分类: Carrie Charley Brown

ReFoReMo Day 26: Carrie Charley Brown Questions Everything

3/26/2016

ReFoReMo Day 26: Carrie Charley Brown Questions Everything

Is your head spinning? We have certainly put a lot of information and great books in front of you. So, for my reflection today, I want to ask you only one question:

What do YOU need most right now?

If you're me, it's a vacation! (I’m guessing some of you are also raising your hand.) Where should we go?

But seriously, it goes deeper that. I need time to think about my own writing now. I'm willing to bet that you do, too. Therefore, I’ll need to ask you more questions to dig deeper. (This happens to me a lot…one question leads to another.)

What are you working on right now?
Assess which projects call to you most.

If you’ve been reading lots and writing less, maybe you just need to start writing! Go for it!
Not sure where to start? Here's a quick brainstorm activity.

What did you love reading most over this ReFoReMo month?

Were you inspired to try something new?

Did reading reveal any new education or elements that you need to work on?
If so, check out only that type of book and do some focused research to enhance your writing skills.

What would make your manuscript different than everything else out there?
There's a lot more reading to tackle! Start with similar concepts. Research to make sure your idea has not been done and stands out as unique.

This is only the beginning. Hopefully, you have created a new healthy research habit for yourself. But, through it all, take time to reflect. I’ll repeat my initial question again:

What do YOU need most right now?

Carrie Charley Brown is the founder and co-coordinator of ReFoReMo, or Reading for Research Month blog & challenge. She eats, sleeps, and breathes picture books as a writer, professional critique mentor, and contributor on various blogs such as Writer's Rumpus and the Institute of Children's Literature. Carrie contributed as a 2014/2015 CYBILS fiction picture book panelist and donates a large part of her time to SCBWI North Texas as the Regional Advisor. She also produces kidlit videos and provides marketing services for authors and kidlit organizations. She has taught pre-k, kindergarten, first, and third grades. You can follow her writing journey right here on this site.

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ReFoReMo Day 6: Some Catch-Up for your ReFoReMo Fries

3/6/2016

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What a week! Can we give another round of applause to our amazing author-educators? Emma, Marcie, Janee, Linda, and Tammi have armed us with focused research eyes! How lucky are we? Please show your support by following them on social media and reading their books! If you notice that the library is not carrying one of them, please request that they do.

Bravo for the amazing discussions taking place in the ReFoReMo Facebook group! Our family rocks! If you know someone that did not make the registration cut in time, that does not mean that they can no longer join our group and follow our blog. They can! The only difference is prize eligibility. We always welcome new ReFoReMo-ers! Look for the opt-in box in the right-hand side bar.

As with every Sunday this month, we will either rest-up or catch-up! We know this is a very busy time and hopefully, you are already benefiting from this challenge. The official reading period starts tomorrow, so the posts will be shorter. We encourage you to read the daily recommendations and others from the first educational week, as well. The remaining Saturdays will be for reflection. We’ll provide some questions to guide you in bridging the gap between your reading and your own writing. There will not be book recommendations on Saturdays or Sundays from here on out. For the full schedule, visit our Schedule & Coordinators tab.

Dealing with a fever, even if it is ReFoReMo fever, can be quite taxing! Enjoy your day and rest up for the week to come! (Or grab the "catch-up" and eat some more!)

Carrie & Kirsti
ReFoReMo Co-Coordinators

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PreReFoReMo Day 1: Kirsti Call and Carrie Charley Brown Begin Boldly

2/27/2016

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Snip! The ceremonial ribbon flies free to officially open ReFoReMo 2016! Today starts three days of PreReFoReMo... a time to give you a little taste of education and open the research gates! You might not have enough fuel for the month-long journey without a healthy breakfast. Three days ought to give you enough!

First of all, if you have not registered for ReFoReMo yet, you only have a few days left! Bring your friends and register HERE to be eligible for prizes at the conclusion of ReFoReMo. Our reading list and goals can be found HERE and the low-down on the blog and logistics is HERE. But enough about reminders, let's get to the breakfast of champions!

