Peter Reynolds
July 11, 2020 In Author Studies, Events

Peter H. Reynolds – Author Study

Three Things You Can Learn from the Bestselling Author-Illustrator

Peter ReynoldsToday we conclude our 2020 Author Study series with Peter H. Reynolds! (You can read our author studies on Sophie Blackall and Lesa Cline-Ransome here and here.) Written by Keila V. Dawson, our author studies focus on a few elements from our Superstar Speakers and what you can learn from their work before the big online conference on October 3, 2020. Here are three things you can learn from Peter H. Reynolds.

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Lesa Cline-Ransome
July 9, 2020 In Author Studies, Events

Lesa Cline-Ransome – Author Study

Three Things You Can Learn from this Nonfiction Expert

Lesa-Cline-Ransome blogToday we continue our 2020 Author Study series! Our first 2020 Author Study put the spotlight on author-illustrator Sophie Blackall. You can still read that post here. Written by Keila V. Dawson, our author studies focus on a few elements from our Superstar Speakers and what you can learn from their work before the big online conference on October 3, 2020. Here are three things you can learn from Lesa Cline-Ransome.

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Sophie Blackall Picture Book Summit blog
July 7, 2020 In Author Studies, Events

Sophie Blackall – Author Study

Three Things You Can Learn from the Author-Illustrator

Sophie Blackall Picture Book Summit blogToday we begin our 2020 Author Study series! In case you missed it, last week we announced our Superstar Speakers for Picture Book Summit 2020: Special Edition. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Sophie Blackall, Lesa Cline-Ransome, and Peter H. Reynolds to this year’s Summit: Finding Your Voice. Written by Keila V. Dawson, our author studies are a chance to dig into our speakers’ work before the big online conference on October 3, 2020. Here are three things you can learn from Sophie Blackall.

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Finding Your Voice - PBSummit 2020
July 1, 2020 In Events

2020 Registration Now Open!

Finding Your Voice - PBSummit 2020Registration is now open for our 2020 Picture Book Summit!

For our 6th annual event, we are pleased to bring you Caldecott Medal winner Sophie Blackall, Coretta Scott King Honor winner Lesa Cline-Ransome, and New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. Our theme this year is:

Finding Your Voice

Our Superstar Speakers will help you find your voice in writing picture books in these three in-depth keynote presentations.

 

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Picture-Book-Summit-Podcast_feature_image_Andrea-Davis-Pinkney
June 9, 2020 In Podcast

Podcast – Andrea Davis Pinkney

Andrea Davis Pinkney - Picture Book Summit podcastToday’s episode is from New York Times Bestseller and Coretta Scott King award-winner Andrea Davis Pinkney. Andrea’s Picture Book Summit presentation was “Nonfiction with a Twist.” Andrea is known for picture books such as POEM FOR PETER and MARTIN AND MAHALIA. She’s also written biographies of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald among others. In this excerpt of Andrea’s presentation, she shares how she gets her ideas and the unusual role a flip flop played in capturing the voice of her biography of Ella Fitzgerald. Remember, nonfiction doesn’t mean nonfun!

Listen here:

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Tomie DePaola - Picture Book Summit Podcast
May 26, 2020 In Caldecott, Podcast

Podcast – Tomie DePaola

Picture Book Summit Podcast - Tomie DePaola

Earlier this year we lost the legendary author-illustrator Tomie DePaola.

Beloved author/illustrator Tomie dePaola wrote and illustrated books for children for over 50 years. In that time, Tomie always drew from life experience. His books were inspired by everything from his Irish-Italian roots to his adventures in musical theater. Other influences included his time as a Benedictine monk and his work as a fine artist and teacher. Tomie’s 260+ books have sold 25 million copies worldwide, including Strega Nona, 26 Fairmount Avenue, The Art Lesson, and Christmas Remembered. The American Library Association has honored him with a Caldecott Honor Book, a Newbery Honor Book, and the 2011 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (now known as the Children’s Literature Legacy Award) for his “substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.”

Today, we celebrate his life by remembering the light and joy he brought us in this Picture Book Summit interview.

