Blog Posts

ReFoReMo Day 22: Deborah Underwood Corresponds with Opportunities

3/22/2016

By Deborah Underwood

In studying correspondence-based picture books, I found numerous possibilities: one single letter, one-way correspondence, back-and-forth letters between two characters, letters between many different characters, and letters used in combination with a narrative (like my favorite, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type).

Few picture books use this potentially-tricky format—to me, that indicates an opportunity!

Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, Illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett
Dear Mrs. LaRue Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart, Illustrated by David Small
Dear Tabby by Carolyn Crimi, Illustrated by David Roberts

Chronicle Books is giving away a copy of Interstellar Cinderella to one lucky winner at the conclusion of ReFoReMo. Thank you, Chronicle! To be eligible, you must be a fully registered participant, comment on every post, read daily, and keep records of your progress.

Deborah Underwood is the author of numerous picture books, including Interstellar Cinderella, The Quiet Book, Here Comes Valentine Cat, and the forthcoming Good Night, Baddies. Please visit her online at DeborahUnderwoodBooks.com.

210 Comments

ReFoReMo Day 21: Debbie Ridpath Ohi Considers Reader Experience

3/21/2016

264 Comments

by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

One of the most important things I’ve learned as a picture book writer and illustrator is consider READER EXPERIENCE into account when creating stories.

Here are some examples to show what I mean:

1. WON TON AND CHOPSTICK by Lee Wardlaw and Eugene Yeltsin

This tale of a cat and a dog is told in haiku and enormously fun to read aloud, full of humor, natural-sounding. WHAT I GLEAN: Always read my work out loud to myself.

2. LOCOMOTIVE by Brian Floca

At 64 pages, Locomotive is longer than most picture books but the length is perfect for the combo of rich prose and gorgeously detailed artwork, packed with a ton of fascinating info in both the text and illustrations. WHAT I GLEAN: It’s good to be aware of publishing standards and rules, especially if you are new to the business, but don’t be afraid of experimenting with new reader experiences.

3. THE DARK by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen

I was genuinely scared when I read this picture book! WHAT I GLEAN: It’s ok to be dark and edgy in a picture book. It’s also okay to have a young reader feel scared, as long as the ending comforts, and brings them back to a safe place.

4. THIS IS SADIE by Sara O’Leary and Julie Morstad

So inspired by the perfect partnership of text and illustration in this book from beginning to end, showing how Sadie can become anything or anyone she wants to be. WHAT I GLEAN: Think about how I want the reader to feel at the end of my book.

5. FOX AND SQUIRREL MAKE A FRIEND by Ruth Ohi

Yes, Ruth is my sister! But I genuinely admire her writing as well as illustrating, and her FOX AND SQUIRREL MAKE A FRIEND is no exception. I loved how the friendship between Fox and Squirrel evolved in this story. WHAT I GLEAN: Make the readers care about what happens to your characters.

Debbie is giving a signed copy of WHERE ARE MY BOOKS? To be eligible, you must live in North America, be a fully registered participant, comment on this post, read daily, and keep records of your progress.

Debbie Ridpath Ohi is a children’s book writer and illustrator whose illustrations have appeared in books by Judy Blume and Michael Ian Black. She is author/illustrator of WHERE ARE MY BOOKS? (Simon & Schuster BFYR). Find her at DebbieOhi.com and on Twitter at @inkyelbows.

264 Comments

ReFoReMo Day 19: Kirsti Calls the Doctor

3/19/2016

231 Comments

by Kirsti Call (and a special guest)

Reading stellar picture books and interacting with the ReFoReMo community has me inspired! I love figuring out what works and thinking deeply about why I like some picture books more than others. Fantastic illustrations are essential and as writers we have to acknowledge their importance. There’s a lot we can learn by studying the interplay between words and pictures. Here are some questions that I ask myself:

1. How does the text alone make me want to turn the page? How about the illustration?

2. How does the text leave things unsaid in a way that allows the pictures to help propel the action?

3. What words infuse emotion into the story and give the illustrator an opportunity for vivid interpretations?

4. How do the illustrations enhance the written word, and how can I apply these lessons to my writing?

As I reflect on illustrations, I wonder what an illustrator would think...so I make a call.