Bold Beginnings
By Kirsti Call and Carrie Charley Brown

You’ve always heard that first impressions are everything, right? Well, it’s no different for a story. It’s your job to grab the reader right from the start and make a bold statement in some way. If you don’t, you may be risking a pass on your story.

Just to prove how much a beginning can impact you, we’re going to start this post again.

Beginning #2:
Today we’re going to share some bold beginnings. BUZZZZ! Boring!

Beginning #3:
Crafting a perfect beginning can be a make or break your chance at getting noticed. Agents are busy! A bad first line can be an early signal that the next part is going to bomb as well.

Beginning #4:
When was the last time you wished that a child would put a book down? Never! We want kids to be excited about turning the pages!

Beginning #5
How do we hook our readers with the first sentence? The beginning of your story guarantees whether someone will keep reading or put it down.

Essentially, the five beginnings above have the same concept, just different approaches. Some are better than others at hooking the reader. Given the subjectivity involved, we're sure some prefer one, while others prefer another. (But we're guessing not many people would say that #2 is the best!)

In order to get you started on the right foot, we’ve selected ten beginnings that will put the wind in your sail! These examples compelled us to keep turning the pages. Here’s to a great beginning!

Kirsti’s picks:

Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos and Joy Ang
“When Baby Billy was born, his family noticed something odd. He had a mustache.”
A baby with a mustache? What a concept! I want to keep reading!

The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
“One day, Duncan and his crayons were happily coloring together when a strange stack of postcards arrived for him in the mail...”
Oooo... mystery! Who sent the strange stack of postcards? Why? I definitely want to turn the page.

Everyone Love Bacon by Kelly Dipuchchio and Eric Wight
“Everybody loves Bacon. Including Bacon.”
Interesting...Bacon is a character! And he loves himself. I want to keep reading.

Seaver the Weaver by Paul Czajack and The Brothers Hilts:
“In the light of the moon Seaver emerged from his egg.”
Lovely, lyrical and magical! I want to read to find out what happens to Seaver.

Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman and Zachariah Ohora:
“The Bunny family came home to find a bundle outside their door.”
Intrigue! What is the bundle outside the Bunny family’s door?

Carrie’s picks:

One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck and Yasmeen Ismail
“Sophia’s birthday was coming up, and she had five things on her mind—One True Desire and four problems.”
Immediately, I want to know what her “One True Desire” (a proper noun) and four problems are!

Bridget’s Beret by Tom Lichtenheld
“Bridget was drawn to drawing. She liked to draw as much as other kids liked ice cream.”
I love the play on words and kids will be like: ”As much as ice cream?! Woah!

A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina’s Dream by Kristy Dempsey and Floyd Cooper
“Stars hardly shine in the New York City sky, with the factories spilling out smoke and street lights spreading bright halos round their pin-top faces. It makes it hard to find a star, even harder to make a wish, the one wish that if I could just breathe it out loud to the first star of night, I might be able to believe it true.”
Doesn’t that make you want to know what her wish is?! This main character has captured my heart and the lyrical language is to die for!

The Monstore by Tara Lazar and James Burks
“At the back of Frankensweet’s Candy Shoppe, under the last box of sour gumballs, there’s a trap door. Knock five times fast, hand over a bag of squirmy worms, and you can crawl inside… THE MONSTORE.”
I have to go there! I want to knock and bargain with the monster at the trapdoor. I must see the inside of this magical sounding place. This world has captured me. And…it starts with candy. Kids love candy!

Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson
“Henry Brown wasn’t sure how old he was. Henry was a slave. And slaves weren’t allowed to know their birthdays.”
Henry has my heart right away. When you think about young children, most of them are taught to show their age on their fingers from the time they are one. And here is a child who is not sure how old he is. I must read on to make sure he is taken care of and finds a way to a better life.

When assessing a beginning, ask yourself:
Does the first sentence interest you in a way that you have never encountered?
Does it leave you feeling like you need to read further to find out what happens next?

