Totally Booked with Zibby Owens

Episode: Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levy, DON'T FEED THE LION
Date: November 11, 2025

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode of Totally Booked with Zibby, host Zibby Owens interviews journalists and co-authors Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levy about their new middle-grade novel, Don't Feed the Lion. The conversation dives deep into the book’s timely themes of antisemitism, identity, and resilience, exploring the authors’ personal motivations and the urgent need for resources to help children and families discuss hate and prejudice in today’s world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Book Background and Inspiration

[04:14 – 07:42]

• Don't Feed the Lion centers on three kids in Chicago: Theo (13), his sister Annie (11), and new friend Gabe (13). A viral video of Theo’s soccer idol making an antisemitic remark sets off a chain of events that exposes the kids—and their families—to hatred and exclusion.
• The story illuminates how children are often left to grapple with hate on their own when adults fail to step up.
• Bianna Golodryga:
  “Gabe, like and Theo like so many 13 year olds, have a lot of interests in whether sports or family life. And all of that sort of comes to a head when Theo's favorite soccer star is seen in a viral video... making a very anti Semitic remark. And things start spiraling after that.” ([04:14])
• The book was prompted by the authors’ real-life experiences as mothers of children directly affected by the rise in antisemitism, particularly post-October 7th events.
• Yonit Levy:
  “We kind of wrote the book that we couldn't find that would be relevant for our children, but also I think for parents to sort of... navigate this turmoil.” ([05:55])

2. Portraying Adolescence & Identity

[09:10 – 11:26]

• The novel explores the intense emotions of adolescence, especially when facing both typical growing pains and serious issues like antisemitism.
• The authors highlight that young teens don’t want to stand out, making the experience of bigotry even more isolating.
• The character Gabe is also dealing with personal loss (his mother’s death, father’s military service) adding layers to the search for belonging.

3. Family & Intergenerational Strength

[11:26 – 12:46]

• The extended family, particularly the character of grandfather Ezra, is celebrated for grounding the story with humor and wisdom.
• Yonit Levy:
  “If there's one fight, it's over Ezra because we love him so much... Ezra is the inspiration for him, I have to say, is my mentor...” ([12:46])

4. Authors’ Journeys as Public Figures & Journalists

[14:04 – 21:02]

• Both authors discuss the challenges of covering traumatic news (e.g., war, antisemitic attacks) while managing their own personal and emotional responses as both professionals and parents.
• Bianna Golodryga:
  “We really have found solace in each other. It's like we're each other's therapy... It's unique that we have, you know, a perspective as just two Jewish journalists who are mothers.” ([18:29])
• Their collaboration on the book became a therapeutic process, channeling their fears and hopes into a resource for families.

5. Navigating Hate and Building Resilience in Families

[22:03 – 25:29]

• Both authors share how their children are experiencing and processing antisemitism in very different ways.
• They stress honest conversations at home and acknowledge children’s resilience.
• Yonit Levy:
  “You figure out that the way to deal with it is not to hide it, but to just say, this is what happened. This is the situation... I find that they are more resilient than we had expected.” ([24:37])

6. Calling Out Institutional Failings

[25:29 – 27:43]

• The novel honestly critiques school responses to hate incidents, paralleling real stories where administrative actions minimize or fail to address antisemitism.
• Zibby Owens:
  “You have the headmaster saying, it's just like an incident that happened at the school, which of course made the mom react with outrage... They put a sticker over it and they're like, it's not a big deal. The sticker's over it. And it's like, no, it is a big deal.” ([26:26])
• Bianna Golodryga:
  “You constantly feel gaslit and are told that something's not a big deal when in your gut. And this is when we really should be listening more to children, you know better.” ([27:24])

7. On Bravery and Public Jewish Identity

[27:43 – 30:39]

• The authors reflect on being called “brave” for speaking out, noting the sadness that such advocacy is seen as exceptional rather than necessary.
• Yonit Levy:
  “It's a children's book about anti Semitism. It's innocuous. There's nothing controversial about it. It's supposed to help kids and their parents and of course not only for the Jewish community.” ([28:21])
• Both authors acknowledge ongoing fears and pressures related to visibility and security, especially as immigrants and public figures.

8. Looking Ahead: Future Projects and Publishing Journey

[31:26 – 33:20]

• The authors joke about future collaborations—a possible prequel centered on Ezra—as well as taking inspiration from the podcast within their novel.
• Their publishing journey was “not easy,” moving toward self-publishing before being picked up by a publisher.
• Bianna Golodryga:
  “It came to the point where we just decided that we would self publish. And luckily, we had publisher in shining armor come in...” ([32:18])

9. Final Thoughts and Hopes

[33:20 – end]

• Zibby promises to read the book with her own children, expressing gratitude for the resource and wishing wide exposure for the novel in schools and families.

Notable Quotes

• “We kind of wrote the book that we couldn't find that would be relevant for our children, but also I think for parents...”
  — Yonit Levy ([05:55])

• “We really have found solace in each other. It's like we're each other's therapy... It's unique that we have, you know, a perspective as just two Jewish journalists who are mothers.”
  — Bianna Golodryga ([18:29])

• “You figure out that the way to deal with it is not to hide it, but to just say, this is what happened... I find that they are more resilient than we had expected.”
  — Yonit Levy ([24:37])

• “You constantly feel gaslit and are told that something's not a big deal when... you know better.”
  — Bianna Golodryga ([27:24])

• “It's a children's book about anti Semitism. It's innocuous. There's nothing controversial about it.”
  — Yonit Levy ([28:21])

• “It came to the point where we just decided that we would self publish. And luckily, we had publisher in shining armor come in...”
  — Bianna Golodryga ([32:18])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Book premise and origins: [04:14]
• Personal motives/parental perspective: [05:55]
• Adolescence, identity struggles: [09:10]
• Family and inspiration for Ezra: [12:46]
• News careers and emotional toll: [18:29]
• Children’s resilience and family dialogues: [24:37]
• Experiences with institutional failures: [26:26]
• On bravery and visibility: [27:43]
• Publishing journey: [32:01]

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is open-hearted, candid, and infused with a sense of gravity about contemporary antisemitism, but also hopefulness about the role of family, literature, and dialogue. The authors’ deep friendship and personal stake in the subject shine through, as does their desire to contribute something meaningful to the current cultural landscape for both children and parents.

Don’t Feed the Lion is framed not only as a timely novel but as a bridge for urgent conversations—an empathetic, relatable resource during difficult times.