Samantha Balaban

1 week ago | mprnews.org | Samantha Balaban

Birds sing in the trees, monkeys swing from branch to branch, snakes slither below, and a hummingbird has just built her nest when, all of a sudden, fire breaks out. “The Littlest Drop” is Sascha Alper’s debut children's book, based on a parable from the indigenous Quechua people of South America. In Alper’s adaptation, all of the animals flee to the river — except the hummingbird, who goes to get one little drop of water, because that's all she can carry.

1 week ago | kpbs.org | Samantha Balaban

Birds sing in the trees, monkeys swing from branch to branch, snakes slither below, and a hummingbird has just built her nest when, all of a sudden, fire breaks out. The Littlest Dropis Sascha Alper's debut children's book, based on a parable from the indigenous Quechua people of South America. In Alper's adaptation, all of the animals flee to the river — except the hummingbird, who goes to get one little drop of water, because that's all she can carry.

Nov 23, 2024 | boisestatepublicradio.org | Samantha Balaban |Amor Towles

In a still life painting, the subjects cannot move. The bowl of fruit remains sedentary on the table. The hunk of cheese goes uneaten. The candles do not flicker. That's the rule according to the very authoritative artist in Alex London's new children's book, Still Life. Unfortunately for the artist, his still life painting doesn't care about the rules.

Nov 23, 2024 | kpbs.org | Samantha Balaban

In a still life painting, the subjects cannot move. The bowl of fruit remains sedentary on the table. The hunk of cheese goes uneaten. The candles do not flicker. That's the rule according to the very authoritative artist in Alex London's new children's book, Still Life. Unfortunately for the artist, his still life painting doesn't care about the rules. Instead — a mouse takes a bite out of the hunk of cheese and leaves its jammy footprints on the tablecloth.

Oct 13, 2024 | boisestatepublicradio.org | Samantha Balaban |Jonathan Blitzer

Elementary school librarian Travis Jonker has been known to stand outside his Michigan neighbors’ houses holding copies of his book. Ok, really only one neighbor. “There’s this house that has this beautiful model ship in the window,” Jonker explains. He walks by it all the time, and one day it made him think.