If you answered yes, then you might be onto something! So, are you ready? Go get those bold beginnings!

Share a beginning that grabs you in the comments below.

Kirsti Call reads, critiques and revises every day. She is a member of various critique groups, and blogs for Writer's Rumpus, Children's Book Academy, and the Institute of Children's Literature. As the published author of The Raindrop Who Couldn't Fall and a homeschool mom, Kirsti coaches revision for children ages 5-18. Her school visits involve interactive writing, singing, and of course, reading for research! Kirsti contributed as a 2015 CYBILS YA Fiction panelist and is proud to be the 2016 ReFoReMo co-coordinator. You can follow her journey at www.kirsticall.com.

Carrie Charley Brown is the founder and co-coordinator of ReFoReMo, the Reading for Research Month blog & challenge. She eats, sleeps, and breathes picture books as a writer, professional critique mentor, and contributor on various blogs such as Writer's Rumpus and the Institute of Children's Literature. Carrie contributed as a 2014/2015 CYBILS fiction picture book panelist and donates a large part of her time to SCBWI North Texas as the Regional Advisor. She also produces kidlit videos and provides marketing services for authors and kidlit organizations. She has taught pre-k, kindergarten, first, and third grades. You can follow her writing journey right here on this site.

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It's Time! ReFoReMo Registration 2016

2/14/2016

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This is it! Registration is open! (And then you get to wait again.) I know it’s no fun to wait for something when you’re excited, but you know how the saying goes: “Good things come to…” SCREAM out the last part, “…THOSE WHO WAIT!” After all, so much of this creative business involves waiting. We must be the most patient people on earth!

Registration is open between 6 am CST February 15 - March 1 at 11 pm CST. I ask that you read this post in full. Yes, it is long, but it provides the information you will need to know for this challenge. If you are confused, reread the post one more time before contacting one of us for help. If you have questions, please ask them in our Facebook Group. We have lots of ReFoReMo veterans that can help, as well as your admin team. We will get to the questions as soon as possible, but please understand that registration is a very busy time for us.

Please follow these steps to get registered:

1.     If you have not already, subscribe to this ReFoReMo blog using the opt-in box on the right hand side. Follow the instructions for verification and then you will be all set to receive the blog posts. A very limited number of updates will arrive before February 27. Starting on the 27th, you will receive three days of PreReFoReMo posts, and from there on out, you will receive the author-educator posts from March 1-31. (The regular schedule, one post per week, resumes after, with more mentor text education and support at your fingertips.)

2.     At the bottom of this post, there is a comment section titled, “Leave a Reply.” Fill out the reply form completely, making sure you list the same name and email address that you used to subscribe in step #1. (Your email will not be visible to the public unless you put it in the comment box.) Listing your email will assist admin in knowing if you are registered properly, so please do not skip this step. Then, use the comment box to repeat your FIRST and LAST NAME as the first words of your one sentence comment. Example: CARRIE CHARLEY BROWN is ready to research! If you don’t want to use a sentence, feel free to just leave your name in the comment box. Example: CARRIE CHARLEY BROWN  If you need assistance, please contact Carrie by email, and leave this comment feed open only for registrations. We will not be posting a list of participants this year, so please make sure that you follow the steps correctly.

NOTE: You must have steps one and two completed by March 1 at 11 pm CST and comment on every post from March 1-31 if you want to be eligible for prizes at the conclusion of ReFoReMo. Our author-educators are rock-stars and deserve your comments! Without them, this challenge would be 31 days of only two of us blabbing in your ear. Yeah... I know, I'm thanking my lucky stars right now, too. *wink*

3.     Optional: Head on over to the private ReFoReMo Facebook group and request to be admitted. It was designed to build community and host discussions about picture books as mentor texts. Prior to February 26, we will post one link or discussion question each day to serve as a research prompt or build excitement. You are also welcome to start discussions about mentor texts on your own. Again, you don't want us to be the only ones blabbing at you in the Facebook group. You'll get more out of this experience if you fully participate. Please refrain from promoting events or posts unrelated to picture books as mentor texts. Once ReFoReMo officially begins, we will feature the link to our daily author-educators. (The blog post will also be delivered to your inbox.)

