Melissa Stewart on Curiosity and Science Books

A podcast interview with Melissa Stewart discussing From BAM to BURP: A Carbon Atom’s Never-Ending Journey Through Space and Time and YOU on The Growing Readers Podcast, a production of The Children’s Book Review.

Science books don’t have to be boring—and Melissa Stewart proves it.

With over 200 books for kids under her belt, Melissa knows how to make topics like carbon atoms, whale falls, and mini mammals irresistible to young readers. In this episode, she shares how a third grader’s question about burping turned into her latest book, From BAM to BURP, why she starts writing at 5 a.m. before she’s even showered, and what drives her to keep sparking curiosity in kids.

Whether you’re looking for great science books for the young readers in your life or you’re curious about what it takes to write hundreds of nonfiction books, this conversation offers plenty of inspiration—and a few laughs along the way.

Subscribe to The Growing Readers Podcast to ensure you never miss an episode celebrating the creators shaping young readers’ lives.

Listen to the Episode

Show Notes

Publisher’s Book Synopsis: Follow a carbon atom on its incredible adventure over billions of years. It’s been part of many things—from early volcanic gases, to plants that dinosaurs devoured, to your breakfast burp!

By award-winning children’s author Melissa Stewart, this epic nonfiction picture book for 5-8-year-olds is a perfect blend of science and history that STEM-seekers will eat up!

Long ago, the young Earth crashed into a smaller body called Theia. Matter blasted through space, and the carbon atom was trapped deep inside Earth until a volcano erupted, thrusting tons of ash and gases—including the carbon atom—high into the sky.

Over millions of years, the carbon atom has been part of all kinds of things, including plants and dinosaurs, eggshells and seashells, a lump of coal, and even a sheet of toilet paper! Not long ago, it became part of a towering maple tree and then a drop of maple syrup. Just imagine that the syrup ended up on YOUR pancakes and then inside your body. And when you let out a deep breath, the carbon left your lungs, met up with a blast of gas from your stomach, and . . . BURP!

You never know where a carbon atom will go next. . . . Get ready to take off on a wild ride, From BAM! to BURP!

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Books Mentioned:

About the Author

Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than two hundred science books for children. She holds degrees in biology and science journalism. Recent books include Summertime Sleepers: Animals That Estivate, Seashells: More Than a Home, Feathers: Not Just for Flying, and Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem.

For more: ⁠melissa-stewart.com⁠

Credits:

Host: Bianca Schulze

Guest: Melissa Stewart

Producer: Bianca Schulze and Kelly Rink

Read the Transcript

Bianca Schulze: Well, hello, Melissa Stewart. Welcome to the Growing Readers podcast. I’m so glad you’re here today.

Melissa Stewart: I’m happy to be here. Thanks for having me.

Bianca Schulze: Well, I love to warm up with some rapid-fire questions lately because I feel like it’s kind of just a fun way to get the conversation going and just to get to know you a little bit. So a really simple one today: coffee or tea when you’re writing in the morning?

Melissa Stewart: Tea, 100%.

Bianca Schulze: A specific flavor of tea?

Melissa Stewart: Just black tea, yeah.

Bianca Schulze: Awesome. What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever found inspiration for a book idea?

Melissa Stewart: Inside a tree.

Bianca Schulze: Whoa, okay. I know I said rapid-fire, but I need to just know a little more about that.

Melissa Stewart: So I have a book called Tree Hole Homes, which is about animals that live in trees. And it includes, you know, the normal animals you would expect, like birds and owls and squirrels, but also animals from all over the world. And the inspiration for that book came when I was visiting my brother-in-law who lives on Vancouver Island. And we went and we saw this forest with really old, giant trees.

And there was one with a tree hole big enough for me to slip inside. And so I did. And my brother-in-law, who’s kind of a goofball, took a photo of that moment. And while I was in that tree, I looked up inside, and it made me really curious about what animals might live in a tree. And so that’s the origin of that book.

Bianca Schulze: I love that. That’s like the perfect example of just staying open and curious to what’s around you, because we are surrounded by ideas all the time. I love that. Well, if you could follow any element on a journey besides carbon, which one would you pick?

Melissa Stewart: Nitrogen. That’s a good one.

