Introducing Withywindle: A New Podcast For Kids

(Featuring plenty of nonsense . . . and some seriousness)

Hey friends!

Have you heard about Withywindle, the new bookish podcast we’re producing for kids?

It’s a whimsical interactive show for kiddos who love stories, words, and groan-worthy jokes and it features several (a slew? a plethora? a bunch?) wonderful authors and illustrators. Part book club, part game show it's your weekly adventure through the wild world of wordplay.

The first three episodes of our eight-episode first season are up now and are perfect for summer road trips, long walks, bedtime, chore time, garden time, or even just kill-some-time time.

In episode one we chatted with S.D. Smith, the author of the Green Ember series. In episode two we talked to Andrew Peterson—he of the Wingfeather Saga fame. And then in episode three, we interviewed Karina Yan Glaser, the creative mind behind the NYT best-selling Vanderbeeker series. Each of these authors provided insight into their creative process, answered questions from young readers, and gave advice for aspiring writers.

And that's just the beginning. In the coming weeks, you will hear from Glen McCarty, Maryrose Wood, Jennifer Trafton, and others!

Each episode also features some truly terrible (or great—depending on how you look at it) dad jokes, a fun riddle game, and a book club-style segment during which we are discussing E. Nesbit’s classic children’s book, The Railway Children.

It’s a lot of fun and full of plenty of nonsense, but it’s also thoughtful and intentional and designed for kids who want a taste of what their parents get in Close Reads (or maybe we should say it is designed for parents who want their kids to get a taste of Close Reads!). Check it out!

We have loved making it and we hope your kids love listening.

You can listen now wherever you get podcasts.

Happy reading (and listening)!

David Kern
Graeme Pitman
(and the whole Close Reads/Goldberry Studios crew)