“Hello? Is this the doctor? I have an emergency! Is this Dr. Mira Reisberg?" Thankfully, it is!

Kirsti: What exactly should illustrators consider when transitioning from study to studio?

Dr. Mira Reisberg: The key is to have fun with it and pay attention to what you like or don't like so that you can learn from it. I hope the following reflection questions help:

1. How does the illustrator show emotion through body language, expression, and color?

2. Do they have a recognizable color palette throughout the book that helps convey the overall mood of the books?

3. What does the illustrator do to make her or his contributions fresh and original and do they complement or extend the text? If so how?

4. How does the illustrator mix it up to have different compositions on each spread that play with scale, point of view, balance, and perspective?

Thank you Dr. Mira! After reviewing Dr. Mira's questions, I realize that even those of us who aren't illustrators can benefit from thinking like one. Dr. Mira kind of saved the day, didn't she?

Mira is giving away her course, The Hero's Art Journey. This is an incredible course for anyone who is interested in exploring their artistic self! Thank you, Mira! To be eligible, you must be a fully registered participant, comment on this post, read daily, and keep records of your progress.

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.

Mira Reisberg has helped MANY authors and illustrators get published. She has worn just about every hat in the industry including art director, editor, award-winning illustrator and author, kid lit university professor, and literary agent. Mira holds a PhD in Education and Cultural Studies with a focus on children's literature. She is also the Director of the innovative online school Children’s Book Academy. Mira will be co-teaching the highly successful Craft and Business of Writing Children's Picture Books with Random House Editor Kelly Delaney in May. To find out more and receive early access click here:http://bit.ly/yourCBAtribe. Mira is also working on an on-demand and in-demand Writing and Illustrating Graphic Novels course that should also be lots of fun.

231 Comments

ReFoReMo Day 18: Kristy Dempsey Connects History to the Heart

3/18/2016

331 Comments

by Kristy Dempsey

Historical fiction can be tricky for young readers. While many love to read about historical events, if there is no context for the reader’s life in the contemporary here-and-now, the story runs the risk of feeling too distant.

For A DANCE LIKE STARLIGHT, I wanted to tell the story of an actual historical event through the eyes of a young African-American girl, so I knew I wanted my story to be in first-person. There were certainly many books I used for research about Janet Collins’s performances with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, but once it came time to shape the actual event into a story, there were several mentor texts that helped me to achieve the emotional resonance I wanted for today’s reader. In writing this story, I realized that so much of the emotional resonance we feel comes from specific details in the text that ground us and connect our real-life world to the world of the main character. Four books served to mentor me in developing specific aspects of this story.

1. Coming on Home Soon by Jaqueline Woodson

Showing the emotional connection of the main character´s relationships
connects the contemporary reader to the past through imagining his or her own relationships in that context.

“Mama’s hands are warm and soft. When she put her Sunday dress into the satchel, I held my breath. Tried hard not to cry.”

2. When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant

Sensory details pull the contemporary reader into the story’s physical
environment.
“When I was young in the mountains, Grandfather came home in the evening covered with the black dust of a coal mine. Only his lips were clean, and he used them to kiss the top of my head.”

(I also love how this example uses sensory details to reveal something about the characters’ relationships as well.)

3. When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan

Voice gives the contemporary reader a sense of time and place. In historical fiction, one aspect of voice is vocabulary and phrasing that reflects the time period.

“As Viola sang the high part and Marian sang the low, their harmony blended like a silk braid… Church folk started whispering and followed with out-and-out talking about Marian’s remarkable gift.”

4. Willie and the All-Stars by Floyd Cooper

Physical details work like blocking cues in a script to allow the reader to
“stage” himself as the main character within the story.

“A trip to the store quickly became a series of stolen bases from the curb to the lamppost to the fire hydrant to the mailbox until he slid – SAFE!—at home without breaking an egg.”

