Audio Clip: Kadir Nelson Interview On NPR
![]()
When NPR covers children’s lit, it’s like a school librarian’s dream come true. Well, to be honest, a cardigan sweater with built in bifocals is really a librarian’s dream – but this is close.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
I have not yet had a chance to read “We Are the Ship“, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, but I’ve heard nothing but whisperings (okay, shoutings) of “modern classic” since the beginning of the year. In this excellent interview Mr. Nelson describes the making of the book, his process for creating artwork, and he even reads an excerpt. The page that contains the link also provides more information and artwork from “We Are the Ship”. Now, I’m going to go get started on that cardigan…
(8 min 16 sec)
Join 2,000+ librarians! Subscribe to my newsletter on Substack
Filed under: Articles
About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
SLJ Blog Network
Publisher Preview: Transit Editions (Fall/Winter 2026)
Jack Kirby Way
Early May Update: Our list of possible Newbery contenders according to Heavy Medal readers
From Policy Ask to Public Voice: Five Layers of Writing to Advance School Library Policy
ADVERTISEMENT