4.     Standing ovation for our resident illustrator Lori Nawyn!!! She created the all-new 2016 participation badge for use on your websites and/or social media sites! Please link the badge back to this address: http://www.carriecharleybrown.com/what-is-reforemo.html

5. In addition, you may add a Twibbon to either/both your Facebook or Twitter profile pictures. Go here, to access the Twibbon campaign. Your ReFoReMo cheerleader will look like this...isn't she precious?! You should be able to resize her once you access the campaign.

6. Prizes will be announced during the posts. When March 1 rolls around, keep your research notebook close by and jot down what you read each day. But don’t just read…study the elements, too. Our ReFoReMo posts will help you know what to look for. To be eligible for prizes, you will want to make efforts to consistently read picture books on a day to day basis. While I have dangled a huge goal of reading five picture books a day from March 7-27, I realize that life gets in the way. The idea is to read consistently and utilize the mentor texts as study tools to help you with your current writing/illustration goals. Whether that is one picture book each day or five, your efforts will enhance your writing. As I mentioned earlier, you must comment on every post to be eligible for prizes. (Not just the posts that have the prizes you like the most.) Your administrators (Kirsti, Janie, and I), as well as all of the author-educators, are volunteers. Please consider going beyond just a comment and follow them on social media, mark their books as “to read” at Goodreads, and if your library does not have their book, request that they get it. Of course, a personal purchase of the book is also supportive, but we’ll leave that decision up to you. Our team would also appreciate your donations to support ReFoReMo as a continued annual event. (Things like shipping costs for prizes and technical support are among the costs that add up.) The donate button is located in the right hand side bar of our site. All donations will filter back into ReFoReMo. If you would like to support Kirsti and I personally, you can do that by purchasing our services and books.

While you are waiting for ReFoReMo to kick into high gear, feel free to check out the Get Ready… Get Set… post to learn more about how ReFoReMo works and the resources we utilize. If demographics prevent you from accessing the picture books that you need to study, you might consider joining or starting a ReFoReMo Support Group. (New this year!)

Whew! I know that was a lot, but exciting, right? That's it for now! Official PreReFoReMo blog posts will begin on February 27. A special SURPRISE guest-educator will get us all pumped up on February 28! You won't want to miss out! Get ready to rock your writing/illustrating with mentor texts!

Carrie Charley Brown is the founder and co-coordinator of ReFoReMo, a research challenge and blog for picture book writers. She provides services for kidlit creatives and has contributed as a fiction picture book panelist during the CYBILS awards (2014/2015). A self-professed picture book addict, she enjoys helping other writers by blogging on various sites such as Writer's Rumpus and the Institute of Children’s Literature, and elfing her way around the 12 x 12 Critique Connect. She donates a large part of her time as the SCBWI North Texas Regional Advisor and has taught pre-k, kindergarten, first, and third grades. You can follow her writing journey right here on this site.

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Revealing ReFoReMo: 2016 Author-Educators

1/5/2016

9 Comments

By Carrie Charley Brown

When I founded ReFoReMo last year, I knew that mentor texts had the power to impact many lives. I had no idea, though, that it would actually come together in such a short time and be successful. After having an entire year to prepare this time around, Reading for Research Month 2016 is shaping into a wonderful learning experience. Along with my co-coordinator, Kirsti Call, we'd like to thank these wonderful author-educators that have opted to share inspiration, tips, and recommendations with you for our upcoming challenge. What a fabulous line up! All of our guests are kidlit professionals in one shape or another: author, illustrator, librarian, teacher, editor or agent. Adding all of you to the mix, it’s amazing to have so many picture book addicts in one place at one time! We are grateful to connect with each and every one!

You will find a static copy of this schedule in our ReFoReMo drop down menu, as well. Look for the Schedule & Coordinators tab.