(My editor sent me an early copy of Willie and the All-Stars as I was revising A Dance Like Starlight. At that point, my story was all emotion and tension as it related to my main character’s dream of becoming a ballerina. The reader had no idea what her surroundings were. Floyd’s story served to mentor me toward providing physical details on which to hang my main characters aspirations.)

Kristy is giving her first book, ME WITH YOU and one copy of her forthcoming book SUPERHERO INSTRUCTION MANUAL to two separate winners. Thank you, Kristy! To be eligible, you must be a fully registered participant, comment on this post, read daily, and keep records of your progress.

Kristy Dempsey grew up in South Carolina and now works as a teacher-librarian in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, a bustling city of 5 million people. She is the author of Me with You (Philomel), Mini Racer (Bloomsbury), Surfer Chick (Abrams) and A Dance Like Starlight (Philomel), a JLG selection, ALA Notable Book, Bank Street Best of 2015, CCBC 2015 Choice, and the winner of the 2015 Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text. Four more picture books will publish in 2016, including Superhero Instruction Manual (Knopf, May 2016), a guidebook for the youngest aspiring heroes.

331 Comments

ReFoReMo Day 17: Liz Garton Scanlon Creates Balance

3/17/2016

195 Comments

By Liz Garton Scanlon

When I read picture books, I’m looking for the ones that include all the right words, but none of the extra, unnecessary ones, the ones that make the illustrator superfluous and the children bored. To me, the most magical of picture book texts leave space … for the illustrator to tell her own story, the reader to breathe, and the child to imagine.

Liz is giving away a signed copy of her book, Think Big! Thank you Liz! To be eligible, you must be a fully registered participant, comment on this post, read daily, and keep records of your progress.

Liz Garton Scanlon is the author of many beloved books for children including the Caldecott-honored picture book ALL THE WORLD and her debut middle-grade novel THE GREAT GOOD SUMMER, among others. Liz reads and writes at home in Austin, Texas.

195 Comments

ReFoReMo Day 16: Carrie Gelson Celebrates Girl Power

3/17/2016

221 Comments

By Carrie Gelson

Characters impact their readers. They reveal ways to be strong. Ways to be wise. Say hello to creative, introspective, determined girls. Girls who are independent thinkers and make their own way in the world. Celebrate these books that inspire young readers to be problem solvers. Sometimes quiet planning and original thinking are as important as big and bold moves.

Marilyn's Monster by Michelle Knudsen, with illustrations by Matt Phelan

Julia's House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke

Sparky! by Jenny Offill, with illustrations by Chris Appelhans

Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki, with illustrations by Qin Leng

Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller, with illustrations by Anne Wilsdorf

Carrie Gelson teaches Grades 2 and 3 in Vancouver B.C. She is always looking for ways to share the love of reading with her students and shares highlights of her reading and teaching journey on her blog There’s a book for that.

221 Comments

ReFoReMo Day 15: Corey Rosen Schwartz Rolls out the Red Carpet on Rhyme

3/16/2016

210 Comments

By Corey Rosen Schwartz

It’s hard to find picture books with stellar rhyme. Stories where the words flow so seamlessly that you forget to focus on reading it “correctly” but instead get mesmerized by the savory sounds- the rhythm, the alliteration, the assonance, the internal rhymes. Books like these are a treasure for the tongue!

Corey is giving away a signed copy of her book, What About Moose? This is a great rhyming mentor texts! Thank you, Corey! To be eligible, you must be a fully registered participant, comment on this post, read daily, and keep records of your progress.

Corey Rosen Schwartz is the author of several rhyming picture books and fractured fairy tales. Corey has no formal ninja training, but she sure can kick butt in Scrabble. She lives with three Knuckleheads in Warren, NJ.

210 Comments

ReFoReMo Day 14: Matthew Winner THINKS Like a Reader

3/15/2016

226 Comments

By Matthew Winner

Nothing makes writing stronger than reading a bunch of stellar books. Especially when those books challenge the way you think about writing. Here are five I love to think about because they challenge the reader to think about themselves and reveal something to the reader about themselves that they may not have noticed or thought about prior to picking up the book.

