This week on Spawned, I had the best time speaking with the one and only Jonathan Van Ness!! They’ve just released an amazing new picture book, Gorgeously Me!, which is already making waves as a #1 new children’s book on Amazon.

Our chat was not only fun but super inspiring. We talked about their favorite children’s book from their own childhood, the book that traumatized them (eek, I can see why!), their strongest memory of Barney, the importance to Jonathan of faith and spiritual connection, unpacking the mantra “I am exactly who I’m meant to be,” some optimism for the future — and importantly, Jonathan’s compelling idea about how parents can help our kids become the best version of themselves.

And yes, we even discussed the best hair products for taming my dreaded summer frizz. Because, I had to ask.

Give it a listen now and subscribe to Spawned on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon. I loved our conversation, and I’m sure you’ll take away a lot from it.

 

You can find Jonathan Van Ness on Instagram, TikTok, and JonathanVanNess.com
Find Gorgeously Me!, illustrated by Kamala Nair, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org where it’s 15% off this month using code PRIDE24

Related Links From Today’s Show:

• Jonathan’s #1 best-selling first children’s book Peanut Goes for the Gold
• Jonathan’s adult books Over the Top and Love That Story
• Why Jonathan loves Massachusetts (and especially John Hancock)
• The Books Unbanned initiative to get more books into more hands
• The 20th anniversary of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts (mazel tov to the Susans!)
• Great list of classic children’s books teaching lessons in mindfulness
• Watch Queer Eye on Netflix
• Subscribe to Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness on Apple Podcasts

Related Episodes:

• Kate Brookes on parenting a trans child or any child on their own path
• Kristin Russo on being a compassionate parent of LGBTQ kids

Our Cool Picks of the Week: 

• Jonathan loves Bodkin on Netflix, a limited series he describes as like Only Murders in the Building… but Irish.
• Liz recommends @BlairImaniAli on Instagram, particularly her “Smarter in Seconds” series, which is delightful and truly informative. (Jonathan loves her too!)

Thanks to our sponsor, Premium Prep

This episode is graciously sponsored by Premium Prep, the personalized college counseling service that helps with college applications, financial aid, essay writing, and more. Mentioned Spawned or Cool Mom Picks for a free 30-minute 1:1 college counseling session with a best-fit counselor they match to your student’s needs and interests.

If you want to chat about today’s episode, find me in the Spawned Community on Facebook. Or hey– right here in the comments works too. Be sure to subscribe to Spawned wherever you get your podcasts and thank you for listening!