Sandra Magsamen, author, illustrator, and art-therapy–trained creator of connection-centered children's books. She talks about crafting books as comforting transitional objects. She describes love as action, interactive reading that invites play, and how reader feedback and perseverance shape her work.
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insights INSIGHT
Love As Action Builds Emotional Skills
Sandra Magsamen frames love as a verb and makes books that invite caregivers to perform loving actions with children.
The book teaches emotional skills to children by prompting actions like listening, believing, and including others.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Make Reading Performative And Playful
Use performative reading: add actions, tickles, and shared noises to make a board book an interactive experience.
Turn reading into play so caregivers enact the book's messages and children internalize them.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Recordable Book Comforted NICU Baby
A mother used a recordable book in the NICU and nurses played the mother's recorded poem all night for her baby.
Sandra felt validated that her work helped one heart touch another across a fragile beginning.
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In this conversation, Sandra Magsamen discusses her approach to creating children's literature that emphasizes connection, love, and emotional intelligence. She shares insights into her creative process, the importance of feedback from readers, and how her work aims to foster self-love and connection between caregivers and children. Magsamen also reflects on her artistic journey, the role of perseverance, and the significance of storytelling in shaping lives.
Takeaways
Connection is at the heart of children's literature. Love is an action that caregivers can demonstrate. Books can provide comfort and emotional support to children. Feedback from readers is validating and inspires future work. Objects like books and blankets can hold deep emotional significance. Stories can change lives and shape worldviews. Curiosity fuels creativity and artistic expression. Perseverance is essential in the creative process. Every project is an opportunity to connect hearts. The act of reading together fosters intimacy and connection.
Chapters
00:00 The Heart of Connection in Children's Literature 02:48 Love as an Action: The Role of Caregivers 05:34 Impactful Feedback: Stories from Readers 08:31 The Power of Objects and Books in Shaping Lives 11:06 Curiosity and Creativity: Fueling the Artistic Journey
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