28 Picture Books

My husband Jim read picture books to Abby at bedtime, starting on the night we brought her home from the hospital when she was five days old.  These books are some of our favorites and are suitable for children ages 4 – 8.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles

Goodnight, Moon by Margaret W. Brown

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess

I Need a Hug by Clara Barton Elementary First Graders

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura J. Numeroff

Is Your Mama a Llama? By Deborah Guarino

June 29, 1999 by Davie Wiesner

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia L. Burton
Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard and James Marshall

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale by John Steptoe

Oliva by Ian Falconer
Round Trip by Ann Jonas
Ruby the Copy Cat by Peggy Rathmann

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester

The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper

The Math Curse by Jon Scieszka

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch

The True Story of the Three Pigs by A. Wolf, John Scieszka

The Tub People by Pam Conrad

What do you do with a Kangeroo?  by Mercer Mayer

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Wilford Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox

Initial Results

Maggie and the Third Grade Blues had been sent to several editors.  Most publishing houses will respond in three months if interested.  So far:

Dial—sent the manuscript; no reply

Arthur Levine—sent the manuscript; a signed rejection

Atheneum—sent a query; no reply

Clarion—sent the manuscript; no reply

Flashlight Press—emailed the manuscript; personal reply: a sweet story, but only publishes 2 PB/year

Tricycle Press—liked my previous submission, sent the manuscript, received a personal rejection   

Christy Ottaviano Books:  project not right for her list, personal rejection with a sticker!

Andrea Brown Literary Agency—sent an e-query + manuscript; no response after 6 weeks

Writers House Agency:  personal rejection 

Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency:  post card, no thank you

Contest news: 

The Decatur Public Library Annual Writing Contest—contest discontinued this year

And finally, better news:

The Alabama Writers’ Conclave Annual Contest—Honorable Mention

Writers’ Digest—among the top 100 winners

Dangerous Myths and Terrible Truths

I read this article many years ago, and it is still relevant.  Here are a few snippets from the piece.  Check out Aaron Shepard’s article for 10 more myths and truths about picture book writing.

http://www.aaronshep.com/kidwriter/Truths.html Aaron Shepard

MYTH: Children’s books are easier to write than adult books.

TRUTH: Good writing is difficult no matter what the reader’s age—and children deserve the best.

MYTH: Since my kids/neighbors/students like my story, it will make a great book.

TRUTH: Your kids/neighbors/students may like it only because it’s yours, or because they enjoy your reading.

This does not impress editors.

MYTH: To sell my work, I must get an agent.

TRUTH: Though it has become harder to sell children’s books without an agent, you can still do it—and getting an agent may be as hard as getting a publisher. Agents are more useful and available once you’ve sold on your own.

MYTH: My chances are better if I submit to small publishers.

TRUTH: Not unless your book is specialized. Small publishers issue fewer books and must often be cautious in their selections. Large publishers can afford to take an occasional chance.

MYTH: When submitting, I must protect my ideas from theft.

TRUTH: Theft by children’s publishers is rare. Ideas are plentiful, so editors are more interested in finding writers who can handle ideas. In any case, copyright law protects your work—without any official registration or notice.

Spreads

Most picture books are made up of 16 spreads.  A “spread” is both pages of an open book. 

To represent the spreads, draw sixteen rectangles on a piece of paper, using four rectangles per row.  Draw a line down the middle of each rectangle to divide them into 2 squares.  These represent the picture book pages with text and illustration (usually 32 pages). 

Rectangles 1 – 4 represent the beginning.  Introduce characters, the setting, the character’s want, the conflict. 

Rectangles 5 – 11 represent the middle of your picture book.  Introduce other characters (most picture books should have 2 – 3 characters), action, and complications.  Rectangle 12 is the crisis or climax page. 

Rectangles 13 – 16 represent the ending.  Examine the character’s feelings and solve the story problem. Include a physical resolution and an emotional resolution.

You can fill in the squares with sticky notes and move them around, if needed.  This technique will  help you visualize your story.

10 Questions to ask before you write your picture book

1. What is your picture book about?  State the idea of your book in one sentence. 

2. What is your character’s problem?  Use only one problem in a picture book.

3. Is the central theme kid-like?

4. Does it have kid-like resolution? If it’s preachy, reconsider.

5. Who will tell the story?  Consider viewpoint. 

6. Is your character unique?  Quiet your editor and listen for his voice. 

7. Will you use present or past tense? 

8. Does each page have illustrator possibilities?

9. Does your story have movement and take place in various settings?

10. Does each page should have “turn-ability”?  Check for pacing and page breaks.  Now read your story aloud.  The text on each page should read like a mini chapter, ending in a cliffhanger or with exciting action that urges the reader to turn the page.  

As you write your picture book, consider this advice from author Marisa Montes:  “use the best words, in the best order, to write the best story.”

 

Five elements and a Formula

When you begin to write a picture book, keep these five elements in mind. Refer to Eve Bunting’s formula  as well. 

Story:  a character-drive plot by which a character faces a conflict, deals with set-backs and complications, and resolves the conflict by himself, and in doing so, changes or grows.

Setting:  Where the story takes place.

Main Character:  the person who faces a conflict and actively resolves it himself/herself with no help from adults.

Conflict: the problem the main character faces.  Without conflict, there’s no story.  Types of conflict include man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. nature, and man vs. himself.

Want:  the one thing that the main character desires.  Conflict is propelled by want.

A picture book formula by author Eve Bunting: Will the main character be able to (whatever you want him/her to do), despite (conflict), despite (conflict), and despite (conflict) and in so doing, learn a lesson?   Character + conflict + conflict + conflict = growth.

So you want to write a picture book?

Here are 18 tips before you start writing:


Read books on the craft of writing, especially those on picture book writing.

Read many picture books.

Keep words to less than 1000.

Avoid using adverbs.

Use active verbs.

Combine wordplay and lyricism.

Write with a tight simple style.

Rhyming must be spot on.

Give details (example: use poodle, basenji, etc., not just dog).

Avoid writing a story with a message.

Think in terms of 16 pictures.

Do create a page turner.

Don’t worry about illustrations—the publishing house pairs you with an illustrator.

Holiday stories are hard to sell.

Stories about talking animals or inanimate objects that come to life are hard to sell.

Folktales require a natural storyteller and a storyteller’s voice.

Well-written nonfiction and biographies are always in demand.

Humorous books can be read again and again.