Episode Details

When her family moves to a new country, Ren is heartbroken to leave Popo and her magical stories behind. In her new home, nothing feels familiar―until Ren discovers that, with her pencil, she can bring to life what she can’t find the words to say.

Through drawing, she bridges the gap between her two worlds and transforms her loneliness into a meaningful connection.

Tune in to this interview with author Bo Lu about Ren's Pencil: A Picture Book (Abrams, 2026)

Bo Lu is an author-illustrator, and winner of an Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Honor.

Lucas Tse is Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. He writes Making People, a newsletter on parenthood through history.

Brian Van Zyl is a researcher and budding illustrator.  

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