Attention, children, grownups, and dragons! Liz Starin and I have a book that will be roaring onto the scene on October 6. ROAR! stars a little boy and two dragons who discover what it takes to start a friendship. This, by the way, is what Kirkus said about our book: “Big …
Kim Norman’s latest picture book is the oh-so-groovy This Old Van (Sterling, August 4). Kim is one of the members in my critique group, the PBJeebies, and, let me tell you, there is so much to love about this book. It’s a real deal story based on a catchy and …
I am a huge fan of Hannah E. Harrison’s Extraordinary Jane, so I had high expectations for Bernice Gets Carried Away. Well, I got just as carried away with this book! It’s better than getting a frosting rose on your piece of cake! Really. Hannah, tell us about Bernice Gets Carried Away. Bernice is …
Hey, buckaroos! June 16 is the release date for Ginny Louise and the School Showdown (Disney*Hyperion). *throws marshmallows* (<–Psst. You’ll have to read the book to find out why.) I am honored and thrilled to have a book with THE Lynn Munsinger. The Skinny… The Truman Elementary Troublemakers are a bad …
A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina’s Dream by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Floyd Cooper This book has not left my office since I first brought it home. It’s especially nice to have around when I’m struggling with an idea, a sentence, a story. I love the elegant language, the poignant …
Last month on 100 Scope Notes, Travis Jonker shared a wonderful post called “The Art of the Picture Book Barcode.” Now I have always loved spotting a well-placed barcode on the back of a picture book. Seeing a collection of that kind of awesomeness? What more could I want?! I thought it would be …
One of my favorite picture books is The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli. Why do I love it more than a crocodile loves watermelon? Let me count the ways. The main character is active, relatable, and flawed. I care about this toothy crocodile! The cover alone makes me want to be friends …
Endpapers are the first pages and the final pages of a picture book. They work much like the curtains at the open and close of a play. While many books’ endpapers are a solid color, others give the reader so much more. For instance, endpapers can create a mood. Number One …
So you’re reading a picture book to your kiddos or perusing the new pb shelf at the library or paging through new releases at the bookstore, and you’re blithely going along – yes, oh cute, uh-huh – when you come to a line that grabs you by the glottis. Whoa, …
Last month, a new writer emailed to thank me for a blog post that I had written back in 2010. Well! I had to go back in time and revisit this post for myself. I realized that the information is worth sharing again. The topic? Word Choice When writing picture …