Do Bees Pee and Do Parents Fail? Curiosity, Nature, and Unconditional Love

In this episode of the Reading With Your Kids Podcast, we’re celebrating two powerful picture books that spark big conversations in families.

First, Jed chats with Dr. Linda Booth Sweeney, author of Do Bees Pee? The Curious and Amazing Ways Nature Avoids Pollution. Linda shares how a giggle-worthy question opens the door to serious science, systems thinking, and hope-filled conversations about our planet. She explains how nature “thinks in loops, not lines”—turning waste into food and showing us brilliant, closed-loop designs that can ease kids’ eco-anxiety. From bees and elephants to parrotfish that help make sandy beaches, Linda invites families to use humor, curiosity, and hands-on experiences to reconnect with nature and feel empowered rather than overwhelmed.

Then, Jed welcomes Dr Esau McCaulley, author of Isaiah Johnson and the Big Game. Esau introduces us to Isaiah, a young ballplayer whose dad arrives late to the championship game. Instead of the parent swooping in as the hero, this story gently flips the script: Isaiah must decide whether to forgive his imperfect father. Esau talks honestly about failing as a parent, raising Black children in America, weaving faith into stories without preaching, and creating picture books that both kids and adults genuinely enjoy.

Together, these conversations celebrate curiosity, compassion, and the simple, life-changing message every child needs to hear: “You are loved, no matter how you perform.”