Podcast Summary: Totally Booked with Zibby

Episode: Do Your Kids Like Slime?
Host: Zibby Owens
Guests: Melissa de la Cruz & Sarah Schiller
Date: March 25, 2026

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode of Totally Booked with Zibby, Zibby Owens sits down with bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and entrepreneur Sarah Schiller to discuss their new collaborative graphic novel, Making Friends, inspired by the SLU Moo Institute – an immersive, hands-on sensory experience centered around slime. The discussion moves from the book's creative inception to the personal journeys that inspired SLU Moo, the importance of play (for both children and adults), and how beauty can arise from pain.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Origins of SLU Moo Institute and the Graphic Novel

[04:51-07:12]

• Origins: The collaboration stems from long-term friendships among the founders and Melissa. The idea sparked when Karen Rabinowitz (co-founder, not present) observed the joy her daughter and friends experienced playing with slime.
• Melissa de la Cruz: “Karen, Sarah's co-founder of SLU Mu, and I go back, you know, many, many years... My daughter was the one who actually introduced Karen to slime. They were playing with slime when Maddie was, like, 9 years old.” (05:02)
• Sarah Schiller: SLU Moo was born from personal trauma and the desire to create joy. “Karen was beside me that whole time... then her husband lost his life due to mental illness... She was really down and out when Melissa and her daughter came over with slime. And Karen discovered joy through slime...” (07:12)
• Mission of SLU Moo: To create a space for sensory play and joy regardless of age or ability.

What is the SLU Moo Institute?

[07:12-09:18]

• Not a Museum: It's an immersive, hands-on experience for kids (and adults), with locations nationwide.
• Sensory Play: Guests can walk on, slingshot, and customize their own slime, taking a piece home. Emphasizes inclusivity and equal play for all abilities.
• Memorable Quote: “We saw my two daughters, my disabled daughter and my typically developing daughter, playing together as if they were completely equal and peers. And Karen and I just looked at each other and said, we have to bring this to the world.” - Sarah Schiller (08:04)

Adult and Executive (Slime) Play

[09:31-09:59]

• Both Sarah and Melissa admit to daily slime play, emphasizing how their work brings joy not just to kids, but adults too.
• “You really can't complain when you wake up every morning and your mission is to deliver joy and you get to play and you get to remind adults that they can play too.” – Sarah Schiller (09:33)

Science, Craft, and Connection in the Book

[10:39-11:49]

• The graphic novel includes a slime recipe and aims to blend joy with science and craftiness, reflecting the SLU Moo Institute ethos.
• Intentionally includes themes of science (girls in STEM) and facing social struggles.

The Narrative of “Making Friends”

[10:59-13:20]

• Themes: Overcoming loneliness, friendship dynamics, missing parents, and girls loving science.
• Character Focus: Daisy, a STEM-inclined "slime girl," navigates social challenges and builds online connections, reflecting how friendship now often extends beyond the classroom.
• Relatable Content: “It's that age where friendship is the most important thing. You know, what is a friend? What makes a friend? How do you have friends?... Daisy and her slime channel... is friends with the MIT professor of slime...” – Melissa de la Cruz (12:26)
• Audience: Aimed at ages 5-12, with 8-9 as the sweet spot.

Foundation for a Series

[13:20-13:35]

• Hints at a sequel but no details revealed.
• “No spoilers yet.” – Melissa de la Cruz (13:32)

Hopes for the Book

[16:43-18:03]

• Melissa de la Cruz: The goal is to entertain, inspire empathy, and turn kids into lifelong readers—using graphic novels as a gateway.
• “I like to write books that are addictive. You know, I think, turning kids into readers, and having a graphic novel be kind of a gateway book... turning kids into readers is what the goal is. Always.” (17:15)
• Sarah echoes this: The story and art together will “really hook kids in and get them excited.” (18:03)

Bringing Beauty from Pain

[18:34-20:41]

• Zibby draws out the theme that beauty and joy can arise from pain, reflected both in the founders’ stories and the plot of the graphic novel.
• “The pain is sort of embodied by this chemical reaction. But really it's something that in sort of post traumatic growth… even though some things are just terrible... there can be beauty that comes from pain.” – Zibby Owens (18:34)
• Sarah acknowledges: “That darkness to light story, that ability that we embody as entrepreneurs, that you can be down and out and rise forth and come out... and give back and create something that's unbelievable and remarkable.” (19:18)

Representation of Mental Health

[20:41-21:36]

• The fictional narrative intentionally weaves in themes of sadness, depression, and anxiety, to destigmatize mental health and help children relate.
• “One of the things that Sluma is so good at is talking about mental health... we wanted to put that in the fictional story as well.” – Melissa de la Cruz (21:23)

New & Exciting SLU Moo Expansions

[21:58-24:24]

• Songs: SLU Moo original songs now on Spotify, incorporated into the SLU Moo birthday experience.
  • “So there's a specific Slumu Happy Birthday song... it's kind of a flash mob experience on your birthday.” – Melissa de la Cruz (22:01)
• Unique Experiences: Each location is a bit different.
• “Groovy Groves” Installation: Guests can use their own bodies’ electricity, conveyed through slime, to make music—a blend of science and play (23:04).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the mission of joy:
  “You really can't complain when your mission is to deliver joy and you get to remind adults that they can play too.” – Sarah Schiller (09:33)
• On turning pain to beauty:
  “The pain is sort of embodied by this chemical reaction. But really it's something that in sort of post traumatic growth… there can be beauty that comes from pain.” – Zibby Owens (18:34)
• On friendship and finding your specialness:
  “It's remembering what makes you unique and makes you special that you should feel good about every day when you go to school, not about either what you're being teased on or uncomfortable with.” – Sarah Schiller (19:44)
• On the enduring impact and future of the series:
  “We want people to read the book, go to the store and experience it, or, go to the Experience and then read the fictional story, which kind of expands it.” – Melissa de la Cruz (22:43)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |-----------|----------------| | 04:51 | Introduction of guests, origins of collaboration | | 05:02 | How Melissa, Karen, and Sarah first connected | | 07:12 | Personal stories inspiring SLU Moo | | 09:31 | Joy of slime for adults | | 10:39 | Science, recipes, and craftiness in the book | | 10:59 | Zibby on deeper themes in Making Friends | | 12:26 | Melissa on Daisy’s character and representation | | 13:32 | Tease about future books – “No spoilers yet” | | 16:54 | Authors’ hopes for the book’s impact | | 18:34 | Discussing theme: beauty from pain | | 21:23 | Representation of mental health in the story | | 22:01 | Original SLU Moo songs and birthday experience | | 23:04 | Unique, science-driven installations at different SLU Moo locations |

Final Thoughts

This episode offers an in-depth look at how the intersection of creativity, entrepreneurship, and personal healing can result in both a dynamic business and a meaningful story for kids. Through their book and the SLU Moo Institute, Melissa de la Cruz, Sarah Schiller, and their co-founders hope to not only entertain and inspire children, but also create a lasting, joyful community that celebrates resilience, inclusivity, and the transformative possibilities of play.

For more on SLU Moo, visit slumoo.com. For Zibby's book picks and interviews, follow @totallybookedwithzibby.