Bianca Schulze: Pancakes or waffles for that maple syrup that we see in your latest book?

Melissa Stewart: Both. Probably not on the same plate, but I love them both.

Bianca Schulze: I like that. On the same plate? Okay, and then this one might be my favorite—my favorite—and it’s the last rapid-fire for today. Burps or farts: which ones interest you most from a scientific perspective?

Melissa Stewart: Oh, you know what? Once again, I’m gonna have to go with both. I’ve written books about both. And I think, you know, kids are just so curious about both, and they’re, you know, they’re a little forbidden. So they’re great fodder for a book.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, I love that. All right, well, what’s one thing—and go long here if you want—what is one thing you do in your day-to-day practices that you feel would be either the most surprising or the most relatable to listeners?

Melissa Stewart: Maybe that I start working really early in the morning, right when I get up—five o’clock—and I don’t stop to take a shower or eat breakfast until I get stuck, because I find that the shower is a really good way to get unstuck. It’s one of those times when you don’t have something specific that you need to be thinking about. And so the little solutions that have been kind of percolating in your subconscious for who knows how long, they kind of just rise to the surface. And so it’s not unusual for me to hop out of the shower and run over to my office, which is right across the hall, and just scribble down ideas even when I’m soaking wet. So I kind of use the shower as a writing technique.

Bianca Schulze: I love that. I love that. There’s something peaceful about it, or like you’ve got no other distractions when you’re in there. Yeah, that’s great. Well, you’ve written over 150, I believe, science books for children. So what is it that drives you and guides you in creating these books for kids?

Melissa Stewart: I think really just the beauty and wonder of the natural world. I just really want to share it with kids, and I want to get them invested in spending time outdoors in nature because I think it’s just really a place of tranquility, which is something that we need more than ever in this busy world. And I always say that sort of the mission of my writing is to just make kids curious. And if one of my books can inspire a child to chase after a butterfly to see where it’s going or look under a rock, then my job is done.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, that’s amazing. You know, I feel as though the climate of the world right now is on a little bit of a downer. And I think it’s important to keep the wonder and the curiosity going. And so on that note, is there anything in science that is kind of exciting you right now that you feel like you want to share with kids? Because I know climate change is so important and we need to talk about it and whatnot. But I’m just wondering if there’s something new or fresh or exciting, or even something that maybe has been talked about in the past but hasn’t been talked about for a while. What’s something exciting? I feel like I need some more hope and excitement right now.

Melissa Stewart: I think for me, really, just going out into nature and spending time just romping around an open field or exploring a new forest—there’s always something that surprises me. Whenever I go into nature, I discover something new that I’ve never noticed before. Maybe it’s something specific to that place, but then maybe it’s just a place I’ve been to many times, but I haven’t noticed before. My husband and I, this summer, created sort of a goal for ourselves to walk the entire length of a rail trail that is here in Massachusetts where I live. We had been to several different sections of it, but we had never walked the entire thing. And so that was exciting, to sort of see how the different pieces that we knew and loved fit together and then to explore the parts that we didn’t know and to sort of say to ourselves, “Okay, what are our favorite places? What makes them our favorite places? Would we ever do this again?” So we sort of set this goal for ourselves, and it allowed us to see this rail trail that we had known in one way for quite a while in a whole new way. And so I think looking at things through a new lens or forcing yourself to look at things in a new way is always a source of inspiration.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah. And like you said before too, like just those moments of, “Okay, there’s the rock, but what do we see when we turn over the rock or we look at that rock with a magnifying glass?” Yeah, it’s beautiful. Well, after reading your author’s notes in the back of your latest book, I knew instantly that I wanted to ask you to share that aha moment when you realized that From BAM to BURP could be a children’s book. And I know it stemmed from one third grader’s question.

Melissa Stewart: Yes. So I was visiting a school, and I had just finished talking about a book called Burp! The Most Interesting Book You’ll Ever Read About Eating. And so we had just been talking about how food moves through your body and all the different things that happen. And then this third grader raised their hand and said, “Well, where does the carbon in the burp come from?” And I thought, “That’s a great question.” And so I answered it. I said, “Well, you know, the carbon comes from the food that you ate.” And then they said, “Well, where did the food get the carbon from?” And I said, “Well, the food got the carbon from the air when the plant was photosynthesizing.” And then they said, “Well, where did the air get the carbon from?” And so we just kept going back and back and back. And I thought, “This is a book. This is definitely a book.”

