Matt de la Peña on the unexpected reason why his picture book was banned

Dec. 12, 2024 2:59 AM PT

“Milo Imagines the World” by Matt de la Peña was one of the top 23 commonly banned picture books during the 2023-24 school year, according to PEN America. De la Peña’s perspective on book bans has changed in recent years as they’ve soared and limited access to diverse books.

Jenny Gold

Jenny Gold covers early childhood development and education for the Los Angeles Times. Before joining The Times in 2023, she spent nearly 14 years covering healthcare for radio and print as a senior correspondent at Kaiser Health News. Her stories have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Atlantic, NPR, Reveal and Marketplace, among others. A Berkeley native, she is a graduate of Brown University and was previously a Kroc fellow at NPR.

Mark E. Potts

Mark E. Potts is the senior editor for video at the Los Angeles Times. A native of Enid, Okla., Potts graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism. He has created and edited video for DreamWorks, YouTube, Microsoft, Sony and BET.