Beyond the Book with JoAnn Dickinson
Beyond the Book with JoAnn Dickinson
Podcast Description
Conversations on children's literature, learning, and the people behind the pages.
Beyond the Book is a podcast for parents, educators, and children’s book creators who believe in the power of storytelling to inspire young minds.
Hosted by award-winning author JoAnn M. Dickinson, each episode explores the creative journeys of authors, illustrators, editors, and educators who bring meaningful stories to life.
From behind-the-scenes publishing insights to how books support SEL, STEM, and early literacy, this podcast goes deeper than the page—helping listeners discover how stories can teach, c
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on themes related to children's literature, emotional growth, and the creative processes of authors, illustrators, and educators. Episodes explore topics such as the emotional impact of storytelling, the role of mistakes in learning, and how books can support social-emotional learning (SEL) and early literacy, with notable episodes including interviews with authors discussing their influencing experiences.
Beyond the Book with JoAnn Dickinson is the podcast for children’s book authors, illustrators, and creatives who want to learn how to write, publish, and market children’s books. Hosted by award-winning children’s book author JoAnn M. Dickinson, each episode features interviews with authors, illustrators, editors, and indie publishing experts. Discover writing tips, self-publishing advice, marketing strategies, and inspiring stories that show the power of children’s literature to build confidence, empathy, and imagination.
What happens when a reluctant reader grows up to become a writer, illustrator, musician, and creator of more than 700 short stories?
In this episode of Beyond the Book with JoAnn Dickinson, I’m joined by children’s author and self-taught artist Derek Allen, creator of the Moonbeams and Rhyme Dreams trilogy.
Derek shares the fascinating journey behind his creative work—from a dream that sparked the beginning of his short stories and poems to teaching himself Procreate and learning how to illustrate his own characters and books.
But Derek’s creativity doesn’t stop with writing and art. He also creates original music for his videos and has released music on iTunes, bringing writing, illustration, characters, and music together to create a world that extends beyond the pages of his books.
We talk about being a reluctant reader, learning new creative skills without formal training, writing hundreds of stories, developing memorable characters, and how Derek continues to expand the imaginative world of Moonbeams and Rhyme Dreams.
📚🎨🎵 If you’re interested in writing children’s stories, illustrating with Procreate, creating children’s book characters, or finding new ways to bring your stories to life, you’ll enjoy Derek’s wonderfully creative journey.
Follow Beyond the Book with JoAnn Dickinson for more conversations with children’s authors, illustrators, educators, and publishing professionals.
Website: https://www.derekallenbooks.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/authorderekallen/_______________________________________
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Disclaimer
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