And so that’s where the idea came from. And then I went home and I started doing research, and I realized that you could trace carbon back to the Big Bang. And so that’s where the journey begins in the book. It starts with the Big Bang, and then it follows one carbon atom through all these different places and all these different forms over billions of years until it ends up in a pancake that a third grader eats and then burps out.

Bianca Schulze: I love that so much. And I think it’s such a testament to the power of curiosity and asking questions. And I love that you were open to that moment and that you recognized it as a book idea. So how did you decide to structure the book? Because it’s quite a journey from the Big Bang to a burp.

Melissa Stewart: Yeah, it is. And so I knew that I wanted to follow one carbon atom, and I wanted to show all the different places that it could go. And so I had to do a lot of research to figure out what would be the most interesting journey, what would be the most compelling journey. And I wanted to make sure that I included a variety of different places. So the carbon atom starts in a star, and then it goes to Earth, and then it goes into the ocean, and then it goes into a rock, and then it goes into the air, and then it goes into a tree, and then it goes into maple syrup, and then it goes into a pancake, and then it goes into a kid, and then it goes into a burp.

And so I wanted to make sure that I was showing all these different forms that carbon can take. And I also wanted to make sure that the journey was scientifically accurate. So I worked really closely with a science consultant to make sure that everything was correct. And then I also wanted to make sure that the language was accessible to kids. So I tried to use language that was simple and clear but also engaging and interesting.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, I think you did a fantastic job with that. And I love the illustrations too. Can you talk a little bit about working with the illustrator on this book?

Melissa Stewart: Yeah, so the illustrator is Rui Ricardo, and they did such an amazing job. I was so thrilled when I saw the art for the first time. And I think what they did really well was they captured the scale of the journey. So you have these really big, cosmic images of the Big Bang and stars, and then you have these really intimate, small images of a kid eating a pancake. And so I think they did a great job of showing that range and showing that journey through the illustrations.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, yeah, it’s so fun. I think that’s what—when you’re saying like these informational nonfiction—and I think of them also as like creative nonfiction and just having these great illustrations. And I feel like you often get paired with these incredible illustrators, and it just really does help connect with the younger, more visual readers and those kids that really do need to have the visuals in front of them. So I think it turned out so great. Well, since this book connects kind of the cosmic to the personal, from space collisions to a kid’s breakfast burp, why do you think it’s important for children to see themselves as part of these larger natural processes?

Melissa Stewart: I think it’s important for kids and for adults too. I think for everyone to sort of understand that the way that our minds have evolved, it’s so easy for us to think that there is some force intending for us to be the center of the world and the center of our existence. But I think that that is just an illusion, that’s a myth. Really, we are an animal, and there are, you know, millions, billions of other animals, other creatures, and we are not better than them. We just have a different way of thinking and maybe more awareness of what’s happening. And so I think with that comes a responsibility. And so I think that the more that kids understand that we are just sort of like a speck in this gigantic universe and even in this gigantic solar system, the more that they can kind of feel the sense of awe that we even exist. Like, it’s a coincidence. It’s a coincidence that our planet is the perfect distance from the sun for so much of evolution to happen over so many years that human beings can even exist. And to just really be humble and grateful about our existence and to treasure everything else that our Earth is and to understand the critical importance of protecting it and protecting as many other creatures as we can.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah. And like, honestly, I just want to say end of episode. I mean, that response, Melissa—I mean, that’s what we all need to hear. And that was perfect. But it isn’t the end of the episode because I have more questions. So I guess if the idea for this book first came to you because of that third grader who asked that brilliant question and kept probing, I kind of want to sort of go deeper on that because kids do ask the most delightful questions, silly questions, thoughtful questions, absurd questions. So what kinds of questions do you imagine kids will ask about this book, and are there any that you hope that they’ll ask?

