My Pet Feet, Coding Sandcastles, and Dear Dragons! Adventures in Learning with Author Josh Funk

Coder by day and children's book author by night, author Josh Funk has published 15+ picture books, including the popular Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast series and the irreverent It's NOT a Fairy Tale series. Join us for a lively conversation as we discuss his brand new book, My Pet Feet (imagine a world without the letter R), as well as the surprising STEM/STEAM connections teachers and librarians make with his books. Full Show Notes available here (includes unplugged coding ideas and photos).I am so excited to welcome Josh Funk to the Adventures in Learning podcast today. I met Josh during the Shenandoah University Children's Literature Conference when I was asked to create STEAM activities to support and extend his works.  Not only did I fall in love with How to Code a Sandcastle and How to Code a Roller Coaster, the two books I was originally asked to create activities for, but Josh's fabulous sense of humor charmed and inspired me to try to showcase each of his series in an unplugged coding activity for children. It's NOT a Fairy Tale series, including It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk, It's Not Hansel and Gretel, It's Not Little Red Riding Hood, and the soon to be published It's Not The Three Little Pigs. As a transplanted New Yorker, I absolutely love Lost in the Library and Where Is Our Library? — published in conjunction with the New York Public Library and featuring Patience and Fortitude. [02:49] Coming out this week is My Pet Feet, a story of the alphabet chaos that ensues when the letter R goes missing. Josh discusses the challenges of writing a picture book with only 25 letters.[08:10] In My Pet Feet, the little girl chases her pet feet past a fog and toad instead of a frog and toad; down a tail in the woods instead of a trail in the woods; by a babbling book instead of a babbling brook; and into a gassy field instead of a grassy field. “It's not just a list of things,” Josh says. “There's a plot. And she's trying to sort of solve this mystery about what happened and what's going on with everything. And there's a lot of other visual gags throughout. But it's definitely, I think, my cleverest book, at least up there with Dear Dragon." [22:05] Josh explains why How to Code a Sandcastle and How to Code a Roller Coaster took a really long time for him to figure out how to write. He walks us through three different versions that led to the Pearl and Pascal adventures. [28:30} "So I always tell people, if you've read How to Code a Sandcastle, you've essentially audited a week of a college programming course.”Podcast listeners receive $10 off Beyond Ever After (DRDIANEPODCAST10).Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Support the showShare this episodeIf this conversation sparked wonder, gave you a helpful strategy, or offered a needed reminder of hope, please share it with a friend or colleague.Subscribe • Download • Review • Tell a friendStay updated with our latest episodes and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and the Adventures in Learning website. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! *Disclosure: I am a Bookshop.org. affiliate.