The Picture Book Buzz - September 2025 Interview with STEAM Team Books Members
- Maria Marshall
- 15 hours ago
- 18 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 four 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.
Hello Everyone,
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.)
Leslie Barnard Booth – I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive (Chronicle 9/9/2025) - I have been writing since childhood and have always dreamed of being an author. I write in my basement where it’s quiet and calm and I can focus on what I love best—playing with words. Science and nature fascinate me, so my books all center around STEAM.
[Author of One Day This Tree Will Fall, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman (2024) and A Stone Is a Story, illustrated by Marc Martin (2023).]
Carrie A. Pearson – Watch Them Grow: The Fascinating Science of Animal Beginnings (Millbrook Press/Lerner 9/9/2025) – STEAM-related topics often share a common element of the unknown or little known, and I enjoy sharing them. Call me kooky, but I love it when I think, “I didn’t know that!” about some tidbit I come across. If I get the same response from someone else after sharing my tidbit, the lightbulb in my brain clicks on. If I receive that response from many people, I’ve found my next project.
[Author of 6 books, including Virginia Wouldn't Slow Down! The Unstoppable Dr. Apgar and Her Life-Saving Invention, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter (2023) Real Princesses Change the World, illustrated by Dung Ho (2023), Stretch to the Sun: From a Tiny Sprout to the Tallest Tree on Earth, illustrated by Susan Swan (2018), A Cool Summer Tail, illustrated by Christina Wald (2014), and A Warm Winter Tail, illustrated by Christina Wald (2012).]
Laura Perdew – Wacky Contraptions: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities (Nomad Press 9/15/2025) -– I’ve loved writing ever since I can remember, and as an adult I became a teacher. Writing for children is the perfect combination of those two passions. I’ve been writing for children for close to 20 years now, mostly STEAM books about nature and the environment because that’s another passion. This book, however, touches on another longtime interest of mine - Rube Goldberg machines.
[Author of dozens of STEAM books for kids including, Conservation Success: Protecting Wild Spaces and Species, illustrated by Lex Cornell (2025), Keystone Species: Meet the Animals Key to Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity, illustrated by Micah Rauch (2024), Your Sustainable World (2024), Picture Book Science Series – Biome Explorers, illustrated by Lex Cornell (2022), Mammals (Field Guides for Kids) (2021), Picture Book Science Series – Animal Adaptations, illustrated by Katie Mazeika (2020), Crazy Contraptions: Build Rube Goldberg Machines that Swoop, Spin, Stack, and Swivel, illustrated by Micah Rauch (2019), Biodiversity: Explore the Diversity of Life on Earth, illustrated by Tom Casteel (2019), Bringing Back Our Wetlands (2018), and Extinction: What Happened to the Dinosaurs, Mastodons, and Dodo Birds?, illustrated by Tom Casteel (2017).]
Alison Pearce Stevens – Detective Dogs: How Working Dogs Sniff Out Invasive Species (Holiday House 9/16/2025) – I was a biologist and college professor up until 2010, at which point I made a big jump to writing about science and nature for kids. It’s not really a surprise that I’m drawn to writing nonfiction STEAM books; I’m still writing about all kinds of fascinating things I learned as a biologist—and so much more! I’m intensely curious and love learning new things to share with equally curious young readers.
I used to have lots of up-close encounters with unusual animals. Now they’re largely limited to my family’s three dogs and a gecko. Two dogs like to lie under and around my desk while I write, the third insists on bouncing her ball around the room. So far, she’s managed to spill my coffee, unplug my printer, knock the books off the bookshelf, and disconnect me from the internet. She can be pretty distracting, so I have to shut her out of the room when I really need to focus. (The gecko says in her terrarium. She escaped once and we found her a week later behind the washing machine.) I’m a full-time writer, so I work in my home office and keep pretty standard work hours. I do my best to keep my weekends free for other things, since life experiences make for better stories!
