Book Bonding: A Conversation with Author Megan Dowd Lambert and Friends

Megan Dowd Lambert created the Whole Book Approach storytime model in association with the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art as an outgrowth of her graduate studies in Children’s Literature at Simmons University. After a decade in the Carle’s education department, she held contract-faculty appointments at Simmons until 2020. In addition to her ongoing work as a children’s book author, reviewer, and consultant, Megan is president of Modern Memoirs, Inc., where she published Read It Again: 70 Whole Book Approach Plans to Help You Shake Up Storytime, and she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Religion and Philosophy with a focus on Women’s Spirituality at the California Institute for Integral Studies.

Elissa Gershowitz is editor in chief of The Horn Book, Inc. She holds an MA from the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons University and a BA from Oberlin College.

Melissa Giraud (she/her) is co-founder and co-director of EmbraceRace, where she leads efforts to support parents, educators and other caregivers to raise children who are thoughtful, informed and brave about race. She has spent a lifetime trying to center the voices, experiences and concerns of children and families, with a particular interest in immigrant kids of color and first-generation children

Andrew Grant-Thomas (he/him) is co-founder and co-director of EmbraceRace, a national nonprofit that supports adults to raise children who are thoughtful, informed and brave about race. Andrew champions efforts he believes can make a meaningful difference for real people and communities - not 100 years from now, but in his lifetime and the lifetimes of his two tween children.