Michelle Cusolito, illustrated by Jessica Lanan (Neal Porter Books 6/17/2025) – Spectacularly stunning illustrations and lovely, concise lyrical text follow a pair of freedivers in a once-in-a-lifetime event. Happening upon a pod of whales, the two men arrive moments after a baby's birth. Moving between the surface (to breathe) and the whales underneath the waves, the divers watch the pod's interactions and the baby's first minutes of life, as they themselves are watched. Back matter includes a fascinating sperm whale organ and skeleton diagram, information on freediving and whales, and wonderful resources. This nonfiction picture book is a breathtaking and touching account of a special encounter and remarkable gift.
Synopsis: Plunge deep into the awe-inspiring true story of a freediver’s encounter with a newborn sperm whale and its family.
When a freediver (one who dives without the benefit of oxygen) slips underwater, he encounters a pod of sperm whales so close he can almost touch them. When he sees blood in the water, he wonders if there's been an injury. When he comes even closer, what he finds instead is a moments-old calf, skin wrinkly and tail fluke still folded from the womb.
The calf’s family nudges it up to breathe; nudges it toward each member of the pod, by way of introduction; and then it happens—the mother nudges her child toward the diver, inviting him, too, to share in the family moment.
Told from the vantage point of Belgian freediver Fred Buyle, who with his diving partner Kurt Amsler are the only people known to be present at the birth of a sperm whale, In the World of Whales features lyrical-yet-precise text by Michelle Cusolito and dreamlike illustrations by Jessica Lanan, creator of the Sibert Honor book Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider. Any child who dreams of speaking to animals will adore this proof of humanity’s bond with the wild world. At the end of the story, find more information about freediving and whales.
Mystery Driver: The Story of Alice Johnson and the First Soap Box Derby by Elizabeth Tracy, illustrated by Anna Aronson (Candlewick/MIT Kids Press 6/25/2025) – An exciting biography of a young girl who challenged the "boys only" rule of the First Soap Box Derby. Mechanically inclined and fearless, Alice entered as a "Mystery Driver," worked with her father to build a perfect car, and then meticulously practiced. Elements of physics and navigation are woven throughout the story and explained more thoroughly in the back matter. The suspenseful race is capped off by Alice jauntily removing her white racing helmet and claiming her third place win. An author's note highlights two other banned kids who follow Alice into the derby the following year and more of Alice's life. This is an exciting and empowering STEM biography of a gutsy girl who loved to fly down a hill, or in the clouds.
Synopsis: Alice is determined to build the fastest car in the boys-only soap box derby in this empowering true tale of ingenuity, engineering, and the joy of creating your dreams.
Alice loves swooping through the clouds in Daddy’s biplane. She and he even flew through a howling tornado when Alice was only three! Grounded now by the Great Depression, Alice is yearning for more thrilling adventure when she sees a newspaper ad for a soap box derby where kids will race their own homemade, gravity-powered cars. Excitement is spreading like prairie fire! But wait—the race is only for boys? Alice knows she can be a race-car driver, too. So she and Daddy work hard in his machine shop to build the speediest car they can. Ball bearings let the wheels spin smoothly, rubber tires absorb bumps in the pavement, sleek surfaces slice through the air, and the crowning glory: an airplane’s nose cone! The day of the race, forty thousand people turn out to watch hundreds of boys compete—and one Mystery Driver. At the crack of the starter pistol, Alice flies toward the checkered flag . . . Get ready for an action-packed story complete with fascinating back matter that digs deeper into the science and people involved.
Thank you all for giving us a little peek into yourselves and your books. Wishing you all enormous success.
To learn more about these writers, or to contact them:
Kirsten Pendreigh - What Fish Are Saying: Strange Sounds in the Ocean (Sourcebooks 6/3/2025) –
Website: https://www.kirstenpendreigh.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirstenpendreigh/
Michelle Cusolito – In The World Of Whales (Neal Porter Books 6/17/2025) –
Website: https://www.michellecusolito.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcusolito/
Elizabeth Tracy – Mystery Driver: The Story of Alice Johnson and the First Soap Box Derby (Candlewick/MIT Kids Press 6/25/2025) –
Website: https://drliztracy.com/
Twitter (X): https://x.com/DrLizTracy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drliztracy/
Wow! Maria, there's so much in this post. You really got a dream STEAM team, Michelle, Kristen, and Elizabeth, to share so much with us: where they write, how they come up with ideas, their backrounds and why they're interested in what they write.... thanks for sharing "everything"!