Melissa Stewart: That’s a great question. I hope that what it will encourage them to do is, like I was saying before, to think about their place in the world and their place in the universe and their place in history. But also, I sort of hope that they might go down a rabbit hole themselves and say, “Well, where else could a carbon atom have been? Or how might this journey have been different if it was an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom or some other atom?” I hope it will just make them curious and help them realize that they can think about the world in many different ways. Like we were saying before, I just want kids to embrace their natural curiosity and hold onto it and carry it with them their whole lives. I think that’s something that isn’t happening enough right now. And anything we can do to encourage that is a good thing.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah. Well, you said before that you have Monarch and Morning Cloak, which is the butterfly journal coming out. I think it’s in March 2026. Now, sometimes we know publishing dates shift, but I believe it’s March 2026. Do you have to shift writing gears when going from something like carbon atoms to butterflies, or do they all connect in your mind?

Melissa Stewart: They do all connect in my mind, but promoting a book is not about what’s happening in my mind; it’s about what’s happening in everyone else’s mind. And so I think there is shifting that’s going on, but the shifting is not necessarily going from carbon atoms to butterflies. It’s going from whatever the book is that I’m writing right now to whatever the book is that I need to be promoting. Because the books that are coming out right now have been illustrated. So I write them, and then they go to—you know, I send them out on submission. It might take a certain amount of time to sell the book. The book needs to be edited. The art for the book needs to be created. The book needs to be printed. All of those things take years. And so that means that right now I’m writing a book that will not be published for many years, and that’s where I try to keep my headspace—the thing that I’m actually writing right now. But then I do have to come out of that headspace and sort of remember the excitement that I felt about carbon atoms a while ago or the excitement that I felt about creating this butterfly journal a while ago. And so even though I’m sort of right in the middle of marketing and promoting From BAM to BURP right now, we’re just starting the promotion for the monarch book, which is not coming out for six months. So there’s, you know, like a six-month window of promoting a book. And so sometimes different books will overlap in that way, which can get a little bit crazy. But fun. It’s all fun.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah. Well, I mean, I have a couple of your books right here that I think have just either just come out earlier this year. So there’s Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem, which is—I mean, just the cover alone is so stunning. And I love that. And I learned about the zombie worms that come in and eat. So you had that one. And then there’s Meet the Mini Mammals: A Night at the Natural History Museum. So you are busy.

Melissa Stewart: Yeah, so that was my spring book. Yeah, so now, in terms of my marketing hat, I’m switching from mini mammals to carbon atoms. But then there are still some mini mammal things going on and will be going on till the end of the year. So I have to kind of switch hats sometimes. But it’s all fun. And it also gives an opportunity sometimes for kids to make interesting connections. I’ll be interested to see—I haven’t started doing school visits yet this year, the school year—but I’ll be interested to see what their questions are when I talk about those two books together. They always come up with connections that I could not have even imagined. The questions—kids ask the most amazing questions. And From BAM to BURP is not the first time that something a kid has said has led to a book. I think they have a way of seeing the world that is just so precious.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah. Well, if there was just one thing that listeners were to take away from our conversation today, what would you want that to be?

Melissa Stewart: Oh my goodness. I would say, in terms of From BAM to BURP, that I would hope that the book would kind of open their eyes to all the different roles that carbon has in our world. That carbon is sometimes a little bit maligned because of its role in climate change and global warming, but the carbon cycle is so critical to life on Earth. Carbon is part of every single animal, every single plant, every single living thing. And so even though it causes trouble in some ways, it also is remarkable and necessary. Life could not exist without it. And so just to think about all the different ways, all the different roles that carbon plays in our world.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah. Well, thank you so much, Melissa, for sharing your passion for making the wonders of science accessible to young readers. I have an avid nonfiction reader in my home, a fifth grader who just loves nonfiction. And it’s just so clear to me that every book you write comes from a genuine desire to spark that sense of discovery in kids. And your ability to take something as vast as carbon atoms and their billion-year journey and make it feel personal and exciting is really such a gift. And I have no doubt that From BAM to BURP will inspire countless kids to see themselves as part of the incredible story of our universe. And I think that is so powerful. So Melissa, thank you for doing what you do, and thank you for being here today.

Melissa Stewart: Thank you. It’s been so fun to talk to you.