In the past, I’ve taken on nonfiction picture book subjects that are a bit obscure, bluegrass legend Bill Monroe, outsider artist Nek Chand, the creatures in the Sargasso Sea. Those kinds of topics come with challenges: huge gaps in the historical record, few experts to draw on, and issues of …
Hi Builders, thanks for welcoming me back! As a quick reintroduction, I’m a veteran picture book author, working mostly in nonfiction. So, in the coming year, you’ll see a lot of posts from me about science, the arts, and real people. I tend to prefer narrative, but can appreciate interesting …
A few weeks back, I was fortunate to interview Katherine Roy, author and illustrator of the Sibert Honor Book Neighborhood Sharks and her title from this past spring, How To Be An Elephant. And also (lucky me!) my partner as illustrator of our upcoming picture book Otis & Will Discover the …
I’ve wrestled with my fair share of picture book manuscripts. A “brilliant” idea at 9 a.m. that falls apart by noon. That wonderful first sentence that pops up while making coffee, only to fade to confusion an hour later in the shower. An entire book theme that carries through perfectly, …
When I guest post here on Picture Book Builders, I tend to use the space to bring you some of my favorite people, editors! I guess it’s because picture book editors possess the most control over the many parts of the publishing process. As a certified control freak I’ve always …
For days, I’ve been putting off writing this post…only because I’ve had a hard time finding the “just right’ words to describe the gorgeousness that is Barb Rosenstock’s and Mary GrandPré’s new Van Gogh biography, Vincent Can’t Sleep, coming October 3rd from Knopf. So I give up. I’m going to …
The third in a four-part series interviewing editors that run their own imprints. Allyn Johnston began her children’s book career as a marketing assistant at Clarion Books and then spent 22 years at Harcourt Children’s Books in San Diego, where she started as an editorial assistant and ended up as Editor-in-Chief. She …
The second in a four-part series interviewing editors that run their own imprints. Anne Schwartz is an editor extraordinaire! In her distinguished 35-year career, she has worked for many top publishers. Anne was publisher of Apple Soup Books at Random House, spent a decade at Simon & Schuster, where she started …
Hello again, it’s Barb Rosenstock. PBB asked me to return to fill-in for Pat Zietlow Miller for a few months. I decided to develop a series of posts on picture book editors by interviewing the style-makers and award-winners—the folks who run their own imprints. I hope you learn as much …
Three authors have joined forces to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service. Janet Fox, Barb Rosenstock, and Liz Garton Scanlon are spearheading a month long (August) program to showcase our beautiful national parks. Their Page Through the Parks promotion is also filled with fantastic giveaways that are …