The Power to Believe with Jackie Azúa Kramer, Jonah Kramer, and Zach Manbeck

Full Episode description

Jackie Azúa Kramer, Jonah Kramer, and Zach Manbeck share Manolo & the Unicorn, a story about seeing and believing wholeheartedly in the extraordinary–unicorns and oneself.

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Manolo & the Unicorn by Jackie Azúa Kramer and Jonah Kramer, illustrated by Zach Manbeck

To Manolo the world is a magical place–a place where he searches for the most magical creature of all: a unicorn. Manolo loves unicorns. When the Wild Animal Parade is announced at school, and Manolo declares that he will come as his favorite animal, his classmates say there is no such thing as unicorns, making the world feel ordinary. That is, until Manolo meets a real unicorn–wild and graceful–and discovers that the world is truly extraordinary.

NOTABLE QUOTES:

(9:20) “The two of us started to think, “What if instead of the crayon, a boy is teased because he believes in unicorns.” Now, we had a story with a foundation that touched on themes of gender stereotypes and gender identity.”

(10:21) “But we really don’t have to look or think that hard. There really is magic all around us, especially in nature. We just have to stop to take a look and see it.”

(10:40) “He has this ability to see the extraordinary in the ordinary, and what greater gift is there than that? Which is why I think it’s so important to nurture and encourage kids to use their imagination and encourage everyone, you know, imagination really has no age.”

(11:45) “Color can tell a story, just like words can.” 

(13:51) “There he is, having had the most incredible experience with the unicorns, and yet he is staring out at that morning star and he’s thinking of home. You know, like the classic Wizard of Oz line, “There’s no place like home”. And even more important is that he wants to go home and share the magic with everyone, even after he was teased. And that says a lot about Manolo as a person. And that’s why the unicorn appears to him, because he is pure of heart.”

(16:50) “When we saw the illustrations that Zach came up with, I was kind of blown away because he found a way to show the unicorn hidden, but in and of nature, like the unicorn is a part of the natural world that Manolo is in, which is such a, a central theme in the book.”

(18:47) “Growing up, I often felt intentionally excluded from the group because of my interests. I suppose that’s why I relate to Manolo so much. I love the ending because it reminded me of what a younger version of myself needed from my classmates. I’m so happy that Manolo got his happy ending because honestly, for me, it was healing in a way.”

(20:32) “Take a deep breath and give yourself a hug.” 

(23:20) “If there is something that you love to do, I promise you it will bring you so much joy and you never know where your passions can take you.”

(23:34) “In a room full of people who tell you that unicorns don’t exist, don’t be afraid to be the only one who’s brave enough to believe. I still believe and I’m proud of it.”

ADDITIONAL LINKS:

• Jackie Azúa Kramer website – jackieazuakramer.com 

• Jonah Kramer website – jonahkramer.com

• Zach Manbeck website – zachmanbeck.com

• Purchase the Book – Manolo & the Unicorn

TALK ABOUT THE EPISODE:

1. What animal would you honor in costume in the Wild Animal Parade? What thoughts or ideas led to your decision?

2. Do you believe in unicorns? Does something have to be real in order to believe in it? How can believing in something connect you to others?

3. Think of a time when you shared something new about yourself to someone? How did that experience feel? What are some ways we can make others feel loved and welcomed when they share something new with us?

CREDITS:

This podcast episode of The Children’s Book Podcast was written, edited, and produced by Matthew Winner. For a full transcript of this episode, visit matthewcwinner.com. 

Write to me or send me a message at matthewmakespods@gmail.com. 

Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/). 

Our music is by Podington Bear. 

Podcast hosting by Libsyn. 

You can support the show and buy me a coffee at www.matthewcwinner.com.

We are a proud member of Kids Listen, the best place to discover the best in kids podcasts. Learn more at kidslisten.org.

Fellow teachers and librarians, want a way to explore building a stronger culture of reading in our communities? In The Reading Culture podcast, Beanstack co-founder Jordan Bookey hosts conversations that dive into beloved authors’ personal journeys and insights into motivating young people to read. And I am a big fan! Check out the Reading Culture Podcast with Jordan Bookey, from Beanstack. Available wherever podcasts are found.

DISCLAIMER: Bookshop.org affiliate links provided for any book titles mentioned in the episode. Bookshop.org support independent bookstores and also shares a small percentage of any sales made through this podcast back to me, which helps to fund production of this show.