RORPodcast - Season Seven - Reach Out and Read

What can fossils — yes, fossils! — tell us about the history of shared parental care and infant helplessness? Jeremy DeSilva, an endowed professor of archaeology, paleontology, and ethnology at Dartmouth, takes us on a few million years’ deep dive into human evolution and what the fossil record tells us about the evolution of family relationships and behavior.

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Jeremy DeSilva

Jeremy DeSilva is an endowed professor of archaeology, paleontology, and ethnology at Dartmouth and a paleoanthropologist specializing in the evolution of the first apes (hominoids) and early human ancestors (hominins).

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“Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters” | Oct. 1, 2026

Whether manmade or naturally occurring, chances are children will be exposed to some level of trauma at some point. How we handle these situations and recognize the protective effect of positive relationships will help guide how we may talk to kids and — we hope — buffer the effects of trauma. Yevgenia Nayberg joins us to talk about “Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters,” her new book that draws upon her own upbringing in 1980s Ukraine and how she grounded herself in love and art throughout a childhood full of uncertainty.

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Yevgenia Nayberg

Yevgenia Nayberg is an award-winning author–illustrator, painter, and stage designer. She’s the author–illustrator of several picture books including “I Hate Borscht!” and “Mona Lisa in New York” and the illustrator of “A Visit to Moscow,” which was nominated for an Eisner Award. Born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, she now lives in New York City. Her latest book is the graphic memoir “Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters.”

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“Playmakers: The Creators of Modern American Childhood” | Sept. 17, 2026

The 20th century was a time of unparalleled industry, creativity, innovation, and reach in the toy industry. Michael Kimmel, a SUNY distinguished professor emeritus and author of “Playmakers: The Jewish Entrepreneurs Who Created the Toy Industry in America,” joins us to talk about the people who practically single-handedly created the material culture of American childhood as we know it.

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Michael Kimmel

Michael Kimmel is a SUNY distinguished professor emeritus of sociology and gender studies and founder of the Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities at Stony Brook University. His latest book is “Playmakers: The Jewish Entrepreneurs Who Created the Toy Industry in America.”

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“Stories as Guides Through Darkness and Wonder” | Sept. 3, 2026

Can fear and enchantment be two sides of the same coin? How can stories help children navigate through darkness and wonder? Maria Tatar, John L. Loeb research professor of Germanic languages and literatures and of folklore and mythology at Harvard University, emerita, joins us to discuss the role of children’s literature in offering curiosity and courage in young readers. Warning: You may never think about some classic books the same way again.

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Maria Tatar

Maria Tatar is the John L. Loeb research professor of Germanic languages and literatures and of folklore and mythology, emerita, and serves on degree committees in folklore and mythology as well as in history and literature at Harvard University. She is the editor and author of several books including “Classic Fairy Tales,” “The Annotated Brothers Grimm,” “The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen,” and “Enchanted Hunters: The Power of Stories in Childhood.” Maria is a senior fellow at Harvard’s Society of Fellows.

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“Understanding the FAN: Clinical Approach to Relationship-Building” | August 20, 2026

We often understand why building strong relationships in pediatric clinical care is important, but the details of how matter. Linda Gilkerson, Ph.D. — founder and executive director of the Fussy Baby FAN Network at the Erikson Institute — joins us to talk about reflective practice and how strengthening the provider-parent relationship helps parents become attuned to their infants and ready for trying new relational approaches.

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Linda Gilkerson, Ph.D

Linda Gilkerson, Ph.D., is a professor at Erikson Institute where she led the development of the graduate training programs in infancy, infant mental health, and infant mental health in social work. She founded Erikson’s first clinical initiative, Fussy Baby Network, and is the developer of the FAN (Facilitating Attuned Interactions). The FAN is an approach to relationship building and reflective practice used widely across child- and family-serving systems in the U.S. and internationally. Prior to this, she worked in hospitals for 12 years developing and directing family support programs in pediatrics and neonatal intensive care. Currently, Dr. Gilkerson is collaborating with the American Academy of Pediatrics to bring the FAN to resident education and pediatric practices to support Early Relational Health. Her research and publications focus on relationship-based approaches and reflective supervision.

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“The Shock and Beauty of Early Parenthood” | August 6, 2026

“What does it mean to be ‘enough’ as a parent, caregiver, or professional?” “Where is my ‘maternal instinct’ if I don’t feel an instant bond?” “How do fathers come to feel like fathers — and what if the connection doesn’t come right away?” These are just some of the questions explored using narrative and reflection by Dr. Junlei Li and Thelma Ramirez in their new Early Relational Health project, “The Shock and Beauty of Early Parenthood. Learn more about the project and explore the full series on the Nurture Connection website.

View the transcript here.

Junlei Li

Junlei Li, PhD is the Saul Zaentz Chair in Early Childhood Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His work focuses on the essentiality of centering connection, growth, and healing in relationships; and how discord can be a pathway for relational repair, growth, and healing — all within the sphere of Early Relational Health.

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Thelma Ramirez

Thelma Ramirez, EdM is research manager at Harvard’s EASEL Lab where she supports the equity-focused efforts of several projects. Her research interests include family engagement in social and emotional learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and the intersection of equity and social and emotional learning interventions.

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“The Storied Life of Ursula Nordstrom” | July 23, 2026

She’s the most influential person you may never have heard of. A new book, Books Good Enough for You: The Storied Life of Ursula Nordstrom, Editor of Extraordinary Children’s Books, recounts how she nurtured and edited some of the greatest books of the past 100 years, including titles such as Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, The Carrot Seed, Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, and dozens more.Author Nancy Hudgins joins to talk about the impact Ursula Nordstrom had — and continues to have — on the world of children’s literature.

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Nancy Hudgins

Nancy Hudgins is the author of “Books Good Enough for You: The Storied Life of Ursula Nordstrom, Editor of Extraordinary Children’s Books.”

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Research shows reading physical books together brings the strongest benefits to children. That’s why we’re happy to have Boise Paper – a responsible paper manufacturer – sponsor this podcast. Through their Paper with Purpose promise, Boise Paper looks for ways to make a difference in local communities. Thank you to Boise Paper for investing in our Reach Out and Read community.