{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Grandpas, Grandkids & Great Stories: Inside Dina Hardt's Catch Of The Day","description":"On this episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, Jed welcomes debut picture book author and longtime teacher, Dina Hardt, to celebrate her new book, Catch of the Day. Dina shares the deeply personal origin of the story, which she first wrote over 20 years ago, inspired by a cherished family photo of her brother fishing. After her brother Anthony passed away two years ago, Dina revisited the manuscript as part of her healing journey, revising it with fresh eyes, richer memories, and a deeper sense of purpose. The book follows Anthony\u2019s first time fishing on his own, guided by his grandfather\u2019s wisdom and his own growing courage. Dina talks about the emotional process of seeing the illustrations for the first time, how the artist used real family photos and vacation images from Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, and how her brothers Anthony and David both appear as characters in the book. She also explains why she chose to rename herself \u201cElla\u201d in the story, honoring her middle name and her grandmother. As a fourth-grade teacher with a theater background, Dina lights up when she describes how she gets kids excited about reading and writing\u2014through choice, engagement, and fun language lessons like her homophone project built around her last name, Hardt. Jed and Dina close by exploring the rich family, faith, and perseverance themes in Catch of the Day, and Dina shares where families, teachers, and young readers can find the book and connect with her online. ","author_name":"Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/558800","html":"