Topic: Interviews with authors and performers

The author of A Note for Children talks about her book, her background, on music teaching, and lots more.

The author of Mending Lucille talks about her book(s), her inspirations, on working with an illustrator, her themes, other projects, and lots more.

The creator of dirtgirlworld talks about her new series and how it was developed, the novel animation, key messages for kids, their responses, the show's goals, and lots more.

The author of 10 Little Hermit Crabs talks about her new book, her inspirations, on working with an illustrator, the collaborative process, Ella Kazoo, on performance, her next book, and lots more.

The author of Lancelot: The One Armed Kangaroo talks about his book, the real story behind it, the process of creating an audio book, how he got his famous actors, the music, its reception in Germany, and lots more.

The creator of smartcookiekids talks about her new DVD, why she felt the need to create it, her uniquely Australian characters, her ideas for the future of the gang and lots more.

The producer of FUNKY KIDZ talks about her new CD, her music production company ASAP, chidrens' music in general, about working with her son, why it's imperative to carve out time for family, and lots more.

The author of The Australian Kids' Health Book talks about how his book came about, why he wrote it, two things that all parents need to know, his next project, and more.

The producer (and Sportacus) of Lazytown talks about the origins of his show, on superheros, his live show, the show's success, how to get your children to do what you want them to (flatter then into it!), his plans to move the world, and lots more.

The creator of the Mighty bUZZniks talks about his band, about the importance of exposing children to complex music, about the new CD The Great Space Circus, his favourite song and its origin, and lots more.

My Bedbugs creators Carol Sweeny and Alex Greene talk about the creation of their award winning series, their children's input, their horrible first pilot, on getting PBS's attention, My Bedbugs' values, preparing your child for school, and lots more.

Jay Laga'aia talks about his new CD Come Dance and Sing, on parenting seven children and managing the work life balance, his multiple hats, his musical talents, and much more.

The newest yellow Wiggles talks about his new DVD, about stepping into Greg's shoes, the band's multicultural perspective, the Wiggles' biggest challenge, the difference between audiences, and more.

The author of Uke 'n Play Ukulele for Kids and well known children's performer talks to us about his new book, his special method for songwriting, the special properties of a uke and how to buy a good one, on the teaching of music, secret, foolproof techniques for getting your children to practice, and lots more.

The producer of Balamory talks about how his series came about, the reaction to the series from real people living on the Isle of Tobermory where the series is filmed, the multicultural nature of the show, the combination of reality and heightened reality, those rumours about innuendo, the show's success in the US, his new series Me Too!, and much more.

The director of ArtsCetera talks about her music program, her feelings about music training, on licensing, on the necessity of music, her new CD Sing, Shout and Clap, how parents can incorporate music into their children's lives, and much more.

Yam Yam, Pi, Ruddle, Pinny, Onny, and Gully reveal themselves in this candid group interview. Find out what Yam Yam really likes doing; Pi’s favourite food; Ruddle’s special wish; read about Bodkin’s special adventure and lots more.

The creator of The Fairies talks about how The Fairies got started, the new look, why she's called The Fairy Queen, working with the WETA workshop, on the new book series, what happens to baby teeth when the tooth fairy takes them, the value of fairies, and lots more!

The creator of Yoga for Children talks about the Yoga for Children project, how to use the DVD, the importance and benefits of Yoga for modern children, when to start, her Zenergy Yoga 4 Kids programme, her new project, and lots more.

The author of Brian Banana Duck Sunshine Yellow talks about the origins of his book, the structure and layout, the importance of avoiding talking down, his inspiration, the book he's currently working on, and lots more.

"Mr Mum" talks about why more and more dads are becoming primary carers, why it's still harder for men, why he calls himself Mr Mum, what dads do better, how looking after the kids forces you into "worlds you'd normally never go," his best anecdote (think dad's and cars), and lots more!

The producer of Planet Cook talks about why he created the series, his new DVD What's Up Croc, the importance of "Pester power," the childhood obesity epidemic, the role of schools, what concerned parents can do, and lots more.

