Hello Picture Book Builders! Today I’m thrilled to be able to feature one of my very favorite books of the year, AWE! IT’S EVERYWHERE! and its AWE-some author, Chana Stiefel! Here’s the review I posted of this glorious book when it came out earlier this year: This is an absolutely …
Hi Builders! One of the things that picture book creators in both the traditional and self publishing realms worry about is marketing! How do you reach people interested in your picture book? When do you make a website? How often should you contact your readers? How does the public know …
Last year, Kashmira Sheth sent me a PDF of TAKING FLIGHT, her upcoming picture book with Nicolò Carozzi. Would I, she asked, consider writing a blurb for it? I read the book and instantly realized two things. Here’s what ended up going on the back of the book: “With gorgeous …
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 …
A lot of beginning picture book authors write stories told from the view of an inanimate object. A toaster named Timmy. A chair named Charlie. A flower named Flora. While these authors’ intentions are good, their stories often aren’t. It is exceedingly hard to write a story that works using …
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 …
Recently, I was online looking — not at all compulsively — for news or reviews of my latest picture book ONE CAN BE. I found my book, but I also found a picture book I hadn’t heard of before called ONE CAN written by Lana Button and Eric Walters and …
New books are released every week — on Tuesdays if they’re traditionally published. And, while I try to stay on top of what’s coming out, there are SO MANY BOOKS. And, lately, I’ve felt like I’m falling behind. So, last week, I reacquainted myself with the library loan program and …
Despite being a writer, grammar is *not* my strong suit. Aside from the basic parts of speech, I can’t remember what anything is called or what most of the rules are. Mostly, I rely on intuition and whether something sounds right, based on decades of reading. That’s why I’m so …
Hi, friends! I’m currently attending a family reunion in Taiwan, so I’ve invited Sue Soltis to share about her and illustrator Sonia Sánchez’s new book, The Moon Moved In. Thank you, Sue! Here is a snippet from the publisher’s description: What would happen if the moon moved in next door? …