ReFoReMo will benefit picture books writers from every level... beginner to multi-published. Why? No matter the level, great gains come from reading the newest picture books on the market. It's true that the classics have their place, as well.

In the weeks leading up to the challenge, please follow us for updates. You can plan on registration details, a chance to win picture books, and testimony from past participants.

Timeline
February 15:            Registration opens
February 23:            Reading list goes live
February 27-29:      PreReFoReMo: Starting off Strong
March 1-31:              ReFoReMo!

If you are not yet part of our ReFoReMo Facebook group, please feel free to join here. Our amazing Facebook Group Administrator, Janie Reinert, is ready to welcome you! See you there!

Janie Reinert

Kirsti Call

Carrie Charley Brown

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A Great Year for Picture Books!

12/15/2015

12 Comments

By Carrie Charley Brown

Okay, okay... I know I said that the blog was taking a break until January, but I just had to share a few more great picture books with you. I'm sure you've heard lots of people say, "This was a great year for picture books!" And if you haven't, I'm here to say, "This was a great year for picture books!"

With SO MANY great books, it made my job as a Round 1 CYBILS Fiction Picture Book Panelist that much harder. Below are a few books that I deem to be fabulous mentor texts. My opinion is solely my own, and does not reflect our collective panel. One of my recommendations is not a CYBILS nominee at all. See? I told you this was a great year for picture books!

Click on the book cover to read the review!

Which 2015 picture books were helpful mentor texts for you this year?

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ReFoReMo 2016 is Coming- New & Improved

9/29/2015

11 Comments

When inspiration spoke to my heart and ReFoReMo planning began last January, my plan leapt into reality in three short months! I am thankful to have more reflection time for the 2016 second annual ReFoReMo Challenge next March. There are some exciting new changes heading your way.

Moving forward, ReFoReMo will be a fully shared partnership between myself and author Kirsti Call. Many of you already know that Kirsti and I have been writing partners for over two years. We both focus on picture book writing, and between the two of us, bring a wealth of knowledge from classes, craft writing books, conferences, and hands-on experience. We both actively blog on multiple sites and place great importance on giving back to the kidlit community. And most importantly, we both believe that reading and researching mentor texts is a transformative experience.

We’ve already secured the ReFoReMo author-educators for 2016 and we have a few surprises up our sleeves! The calendar will be posted in January and registration will open on February 15. To tide you over until then and continue supporting your research efforts, weekly posts will continue. Starting in October, Kirsti will feature an author study every 1st Monday and bonus links every 4th Thursday. I will continue to host a featured mentor text interview every 2nd Tuesday and present you with a new mentor text challenge every 3rd Tuesday.

To learn more about ReFoReMo or experience ReFoReMo 2015 all over again, click HERE. In order to receive updates about ReFoReMo, be sure to subscribe to this blog using the box on the right. We are pumped to support your picture book reading research!

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Ask Carrie (August Edition) + Bonus Links Worth Your While

8/27/2015

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Jen Garrett wants to know:
Do you read mentor texts to help you decide what tense to write in?

Carrie:
Since I write as a pantser most of the time, I normally just go with my gut and write. My hope is that what comes out on the page will be the most natural tense, but that is not always the case. Sometimes, it takes some experimenting. A simple tense change is not too hard to play with, as you can try a few lines here or there to get a feel for what is more natural. I can’t say that I use a mentor text to “decide” what tense to write in. However, I do use mentor texts to research how stellar stories feel in the right tense.

More than tense, I experiment with point of view. Some of my stories have several different versions, all in a different point of view. Experiencing the comparison first hand not only helps me hear what’s working as I read them all aloud, but also enables me to grow in the process.

Bonus Links

Writing in Sips and Gulps- from Carrie Charley Brown of Writer’s Rumpus
(Revision and professional development advice)

Making Science Sing: Writing creative nonfiction about science, for kids- from Christy Mahaly of GROG
(Awesome educational tips and mentor texts to understand creative nonfiction)

Give Your Tale a Twist- from Joyce Wan and the KidLit Summer School Faculty
(Super suggestions on using fiction mentor texts to study twists!)