The author of Uke'n play Ukulele talks about his book, why he loves the uke, how to choose the best instrument, his feelings about mega-children's performers like The Wiggles and Hi-5, the benefits of learning to play an easy instrument like the uke, his other projects, and lots more.

Justine Clarke talks about her new CD, I Like to Sing, her multi-talented and diverse career, her favourite song on the CD, the narrative she’s writing around the album, her as yet unfulfilled dreams, her favourite performers, and lots more.

The author of A Gentle Approach to Teaching Children to Swim talks about the benefits of teaching children to swim, about the importance of making children feel secure in the water, about how she became a swim instructor, parents' role in the teaching process, the most challenging aspect of swimming to teach, and lots more.

In this funny and pithy interview, The Hooley Dooleys talk about the loss of their trio, their two new characters, the inspiration for their new DVD, the funny mishaps during the filming, the changes to the band over the past 10 years they've been performing, their secret desires, and lots more.

The author of Forever Friends talks about the inspiration for her first book, the progress of her idea through publisher to bookstore, how she linked up with illustrator Dorothy Louise Hall, her reaction to its reception, the impact of awards, the issues she feels need writing about for children, the impact of television, her current project, and lots more.

The Wiggles' keyboard player talks about why he's so sleepy, how The Wiggles conceived their latest CD, how they chose what cities to sing about (and what was left out), the relationship between the CDs and DVDs, the differences between American and Australian fans, their worst idea, news about their next project, and more.

Simone Collins of Go Seek talks about the origins of Go Seek, barriers to breaking into the children's music scene, why she produces her CDs independently, the making of her latest CD, You Can Do It, how she comes up with song ideas, her stage shows, the team's big goals, and lots more.

Distinguished author and illustrator (twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Award) John Burningham talks about the upcoming animated series of his books by Yoram Gross, his latest book The Magic Bed, the similarities between chlidren and adults, his favourite illustrator, the difficulty of writing and illustrating, and more.

The author of Raising Courageous Kids: Eight Steps to Practical Heroism talks about his background, the message of his book, the eight steps for courage development, the origins of his stories, the role of faith in parenting, how you instill courage in older children, and lots more.

The red Wiggle talks about reaching his 13th year as a Wiggle, about the breaking up rumour/spoof, his fame, the most urgent issue facing parents of young children, how music like The Wiggles can help chlidren learn, his secret music, the band's working style, the future of his music, and lots more.

Active Kidz presenters Scott and Amy talk about how it began, the AK team and how it is all pulled together, some of the topics covered in the TV series, the new CD and DVD, the reasons behind the rise in childhood obesity, the role of schools, future plans, and more.

The illustrator of The Naming of Tishkin Silk, Do-Wrong Ron, Harry & Luke, and many other books talks to Preschool Entertainment about the Tishkin Silk project, about her passion for art and childrens' books, her processes for illustration, how she hones her interpretation skills, the differences between fine art for adults and book illustration for children, her latest show, and future projects.

The author of Back Off Bully talks about his book, about his bullying solutions, about the way bullying has changed over the years, about the differences between the way boys and girls bully, the damages bullying does, about the pain a bully feels, what parents and teachers could be doing, his programs Innate Youth and Camp Aspire, about Bard University in NYC which he set up, the biggest danger facing young people today and his new project.

The Hooley Dooleys are as genial and down to earth as they appear in their videos. In this interview, they talk to Preschool Entertainment about their new CD/Video/DVD Wonderful, about their writing process, the new character Poss, their changing audience, the impact of their own chilren, and more.

In this very in-depth interview, the author of How to Motivate Your Child For School and Beyond talks about his book, how motivation can be improved and then sustained, new issues and challenges for children, parents and teachers, changes in parents' attitudes, 'Norm referenced grading,' using 'personal best' in schools, dealing with fear of failure, using his techniques in homeschooling, the applicability of his techniques to adults, early intervention, when parents disagree, and more.