[Author of 8 books, including Animal Climate Heroes, illustrated by Jason Ford (2024) Rhinos in Nebraska: The Amazing Discovery of the Ashfall Fossil Beds, illustrated by Matt Huynh (2021), 5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything ) (2016), Weird But True Sports: 300 Wacky Facts about Awesome Athletics (2016), Weird But True!: Ripped from the Headlines 3: Real-Life Stories You Have to Read to Believe (2016), Weird But True!: Ripped From the Headlines 2 (2015).]
What helps you to be inspired? (perhaps a certain place, music, activity, etc.)
Leslie Barnard Booth – Nature! I feel an incredible sense of peace and belonging when I’m immersed in nature. I’m pulled out of my worries and into a state of wonder. My senses are heightened. I notice so much more. I think children are experts at observing nature. They can so readily slip into that state of deep observation. So, I try to learn from them and bring their aptitude for wonder into my work.
Carrie A. Pearson –- I am inspired by the infinite wonder of the outside world. Whenever I need a breather from human existence, nature is the place that both grounds me and moves me to think bigger, in a possibility mindset. In terms of writing, my inspiration comes from readers’ reactions to the books I’ve authored. I display a few photos in my office from my school visits and of children experiencing books I’ve authored. Evidence of young readers’ engagement encourages me to push my writing to be worthy of them.
Laura Perdew – I’ve realized that for me, inspiration comes from things that stop me in my tracks and capture my attention. I let myself wonder and be amazed. Then the questions start - how, why, what - and those questions lead me down the research rabbit hole because I want to learn more.
Alison Pearce Stevens – The outdoors, especially forests or any place with mountains or water. I regularly read National Geographic magazine, which always sparks new ideas. And music. Music is perfect for lifting my mood, getting me moving, and generating ideas, but it has to be something upbeat and danceable.
Now that we know a little more about all of you, what sparked your interest and caused you to write this book?
Leslie Barnard Booth – I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive (9/9/2025) - I Am We was inspired by my neighborhood crows here in Portland, Oregon. One fall, my daughters and I noticed that they starting streaming west across the sky at about the same time every afternoon. I did some research and learned that they were likely heading somewhere to roost (or sleep) in a large group, as this is something crows do in fall and winter months. Then, over a year later, I stumbled upon their roost! I was walking through downtown Portland, and there they were—thousands of them, on every branch and every ledge—they had taken over a city park! It was a wonder to behold.
Carrie A. Pearson –- Watch Them Grow: The Fascinating Science of Animal Beginnings (9/9/2025) – The origin story of this book started with the musical Hamilton. I watched it six times on a streaming service during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the sixth viewing, when Leslie Odom Jr. sang that fabulous song, “The Room Where It Happens,” I had an epiphany. I thought how cool it would be to research and write about animal gestation and title the book, The Womb Where It Happens. We actually submitted with that title, but sadly, it needed to be modified to better connect with a younger audience. But I’ve always loved that the Arts (in STEAM) were involved in the making of the book.
Laura Perdew – Wacky Contraptions (9/15/2025) - Usually the inspiration for my books is the natural world. The inspiration for this book, however, was Rube Goldberg and his overly ridiculous chain reaction machines that perform the most basic tasks in an overly complicated, humorous way. The machines are mesmerizing to watch and fun to make, and great for kids!
This book is actually the second one I’ve done about these chain-reaction machines. The first book focused on the physics of the six simple machines (lever, inclined plane, pulley, wheel and axle, screw, and wedge) and using them to build contraptions. This one takes the challenges to the next level - using tension, magnets, gears, water, electricity, and chemical reactions to create wacky contraptions. I wanted to write this book to introduce kids to physics in a hands-on and engaging way.
