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.

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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.

 

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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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May 7, 2020 In Caldecott

Going Down Home With Daddy

Welcome back! We’re here today with the second video in our 2020 Caldecott series to celebrate GOING DOWN HOME WITH DADDY by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Daniel Minter, published by Peachtree Publishers.

Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling and Daniel MinterHere’s a quick description:

On reunion morning, we rise before the sun. Daddy hums as he packs our car with suitcases and a cooler full of snacks. He says there’s nothing like going down home. Down home is Granny’s house. Down home is where Lil’ Alan and his parents and sister will join great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Down home is where Lil’ Alan will hear stories of the ancestors and visit the land that has meant so much to all of them. And down home is where all of the children will find their special way to pay tribute to family history. All the kids have to decide on what tribute to share, but what will Lil’ Alan do?

Laura Backes kicks off the discussion with fascinating details about the backgrounds and colors in the illustrations and what they represent in the book. Enjoy your time with the Picture Book Summit team today!

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May 5, 2020 In Caldecott

Blog Launch with Double Bass Blues

Welcome to the brand new Picture Book Summit blog!

What is the perfect way to start a new Picture Book Summit blog? How about featuring the Oscars of the picture book world—the Caldecott Medal and Honor Books? Each year, our founders gather together for an in-depth analysis of the winning books. We analyze the text, the illustrations, and how they combine to create an award-winning picture book. Over the next two weeks, we’ll share our thoughts on each of this year’s amazing books. Most importantly, we hope our conversations will inspire you to look for ways to elevate your own picture book manuscripts.

First off, our hearty congratulations to the 2020 Caldecott Medal and Honors Books! THE UNDEFEATED by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson took home the 2020 Caldecott Medal.

The Caldecott Committee recognized these books as 2020 Caldecott Honor Books: BEAR CAME ALONG by Richard T. Morris and LeUyen Pham, GOING DOWN HOME WITH DADDY by Kelly Starling Lyons and Daniel Minter, and DOUBLE BASS BLUES by Andrea J. Loney and Rudy Gutierrez.

2020 Caldecott Honor Books

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