The author of Good Morning, Sam, talks about her inspiration, her characters, the lack of grown-ups in her books, her way of staying in touch with a child's perspective, the fluid line between fantasy and reality in childrens' books, the books which have inspired her, the impact of TV on kids' reading, and the future for Stella and Sam.

Anthony Field talks about the new Wiggles CD, the value of lullabys, the different type of music on the CD, and why The Wiggles decided to do this very different CD.

The author of The Five Minute Parent talks about her book, her favourite activities, what our children really want, the value of a 5 minute play break, homeschooling, play therapy and her latest project.

The author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution talks about her motivations for writing the book, the noted Paediatrician Dr Sears, attachment parenting, about "good" and "bad" babies, about the downsides and dangers of "crying it out," about dealing with teething, sickness, etc, about disagreeing parents, her best piece of advice for sleepless children, her next book, and lots more.

Antoine Demarest of the Hooley Dooleys ("yup, he's from France") talks frankly about his new CD and video Oopsadazee, their charity work, his favourite segments, personal musical influences, the Oopsadazee sound, on conquering Europe and his tours.

The author of YoYo talks about the importance of board books for young children, her character YoYo and how the books were created, how she made the transition from teaching to writing and illustrating, the difference between writing and illlustrating for primary aged children and toddlers/preschoolers, her new YoYo toy line, her workshop sessions with preschoolers, tips for helping children grow up wanting to read and YoYo's exciting future adventures.

The Moon in the Man is a collection of bounce-me-on-your-knee rhymes for three year olds, complete with funny sounds and actions. The author, Elizabeth Honey, talks about the making of her book, about the importance of picture books for young children, about her educational visits to schools, the importance of improvisation and nonsense, her unique RealAudio actions and her next book.

The author of Teach Kids to Cook talks about the making of his latest cookbook/guide, about the best, and worst dishes to cook with your children, the significant benefits of cooking with your children, the dangers of fast food and the paradox between the proliferation of food information and cooking shows and our rising obesity epidemic, his best tips for teaching kids to cook and more.

Brendan Collins is one of the founding members of the Little Maestros. Brendan currently holds the position of Associate Principal Trombone with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and has held that position for 11 years. He is an educational author for Warner/Chappell Music, Australia, Redback Publishing and H. L. Music, Australia with 6 music books currently on the market. Brendan is also an A.M.E.B. examiner (A.Mus.A qualified) as well as the Brass Teacher at "Shore" School, North Sydney and St. Ignatius "Riverview" in Lane Cove, and is the co-creator and Musical Director of "The Little Maestros", which started performing concerts in June 1988, and signed a 3 CD deal with ABC in 2002. They've just released their first CD, Hooray. In this interview, Brendan talks about the making of the Little Maestros, the CD, about teaching music to preschoolers, the source of his inspiration for writing music, and his experiences in playing for children.

Amy Houts talks about her kids cookbook, about the educational value of cooking with kids, her newsletter Preschooler in the Kitchen, writing non-fiction, children's books, the Culinary Institute of America, her next books, and lots more.

Henri has been in the children's entertainment business for over 20 years. Read this fascinating interview with the man who is Mr Whiskers and learn more about his own work, about his sponsorship of Yamaha Music Schools, about his television series, about the changes in children over the years, and about the educational value of children's entertainment.

Rex McCann's book On Their Own looks specifically at the issue of underfathered boys in an attempt to both highlight and define the problem and provide some practical, modern solutions for parents. It is a well written book that will appeal to anyone with an interest in the emotional health of males, from single mums to couples with boys, to fathers who want to improve their own parental relationships and relationships with their children, and also educators, social workers and those concerned with community welfare.

The Hooley Dooley's hatted king of comedy and chief fiddle player talks about performing for preschoolers, the characters Russell and Tickle, the origins of the name, on playing in small venues, their European tour, their new show, and lots more.

Charli Robinson talks about her latest tour, fame, the new video, CD, on being a big kid, and lots more.