Alison Pearce Stevens – Detective Dogs: How Working Dogs Sniff Out Invasive Species 9/16/2025) – This came out of an article I wrote on conservation dogs for Science News Explores. I love dogs (we have three, one of which would make a great conservation dog), and this seemed like the perfect way to introduce kids to a big environmental problem—invasive species and their impact on ecosystems—through the lens of something fuzzy and adorable that most people love. Getting a kid to pick up a book about invasive species? That’s a tough sell. But getting them to pick up a book about detective dogs is much easier to do.
I love the diverse ways you each discovered your topics and the ways they formed into your books. What makes you passionate about being a children’s author?
Leslie Barnard Booth – Children are the best people! They are curious, creative, and caring. Writing for them—and having the chance to spark their imaginations, expand their understanding, or offer them joy, awe, and beauty is a deeply rewarding way to spend my days.
Carrie A. Pearson –- Everyone alive today witnesses the power of words to hurt and heal, to bring others down or lift them up, and to embolden both negatively and positively. It’s essential to help young people become mindful users of this word power. As authors, our role in fostering literate, informed, and empathetic readers and individuals is more important than ever. I hope the books I write inspire caring for others in both the human and other-than-human worlds and help us see that we are more alike than we realize.
Laura Perdew – As I said, I’ve always loved writing and I was a teacher, so writing for children combined those two passions. In addition, children are innately curious, and I want to share my own curiosity and amazement about the world with them. Especially with respect to nature and the environment, the more kids know, the more they will care; and the more they care, the more likely they are to respect our planet and be inspired to help protect it.
Alison Pearce Stevens – I’m fascinated with how our world works, and most kids I know feel the same way. So many things are foreign to them, and they want to understand why things happen and what’s going on behind the scenes. Writing for young people allows me to share some of the extraordinary and surprising things that I’ve learned as a biologist and a writer with readers that are hungry for knowledge.
I think this comes through in each of your books. Is there anything special you want your readers to know about your book?
Text © Leslie Barnard Booth, 2025. Image © Alexandra Finkeldey, 2025.
Leslie Barnard Booth – I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive (9/9/2025) - This story began with the concept of crows as social creatures that cooperate and collaborate to survive. I was particularly struck by the fact that crows benefit from the vigilance of other crows—by moving and resting as a flock, they can in a sense "see" with a thousand eyes. This helps them detect and respond to predators. I had also been thinking, at the time I wrote this piece, about the power of cooperation more generally. We humans are inextricably bound to one another—our happiness, health, and survival depend on the actions of families, communities, and nations. We are all connected—to one another and to the more-than-human world.
© Carrie A. Pearson, 2025.
Carrie A. Pearson –- Watch Them Grow: The Fascinating Science of Animal Beginnings (9/9/2025) – I believe this book will challenge readers, which is okay. The science concepts in the first chapter, in particular, are complex. However, understanding will deepen with close reading, discussions, the supporting illustrations and back matter, and as readers gain more life science exposure over time. I have a fair amount of experience in life sciences, and I learned even more while writing this book!
Text © Laura Perdew, 2025. Image © Micah Rauch, 2025.
Laura Perdew – Wacky Contraptions (9/15/2025) - My goal in writing this book was for readers to learn about physics and have fun at the same time. Kids are invited to use the engineering design process to create their own wacky contraptions, which includes a lot of trial and error. The challenges in the book also start small and work up to larger and more complex contraptions. There’s also a lot of room for imagination and fun!
© Alison Pierce Stevens, 2025.
Alison Pearce Stevens – Detective Dogs: How Working Dogs Sniff Out Invasive Species 9/16/2025) – This book takes readers into the field to watch sniffer dogs and their handlers in action. Anyone who wants a job that allows them to spend more time with their furry friends might want to become a conservation dog handler, but it’s definitely not for everyone! Handlers must be focused on their dog for hours on end, so they don’t miss important—sometimes subtle—signals. That means no distractions: no chatting with a friend, no checking your phone, no daydreaming. You might not see another person for the better part of a day before the teams meet up again, so you also have to be okay with being alone for long stretches. It’s not easy, and not everyone can do it. So even if your dog would make a good conservation dog, you may not make a great handler. Another thing that I think is fantastic about these dogs: most wind up in shelters over and over again because they just don’t make good pets. But the very behaviors that make them challenging for most pet owners make them ideally suited to working in the field. It’s such a wonderful turn-around for them when they’re adopted by a conservation dog organization.
