Emmy Award-Winning Talk Show Host Julie Chen to Publish Debut Picture Book with Simon & Schuster

Paula Wiseman Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, announced today that it will publish When I Grow Up, the debut picture book by Julie Chen, host of The Talk and Big Brother, in October 2018.  A little boy shares with his mom his dreams of what he might be when he grows up in this tender picture book illustrated by Caldecott Honor recipient Diane Goode.  Paula Wiseman, Vice President and Publisher of Paula Wiseman Books, acquired world rights from Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano for Julie Chen, and Steven Malk at Writers House for Diane Goode.

In When I Grow Up, Julie Chen tells the inspiring story of a little boy with big ideas of what he wants to be when he grows up . . . and he can’t wait! One night while getting ready for bed, the boy starts to wonder what life will be like when he grows up. He could be a teacher, a painter, a musician, a mountain climber, a mayor?  He tells his mother about his big ideas and all of the other things he wants to do. But when will he grow up? And why does it take so long?

“The moment my son was born, I stared at his little sweet face and wondered:  what and who will you be when you grow up?  Every mother has that question, and so does every child starting at around age four,” said Julie Chen about the inspiration for the book.  “I was thirteen when my mother told me I should become a TV news anchor when I grow up.  Planting that seed in my brain had a profound effect.  It gave me something to strive for at a young age and something to dream about.  All mothers help shape who their child becomes.  I know my mother did and I thank her for that.  This book will hopefully inspire mothers and their children to dream big and start planting those seeds!”

“In When I Grow Up, Julie Chen and Diane Goode beautifully capture what it is like to be young, little, curious, and impatient to know what the future holds, as you dream about your place in it,” said Carolyn Reidy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Simon & Schuster. “The book’s sweet and timeless message—from an author and illustrator who each followed their own childhood dreams to success in their chosen fields—is sure to appeal to children and parents alike.”

More information about When I Grow Up can be found at:  http://www.whenigrowupthebook.com/

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Julie Chen serves as host and moderator of The Talk, CBS’s Daytime Emmy Award—winning talk show that examines topical events and contemporary issues, along with hosts Eve, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, and Sheryl Underwood. Chen, who won the 2017 Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Hosts Daytime Emmy for the first time, is also part of The Talk‘s writing team that won its first Daytime Emmy in 2015 for Outstanding Writing Special Class. In addition, Chen hosts the hit summer reality series Big Brother, and just finished hosting the series’ first-ever Celebrity edition.

Chen previously worked for CBS News, holding several positions with The Early Show, including Special Contributing Anchor, co-anchor, and news anchor. She started her news career in 1990, working in various local news bureaus in Dayton, Ohio, Los Angeles, and New York City. Chen was born in Queens, New York, and is a graduate of University of Southern California. She has a son, Charlie, with her husband, Leslie Moonves, and three stepchildren, Adam, Sara and Mike.

Diane Goode is the illustrator of dozens of beloved and critically acclaimed picture books, including The New York Times bestselling Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts and several written by Cynthia Rylant: Alligator Boy; When I Was Young in the Mountains, a Caldecott Honor Book; and most recently, Baby Face: A Book of Love for Baby. She is also the illustrator of President Pennybaker and My Mom Is Trying to Ruin My Life, both by Kate Feiffer. She lives in Watchung, New Jersey, with her husband, David, and their dog, Briggs.  They have one grown son, Peter, an artist. 

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, one of the leading children’s book publishers in the world, comprises the following imprints: Aladdin, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Beach Lane Books, Libros para niños, Little Simon®, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Simon Pulse, and Simon Spotlight®. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and bestselling books for children of all ages. Simon & Schuster publishes numerous Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.

Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital, and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Pocket Books, Touchstone Books, Adams Media, Threshold Editions, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom, and proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com