Listen here:

 

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Laura Backes - Picture Book Summit Podcast
May 26, 2020 In Podcast

Podcast – Laura Backes – 500 Word Picture Book

Laura Backes - Picture Book Summit Podcast

Picture book texts are getting shorter. In fact, many agents and editors have put a 500-word limit on new picture book manuscripts. But how do you write a story—complete with fully-developed characters, a plot with a beginning, middle and end, and page-turning action— in 500 words?

In this episode, Picture Book Summit Co-Founder Laura Backes gives us advice on how to start writing your picture book so you can stay on track throughout the process and not add too many words to your story.

Laura Backes is publisher of Children’s Book Insider, The Children’s Writing Monthly, and co-owner of WritingBlueprints.com (along with husband Jon Bard). Laura has edited and critiqued thousands of picture book manuscripts. Her credits include Best Books for Kids Who (Think They) Hate to Read (Random House); articles for Writer’s Digest, The Writer and Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market; and technical editor of Writing Children’s Books for Dummies.

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May 26, 2020 In Caldecott, Podcast

Podcast – Peter Brown

Welcome to the Picture Book Summit Podcast where we share insight on the craft of writing, illustrating, and publishing picture books from the industry’s best and brightest. In each episode, we feature an excerpt from a keynote or presentation given at Picture Book Summit, the annual world-class online conference for picture book writers and illustrators around the globe that takes place every October.

Peter Brown - Picture Book Summit PodcastIn our inaugural episode, we share a portion of our Picture Book Summit interview with Caldecott Medal-winning author-illustrator Peter Brown.

Peter Brown has written and illustrated many books for children and earned numerous honors. His awards include a Caldecott Honor, a Horn Book Award, two E.B. White Awards, two E.B. White Honors, a Children’s Choice Award for Illustrator of the Year, two Irma Black Honors, a Golden Kite Award, and a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award. Peter has six New York Times bestselling books for children. His bestselling titles include The Curious Garden, Children Make Terrible Pets, and Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. Peter’s illustrations for Creepy Carrots!, written by Aaron Reynolds, earned him a Caldecott Honor.

Listen in as Peter discusses how he creates character development by digging into his own personal experiences.

 

Listen here:

 

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May 14, 2020 In Caldecott

The Undefeated

Drum roll please!

Our final installment of our 2020 Caldecott series celebrates the 2020 Caldecott Medal Winner: THE UNDEFEATED by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson! We hope this year’s analysis prompts to you look deeper at other picture books as well as your own manuscripts.

The culmination of our 2020 series celebrates THE UNDEFEATED written by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, and published by Versify. This book brings to life the words of the poetic text by showcasing portraiture illustrations of prominent figures in history.

One interesting note: This year’s winner and honorees are all author and illustrator teams—which is fairly unusual for this award that primarily focuses on illustration.

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir NelsonHere’s a quick description of THE UNDEFEATED:

Originally performed for ESPN’s The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world’s greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Robust back matter at the end provides valuable historical context and additional detail for those wishing to learn more.

Emma Walton Hamilton spearheads our discussion of this soul-stirring book with a bit of background on this text’s journey from poem to award-winning picture book.

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May 12, 2020 In Caldecott

Bear Came Along

Today we bring you the third video in our series on the 2020 Caldecotts: BEAR CAME ALONG!

 

Bear Came Along by Richard T Morris and LeUyen PhamOur discussion encompasses the rollicking adventure of BEAR CAME ALONG written by Richard T. Morris, illustrated by LeUyen Pham, and published by Little, Brown and Company. This Caldecott Honor Book is especially close to our hearts because LeUyen and her editor on this book, Alvina Ling, were both speakers at Picture Book Summit 2018. LeUyen even shared some of her early illustration drafts of this book with us during her presentation. Congratulations, LeUyen!

Here’s a quick description of BEAR CAME ALONG:

Once there was a river flowing through a forest. The river didn’t know it was capable of adventures until a big bear came along. But adventures aren’t any fun by yourself, and so enters Froggy, Turtles, Beaver, Racoons, and Duck.

These very different animals take off downstream, but they didn’t know they needed one another until thankfully, the river came along.

This hilarious picture book and heartfelt message celebrates the joy and fun that’s in store when you embark together on a ride of a lifetime.

Katie Davis leads this lively conversation about adventure, community, and embracing the unknown. Plus, enjoy a little insight on how these illustrations came together. This one is sure to put a smile on your face.

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