Dog Adopts Man (and Other Role Reversals)- from Linda Ashman of Picture Book Builders
(Excellent fiction mentor text suggestions for role reversals!)

Do you have a question for me? Feel free to leave it in the comment section. Did you participate in ReFoReMo this year? I’d love to hear about your experience and how you are using mentor texts today. Check out the submission guidelines for the Revealing ReFoReMo series HERE.

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Revealing ReFoReMo: Carrie Charley Brown Examines QU-aracters

8/4/2015

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Memorable characters may be evil or fun or quirky. They could be sweet or different or unique. If you could have any performance role, who would you choose? Alice in Wonderland? I’ll pass. Give me The Mad Hatter. Harry Potter? No thanks. I’ll take Bellatrix Lestrange. When auditioning for theatrical roles as a child, I didn’t necessarily want the lead role- just the most fun. Oklahoma- I couldn’t decide whether Aunt Eller or Ado Annie was the most fun. I ended up with Aunt Eller. I didn’t want to play little orphan Annie, but instead, the tough flawed role of Pepper. Who stands out to you and what does this say about your writing?

I’m drawn to the quirky, flawed side. Aren’t we all? Just a little bit? It brings entertainment. And a picture book is one huge opportunity to entertain. Funny…with all of the amazing posts from our 2015 ReFoReMo challenge, we didn’t have one specifically written for characters. (Although, Susanna Leonard Hill did touch on this important topic in HER POST.)

So, let’s dig in! Right here, right now.

“Qu-aracters” with a Capital Quirk

A big round of applause for Cat from HERE COMES THE EASTER CAT!

Cat= Grumpy, jealous, a little bit devious= funny

In Cat's first book (Easter Cat), he is motivated to take action against the Easter Bunny and ends up [PARTIAL SPOLIER ALERT] transforming with a compassionate action by the end.

And Cat's quirkiness is catching, as he continues to be featured in new books.

On your feet for Mojo from BIG BAD BUBBLE!

Mojo= Paranoid, fearful, excitable, over-reactive= silly

Mojo is convinced that bubbles will attack all of the creatures of La La Land and ends up finding out that bubbles are harmless…but [SPOILER ALERT] butterflies are something else.

Mojo’s transformation is what I like to call…he learned something, but then worried himself into a tizzy again. Hilarious!

(And Adam Rubin leaves a "quirky stamp" on his other books, too.)

Standing ovation for CRANKENSTEIN!

Crankenstein= Complainer, moody, unpredictable= amusing, playful

Crankenstein is an ordinary boy until unfavorable events transform him to a breaking point…but [SPOILER ALERT] a similar friend is enough to bring a good mood.
Quaracters are catching, huh?

Recipe for Quirky Characters
Acquire generous helpings of unfavorable moods.
Mix in a unbelievable mission. [Examples: Payback Easter Bunny, spread disastrous news…]
Blend with funny, silly, or exaggerated actions.
Bake until transformation occurs.
Throw in a surprise ending.

Which characters have left an impression on you? Do you prefer quirky over sweet and innocent? Which performance role would you love to play? Why? Share your analysis below, then head over to Carrie On… Together to catch insider info on Mighty Media Press.

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Mentor Text Author Study: PETER BROWN, Author/Illustrator

7/3/2015

27 Comments

by Carrie Charley Brown

Do you know what it's like to walk a few hours in Peter Brown's shoes? I'd like to say I do. After all, Aaron Reynolds MADE me act and dress like Peter Brown during the 2014 NTX SCBWI Conference. Okay, so maybe that does not qualify me to REALLY walk in his shoes, but I have tried his picture books on for size, and they have taught me some valuable lessons about writing.

In preparation for the insight that Peter is bound to share at the first-ever online picture book conference, Picture Book Summit 2015, I decided to dig deeper with some intensive mentor text research. Would you like to join me? Let's examine the books he has both authored and illustrated, and see if we begin to grasp the it-factor he so boldly possesses.

