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Children Chatting with the Urban Legendz Team

Episode Summary

Join the Children Chatting with Authors Podcast as they interview Paul Downs and Michael Yates, about their book Urban Legendz and about being an author, illustrator, and artist.


cartoon podcast microphone in teal and magenta"Hi teachers and caregivers continue the conversation with a downloadable discussion guide."


Participant(s) Bio

Author Paul Downs:

Paul Downs is a screenwriter, animator and educator with seventeen years of experience spanning film, commercial and video game production.

Paul has written and developed projects for Cartoon Network, 20th Century Fox, and a live-action family film being produced by Smart Entertainment (Ted, Blades of Glory, Anger Management).

Paul's animation credits include Robots, the Ice Age franchise, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who, Rio, Epic, Free Birds, Spies in Disguise, the 2017 Oscar® nominated film Ferdinand as well as the two short films: Surviving Sid and the Oscar® nominated, No Time for Nuts.

Paul lives in Florida, with his wife Jen and their two children, where he teaches Story/Animation at Ringling College of Art and Design.

Illustrator Michael Yates:

Illustrator Michael Yates is a story artist and director working as a story artist at PIXAR Animation Studios where his credits include Cars 3, Toy Story 4 and the upcoming Soul.

Before that, Michael worked on Guillermo Del Toro's Trollhunters at DreamWorks Animation Studios. His previous clients include Walt Disney Animation studios and the Cartoon Network series Craig of the Creek.

He also co-directed the award winning short Legend of the Flying Tomato.


Book cover for Urban Legendz
Urban Legendz
Paul Downs, Nick Bruno, & Michael Yates


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