You've all created some exciting and engaging books! 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?
Leslie Barnard Booth – I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive (9/9/2025) - The hardest part was finding reliable information about crow behavior. Perhaps because crows are so intriguing, there is a lot of inaccurate information about them circulating around on the internet, and sometimes this erroneous information gets replicated again and again, even by sources that seem legitimate. So, wading through all of that was difficult. I ended up relying entirely on scientific journals and books written by scientists.
Carrie A. Pearson –- Watch Them Grow: The Fascinating Science of Animal Beginnings (9/9/2025) – The most challenging part of this book was finding and understanding the deep scientific research required to highlight each of the 12 animals we featured, within some thematic constraints. Not only did the research need to be the most current, as scientific understandings can evolve rapidly, but it also needed to be physically available to those outside of the science community and include gestation-related photos that we might be able to secure. It was a needle-in-a-haystack situation, but we did it!
Laura Perdew – Wacky Contraptions (9/15/2025) - Understanding and communicating the physics in a way that kids (ages 9-12) will understand was a huge challenge for me! However, I think that the fact that it was difficult for me also helped me write the book in a way that is accessible to kids. I also built a contraption for each of the challenges in the book, which involved repeated testing, evaluating, and redesigning (and overcoming my own failures and frustrations!).
Alison Pearce Stevens – Detective Dogs: How Working Dogs Sniff Out Invasive Species 9/16/2025) – I got to venture into the field on three separate trips for this book, which was incredible. Everyone I interviewed and visited with was incredibly open and helpful; they were really excited to have me along for the trip. I would say my biggest challenge came from driving up to Canada. I wasn’t prepared for the instant switch from miles to kilometers. The car I had rented didn’t show speed in kilometers per hour, so I spent most of my trip mentally doing the conversion to make sure I was driving the right speed. It was exhausting!
Leslie and Carrie, I am so glad you found the research, despite the challenges. Laura, I'd have loved to have seen your contraptions. And Alison, that sounds SO stressful. Are there any upcoming projects that you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?
Leslie Barnard Booth – Nothing I can talk about yet!
Carrie A. Pearson –- Let’s just say I’m working on unrelated projects that are about the newest addition to Earth and one of the oldest. More soon!
Laura Perdew – I recently finished a book about the ocean, which was so much fun for me. This fall I’m turning my attention to a project on keystone plants, a companion to Keystone Species book (Nomad Press, 2024).
Alison Pearce Stevens – My first picture book comes out in March! When Beavers Move In, illustrated by Natasha Donovan, showcases the incredible Tulalip Tribes Beaver Project and how it’s restoring ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest. The Tribes capture “nuisance” beavers in the Puget Sound area and release them on their ancestral lands in the Cascade Mountains. Once beavers move in, they completely transform the ecosystem, healing it in ways people could never do on their own.
So intriguing. I am looking forward to your upcoming books, Laura and Alison. And I can't wait to hear more Leslie & Carrie. Last question, what animal or natural feature (place) do you want to learn more about? Why?
Leslie Barnard Booth – Having just returned from Yellowstone, I am curious about grizzly bears. I want to learn more about their role as ecosystem engineers.
Carrie A. Pearson –- I would like to know more about the creatures that survive in the most extreme places on Earth and what adaptations and traits allow them to do so. My hunch is they are more alike than they are different, but who knows!
Laura Perdew – It depends on the day! I never know what I’m going to come across, either as I’m out in nature or as I’m researching for a project. As I said, the natural world continually amazes me so when something captures my attention, the questions start and then I seek the answers. This past week, I was fascinated by ecoacoustics being used to determine the health of soil - there’s a symphony going on beneath our feet in healthy soil! The week before that, I was captivated by an article I read about how gross butterflies are. I often blog about the things that capture my attention as a way to not only learn myself, but to share my amazement with others.