Peter Brown: INTERPLAY COUNSELOR
Even in Peter's first releases, you will find perfect examples of leaving room for the illustration.

What you read in FLIGHT OF THE DODO's text (2005):
“Inventing a flying machine wasn’t easy, and the Waddlers tried one lousy idea… after another. But after months of slaving away, they finally came up with something they thought just might work. They called it the Dodo. The Waddlers said goodbye to the ground for the first time in their lives, and climbed in.”

What we actually see in the pictures:
The birds attempt to pump each other up with an air pump and try to launch into flight using ventilation fans. They create an invention that looks similar to a simplified hot air balloon. They pack their suitcases and prepare to take off.

Peter didn’t come right out and say, “They pumped each other up with hot air.” Just the hint of “one lousy idea after another” leaves lots of room for humorous illustrations. It MAKES the reader stop to take in the details of the illustrations. Art and words do si do for an unsquare dance that is outside of the box.

What you read in CHOWDER's text (2006):
“Chowder had always been different. His owners liked to think of him as quirky, but most people thought he was just plain weird.”

What we actually see in the picture:
Chowder the dog is sitting on the toilet seat doing his business.

Peter didn’t come right out and say, “Chowder was so different that he even used a toilet like humans do.” Peter's approach allows the reader to feel slightly more like a family member that can chuckle at Chowder's quirkiness, than an outsider thinking he is "just plain weird." Right then, we are vested in the story. We become part of it. Peter's interplay not only corralled the words and art, but us, too!

Peter Brown: MESSAGE MASTER
Peter builds on themes that kids really relate to, and he does it without shoving a lesson down their throats. The magic behind his method is linking us directly to a character’s heart and experience.

THE CURIOUS GARDEN (2009)-
Underlying Theme: When we care enough about something, we can prompt change.
Liam is a curious, thoughtful child who transforms a dull, gray city into a lush, cooperative environment. We relate to Liam's innocence and think, “If he can do it, so can I.” Liam’s efforts change the hearts of the characters around him. We see a community coming together before our eyes, not even realizing that we have become one of the team members, too.

YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND! (2011)-
Underlying Theme: When you are genuine, friendship will find you at just the right time.
Lucy is an eager, excitable bear who desires to make a new friend. Mom shows her support of Lucy’s goal, and then Lucy takes it upon herself to initiate contact and deal with her failed friendships throughout the rest of the story. Through Lucy’s words and actions, it is evident that Peter Brown had a real grasp on the social interactions of young children. The child reader will think, “That has happened to me!” Instant relatability turns into rereadability. Without realizing it, the rereading creates learning and confident kids who are ready to tackle the ups and downs of friendship on their own. Genius.

Peter Brown: CONCEPT KING
Peter excels at flipping ideas on their heads, which results in original concepts.

CHILDREN MAKE TERRIBLE PETS (2010)-
Peter doesn’t just write a book about a child wanting a pet. Instead, a bear wants to keep a child as a pet.

MR. TIGER GOES WILD (2013)-
Peter doesn’t just write about a child who wants to break out of the acceptable social standards. Instead, a humanized tiger desires to let lose and be a wild animal.

MY TEACHER IS A MONSTER (NO, I AM NOT.) (2014)-
Peter doesn’t just write about a mean teacher. Instead, the teacher is portrayed as an actual monster.

When an idea is turned inside out, the door is open for humor to waltz right in. Wouldn’t you like to learn from an interplay counselor, message master, and concept king? You can start by checking out Peter’s books. As you study, keep in mind that sometimes it takes 3-5 reads of a story to fully appreciate and grasp everything that is happening. Reading for research is a slow process of deep thinking and dissection. Enjoy the process, and when you are done, you might even consider joining me as an online attendee at the Picture Book Summit. I can't wait to learn directly from Peter, and I am so pumped that I can do that from the comfort of my own home.