Today we bring you a special treat! In this episode, Julie Hedlund interviews Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple. With over 400 children’s books to her name, Jane shares how she chooses the words and what influences her choices. The pair touch on the impact of banned books and how
It’s time for How to Analyze a Picture Book – Part 2. In this episode, we talk about how to analyze a picture book’s illustrations and other things to look for when analyzing a mentor text. First up, illustrations: What’s the job of the illustrations? What do they add to
Today we share how to analyze a picture book. In many of our discussions and presentations, the Picture Book Summit Team and our guest speakers analyze picture books and use that analysis to illustrate the point we’re teaching. When you as a picture book creator learn how to analyze a
We tackle the touchy topic of celebrity picture books in today’s Picture Book Summit Roundtable discussion, So, what’s the truth about celebrity picture books? Do celebrities get to cut the line when it comes to publishing? Are they held to a lower standard than lesser-known writers? Is it the celebrity’s
What is the appeal of dark picture books? Do kids want to read (and re-read) books about tougher topics? How do you make these books kid-friendly? Julie Hedlund leads our Roundtable discussion about dark picture books, what place they have in children’s lives, and why they’re so important (and re-readable).
It’s time for part 3 of Read-aloudability: The Measure of a Great Picture Book. If you missed our last two episodes, you can listen to those here and here. Our first two installments reveals ways to improve read-aloudability on a story level. In our final installment, Emma Walton Hamilton shares
Read-Aloudability: The Measure of a Great Picture Book 2 is here for your listening pleasure. If you missed our last episode, be sure to listen soon. In part one, Emma Walton Hamilton defines “Read-Aloudability” and Katie shares one juicy technique you can use make your book fun to read. It
Read-aloudability is essential to writing picture books. Picture books are a truly unique genre of literature. Other books CAN be read aloud, but picture books are ENGINEERED exactly for that precise purpose. That’s why read-aloudability is so important. In this episode, Emma Walton Hamilton defines exactly what read-aloudability is and
If you can’t get your manuscript past the gatekeepers, you have zero chance of getting published. So who are the gatekeepers? They are often editor and agent assistants. These assistants often take the first pass at the agent’s or editor’s inbox to eliminate manuscripts that don’t follow guidelines or don’t
Shadra Strickland might be the most delightful writing workshop presenter on the planet. In this episode, the author/illustrator (and agent!) reveals how to get at the heart of your story by sharing some of her best writing exercises to get your creative juices flowing from your brain to the page.
What do t-shirt design and writing and illustrating picture books have in common? Quite a bit actually! They have to be eye-catching. They have to be something the wearer or reader wants to go back to again and again. And just like a picture book, a good design tells a
Today’s episode features a practically perfect pair of presenters. You’ve seen presentations about great picture book beginnings. You’ve seen them about effective endings. But a truly great picture book relies on the connection between the two. Today, Emma Walton Hamilton & Julie Hedlund are here to show how to launch
