Emma Walton HamiltonEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

Turn real-life anecdotes into stories Author and independent editor Emma Walton Hamilton shares the story of her latest collaboration with her mother, Julie Andrews. Emma not only chats about the inspiration for SHY, but also how they tweaked the true story of a real-life dog who liked to sing into to a fun, kid-friendly picture book. Here's what you'll discover in this episode: How to take real-life events and turn them into picture books The quirks of the real dog behind the inspiration The connection to her current dog The thread of true story in most of her picture books How pushing the envelope can take the story to the next level Jane Yolen's advice to not let the truth get in the way of a good story Why it's hard to let go of our real-life experiences when writing a story Encouraging kids to have the courage to shine Starting at the ending and working backward in the story Adding kids or child-like characters to make the story kid-friendly How two people can be inspired by the same thing and come up with two very different stories What's next for Emma Links mentioned in this episode: Picture Book Summit 2026! Emma is presenting at this year's event. Get $100 when you register before 8/27/26. The Complete Picture Book Submissions System created by Emma and Julie to help you create a submission package that will land you a book deal. Get the free training here . Books* mentioned in this episode: Shy by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Eva Byrne Waiting in the Wings by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and EG Keller The Enchanted Symphony by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Elly MacKay Music Plants Hope by Tonnye Fletcher and Natalia Bruno After the Fall by Dan Santat Find these books and more in the 12 x 12 Bookshop ! If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us! Have questions for us or ideas for future episodes? Leave us a quick voicemail here . Thank you for listening!

In Part 3 of Where the Ideas Are, let's talk about how to develop your picture book ideas into a strong manuscripts. At the core of every good picture book is a central dramatic question. What is that, anyway? Picture Book Summit co-founder Emma Walton Hamilton discusses the importance and function of the central dramatic question and how to find it. Be sure to catch Parts 1 and 2 of Where the Ideas Are in podcast episode 031 Generating Ideas with Katie Davis and episode 032 Assessing Ideas with Laura Backes!

This week we’re joined by best-selling author, editor, producer, performer and arts educator Emma Walton Hamilton. Emma is an Emmy-nominated producer and writer and a Grammy award-winning voiceover artist. In partnership with her mother, the talented and legendary Julie Andrews, Emma has co-authored over thirty books, including nine New York Times best-sellers. In this episode, Emma shares her background as a writer and educator, discusses her advocacy work for the arts, and also dives into the projects she’s worked on with her mother. Follow Emma’s Journey: Website: https://emmawaltonhamilton.com/ Instagram: @julieslibraryshow Listen to Julie’s Library: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/julies-library/id1507980417

In this episode, Emma Walton Hamilton talks about the three things you should do before you start submitting, the key components of your query letter, including how to craft your hook and what to include in your bio, query etiquette, and submissions dos and don'ts.

In this episode, Picture Book Summit co-founder Emma Walton Hamilton provides some helpful insight on determining whether a manuscript is truly ready for submission. Listen in to avoid some common mistakes that could cause your hard work to be rejected by a publisher.

"She's probably the most resilient person I know." -- Emma Walton Hamilton For the holidays, we're revisiting Katie's conversation with Emma Walton Hamilton , daughter of the extraordinary Julie Andrews, about her mom's difficult childhood and her determination to give her own children stability and, above all, constant love. Julie Andrews's two memoirs, Home , and Home Work , are at once heartbreaking and awe-inspiring. While reading the books in preparation for the interview, Katie toggled between listening to Julie's narration, and reading. She was struck by how differently she absorbed the material depending on the medium. That is, when she heard Julie's familiar voice, so thoroughly had she absorbed the calming effect of that voice over the years, she found it hard to feel the darkness of the material. Emma speaks about her mother's innocence, well into adulthood, a true surprise given the effect that parts of her childhood could have had on her. Emma and her mother have written more than 30 children's books together, and they co-host the podcast Julie's Library . Art by Paula Mangin Music by Andrea Perry Producer: Alice Hudson Visit us at: Our Mothers Ourselves Special thanks to Liz Mitchell for permission to use her beautiful rendition of You Are My Sunshine. Our Mothers Ourselves is an interview podcast that celebrates extraordinary mothers from all walks of life. Please share the one word that best describes your mother on the Mother Word Cloud .

"She is probably the most resilient person I know." -- Emma Walton Hamilton This week, Katie talks with Emma Walton Hamilton , daughter of the extraordinary Julie Andrews, about her mom's difficult childhood and her determination to give her own children stability and, above all, constant love. Julie Andrews's two memoirs, Home , and Home Work , are at once heartbreaking and awe-inspiring. While reading the books in preparation for the interview, Katie toggled between listening to Julie's narration, and reading. She was struck by how differently she absorbed the material depending on the medium. That is, when she heard Julie's familiar voice, so thoroughly had she absorbed the calming effect of that voice over the years, she found it hard to feel the darkness of the material. Emma speaks about her mother's innocence, well into adulthood, a true surprise given the effect that parts of her childhood could have had on her. Emma and her mother have written more than 30 children's books together, and they co-host the podcast Julie's Library . Art by Paula Mangin Music by Andrea Perry Producer: Alice Hudson Intern: Rosie Manock Visit us at: Our Mothers Ourselves Dani Rucker generously supplied the beautiful rendition of You Are My Sunshine. Thank you, Dani! Our Mothers Ourselves is an interview podcast that celebrates extraordinary mothers from all walks of life. Please share the one word that best describes your mother on the Mother Word Cloud .

INTERVIEW WITH EMMA WALTON HAMILTON Emma Walton Hamilton is a best-selling children’s book author, editor, and writing coach. With her mother, actress/author Julie Andrews, Emma has co-authored over thirty children’s books, nine of which have been on the NY Times Bestseller list, including The Very Fairy Princess series. She is Director of the Children’s Lit Fellows program at Stony Brook University. She served as the Editorial Director for the Julie Andrews Collection imprint at Harper Collins for six years. So, she's seen submissions from both sides of the desk. We talk about: • What are common mistakes new writers make when submitting? • How do you find the right place to submit to? • Do all writers need an agent? • How do you get an agent? • Do any houses accept unsolicited at this point? Join the Institute of Children's Literature Community! Get our weekly newsletter with articles on the craft of writing, hot markets looking for your work, and cool resources for your writer toolbox: www.instituteforwriters.com/icl-news

Emma Walton Hamilton discusses her essay "Where the Women Are: Tough Questions About the Gender Disparities in Children's Publishing" with Alvina Ling.

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