Alison Pearce Stevens – I’d like to visit the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. I’m fascinated by plate tectonics and the changes our planet experiences on time scales that are so much bigger than we can appreciate. The idea that Earth is always shifting and changing beneath our feet is one I’d like to explore more.
That all sounds really interesting. NOW, let me take a moment to introduce you to these amazing STEAM books!
I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive by Leslie Barnard Booth, illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey (Chronicle 9/9/2025) - This stunningly illustrated, lyrical exploration of crows, is written from the point of view of a crow. who explains their animal and weather dangers, stereotypes and threats imposed by humans, and the instinctual drive and benefit to their function as a community, The back matter contains great information on this "ordinary, extraordinary bird." It's a touching and powerful ode to crows.
Synopsis: A riveting informational picture book that explores the beguiling mysteries of crow behavior. Gorgeous illustrations take us into a crow’s environment and community, making this an incredible—and unforgettable—reading experience.
Caw‑Caaaaw! Crows are fascinating and resilient birds. What is the secret to their abundance and survival, especially throughout fall and winter seasons, when temperatures drop and crow-eating creatures lurk in the dark? I Am We unpacks these mysteries, exploring how and why crows roost together by the thousands and their reliance on cooperation and community.
Sharing a home in our urbanized ecosystem, crows are the ideal subject for learning about how animals interact with the environment and with each other. With dazzling color illustrations and irresistibly engaging and educational text, this beautiful, bewitching book will delight readers throughout the spooky season and all year round.
CROWS ARE EVERYWHERE: Whether hopping along the road or chattering in trees, the common crow has caught the attention of countless kids (and adults). This book turns that attention into an arresting, informative story that reveals how much we have to learn from our neighborhood bird!
EDUCATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT: I Am We directly supports learning about ecosystems, interactions, energy, and dynamics while relaying an engaging, suspenseful story that teachers, children, and caregivers won’t want to put down.
TEACHES TEAMWORK: Crows have a lot in common with humans: We share an important reliance on community. Focusing on how crows cooperate, communicate, and even cuddle, this picture book highlights the positives of working together to solve a problem, imparting the value of a real-world life skill.
Watch Them Grow: The Fascinating Science of Animal Beginnings by Carrie A. Pearson – (Millbrook Press/ Lerner 9/9/2025) – After establishing a basic level of understanding of genetics (cells & genes), the reader is taken on a journey to discover the "hidden" development of wings, tails, backbones (in a worm!), sensing appendages, teeth, and finally some peculiar "outlier" animals. Statistics for each animal include the traditional name(s), species, and range, as well as chromosomes, gestation, # of wombmates, and a fascinating "Did You Know?" section. The conversational, almost conspiratorial, tone and stunning photographs and ultrasounds create a really fun middle grade STEM book.
Synopsis: Sure, baby animals are cute. But have you ever seen what they look like before they’re born?
Have you ever wondered how animals develop the traits they need to survive? Or how they grow from a single cell at conception to complex, unique creatures? The answer is complicated—there are so many ways to grow!
Author Carrie A. Pearson introduces readers to a variety of animals and shows how they develop some of their defining features. See how bats form wings so they can take flight. And how mice make whiskers to sense their surroundings. Watch Them Grow explores genetics, gestation, and early development through twelve different animal examples. Discover animal beginnings and watch them grow everything they need to survive.
Wacky Contraptions: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities by Laura Perdew, illustrated by Micah Rauch (Nomad Press 9/15/2025) - Within the framework of exploring the engineering design process, numerous science concepts, and Rube Goldberg machines, the book sets out a series of investigations and wacky machine projects - using things found at home or in the classroom. Such as a marshmallow launcher, magnetic plane launcher, giraffe mover, and many more. Plus, a list of other challenges to try. Each chapter introduces the topic with a humorous three panel comic of a kid and their cat. Sidebars include - QR codes, real world searches and implementations, essential questions, words to know, and history. In addition, the backmatter includes supplies list and a conversions table. It's a great hands-on fun way to experiment with physics, electricity, and chemistry while making some really wild inventions.
Synopsis: A hands-on project book for kids who love building wacky contraptions!
How do we make contraptions that zoom, bounce, tower, and collapse? By using hands-on STEAM engineering!
In Wacky Contraptions: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities, young engineers ages 9 to 12 brainstorm, design, and build devices using the engineering design process. Kids learn about simple machines, mechanical advantage, forces, energy, motion, electricity, and other physical science concepts while creating fun and fascinating prototypes that do different kinds of work. Plus, this book encourages kids to adopt a growth mindset and understand that when their projects don’t work, that’s a sign that it’s time to revise and try again!
Built around a plethora of hands-on projects―a conveyor belt, magnetic slime, and a water wheel are just a few examples―a fun narrative style engages kids in discussions of the forces that define our world and the work we do in it. Tension, magnetism, electricity, and chemistry affect our daily lives in ways we often overlook―but armed with the power of knowledge, kids can identify and use the science that surrounds them. Graphic novel style illustrations, photographs, fun facts, sidebars, links to online resources, and more make Wacky Contraptions entertaining and educational.
Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further learning, a selected bibliography, and index. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.
Detective Dogs: How Working Dogs Sniff Out Invasive Species by Alison Pearce Stevens (Holiday House 9/16/2025) – A wonderful middle grade look at the finding, training, and working with special dogs trained to locate invasive species of plants, insects, and shellfish. As well as the fun, challenges, and rewards for both the dogs and handlers doing this work. Conversational narrative, great photographs, explanatory sidebars, and notes on the best dog and handler personalities for this type of work combine with the science around invasive species and the environment to create a terrific STEM book on environmental working dogs.
Synopsis: A lively introduction to some of North America's most troublesome invasive species—and to the industrious dogs and handlers working to stop their spread!
Meet Fenton and Frost; Fagen and Dia; Hilo, Diesel, and Seuss. These intrepid environmental detectives are on the frontlines of the fight to stop the spread of invasive species—and all of them are dogs!
Pervasive and often difficult to locate, invasive species, and the economic and environmental harm they cause, have posed a continued challenge to scientists worldwide who dedicate their time to ecosystem conservation. Now, environmental scientists are harnessing the amazing olfactory abilities of working dogs to meet this challenge head-on.
Ecologist Alison Pearce Stevens’ engaging and accessible narrative writing showcases three ongoing conservation projects that use working dogs to tackle serious invaders in the U.S. and Canada. Readers will learn more about the threats posed by these species, and about the way scientists and handlers work with dogs to locate and eliminate them.
The book features extensive full-color photographs of detective dogs in action, taken onsite by the author as she accompanied conservation groups out into the field in Manitoba, Wyoming, and the Hudson Valley. Informative backmatter includes an index and bibliography.
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:
Leslie Barnard Booth – I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive (Chronicle 9/9/2025) -
Website: https://www.lesliebarnardbooth.com/
Carrie A. Pearson –- Watch Them Grow: The Fascinating Science of Animal Beginnings (Millbrook Press/ Lerner 9/9/2025) –
Website: https://carriepearsonbooks.com/
Instagram / Threads: https://www.instagram.com/carrieapearson.author/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/carrieapearson/
Laura Perdew – Wacky Contraptions: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities (Nomad Press 9/15/2025) -
Website: https://lauraperdew.com/
Alison Pearce Stevens – Detective Dogs: How Working Dogs Sniff Out Invasive Species (Holiday House 9/16/2025) –
Website: https://apstevens.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlisonPStevens
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonpstevens/