1. A NEED for COMPANIONSHIP
Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead

2. ACCEPTANCE of CIRCUMSTANCE
Little Tree by Loren Long

3. POETIC HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
Swan by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Julie Morstad

4. WHIMSY and REALISM HAND-IN-HAND
Home by Carson Ellis

5. PERSEVERANCE of CHARACTER
Max the Brave by Ed Vere

Happy reading! May you be inspired in myriad ways to create wonder for our readers!

Matthew is giving away a picture book critique to 3 lucky winners! Thanks, Matthew! To be eligible for this prize, you must be fully registered, comment on every post, read daily, and keep a record of your progress.

Matthew Winner is an elementary school teacher librarian in Elkridge, MD. He's the host of Let's Get Busy, a weekly kidlit podcast , and The Best Book Ever [this week], a weekly kidlit book review podcast. Matthew is represented by Danielle Smith of Red Fox Literary. Follow Matthew on Twitter at @MatthewWinner or visit www.allthewonders.com.

226 Comments

ReFoReMo Day 12: Alayne Kay Christian Reflects on Bridging the Gap from Reading to Writing

3/12/2016

411 Comments

By Alayne Kay Christian

Thanks to Carrie and Kirsti for inviting me to participate in ReFoReMo 2016 as faculty. This event leaves the kid lit writing community with valuable go-to resources all year round, and I am honored to be a part of it.

When analyzing mentor texts or your own work, it’s important to look deeper than the surface.

There are many ways to engage readers. Here are four questions that will help:

What expectations do opening sentences create in your mind?
What words, images, or punctuation techniques entice you to turn each page?
What are the unanswered questions that urge you to continue reading?
Does the ending fulfill your expectations by answering all your questions and tying up

loose ends? If so, how?

Alayne is giving away one scholarship for her brand new course: Art of Arc; How to Analyze Your Picture Book Manuscript! This course will help your story sing! Thanks Alayne! To be eligible, you must be a fully registered participant, comment on this post, read daily, and keep records of your progress.

Alayne Kay Christian is the award-winning author of Butterfly Kisses for Grandma and Grandpa, a life coach, and teacher of Art of Arc: How to Analyze Your Picture Book Manuscript (deepen your understanding of picture books written with a classic arc).

411 Comments

ReFoReMo Day 11: Editor Shari Dash Greenspan Relies on Read-Aloud-Ability

3/11/2016

232 Comments

By Shari Dash Greenspan

For over 25 years, I’ve been the Story Hour lady at our local library where I read six to eight picture books to a small crowd of 4-8 year olds. The kids then vote for their favorite. Contrary to the high concept, low word-count picture books popular these days, their favorites are almost inevitably longer books with more involved story lines. Each of the five books below was voted ‘best loved’ by my little listeners, and all share what I call ‘read-aloud-ability.’ What do they have in common? An opening that instantly draws kids in, multiple characters whose dialogue can be read in varied voices, a riveting plot, excellent pacing, humor (whether laugh-out-loud or the quieter sort), strong emotional pull, and a satisfying conclusion. Fantasy creatures are always a draw (three of these include a witch, monster, or giant), but even without a magical element, intriguing plot and stellar writing can yield a winning read-aloud.

Heckedy Peg by Audrey and Don Wood. 1020 words.

This tale of a witch who turns seven children into seven types of food is my all-time favorite read-aloud. Can their clever mother break the spell? I have the kids practice speaking in the witch’s voice before I begin, so I don’t scare them silly.

Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran, illustrated by Barbara Cooney. 853 words.

This seemingly quiet book about friends who turn a rock-covered hill into an imaginary town is always completely captivating.

I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll, illustrated by Howard McWilliam. 1153 words.

The perfect balance of giggles and shivers, plus five different monster voices.

Ira Sleeps Over written and illustrated by Bernard Waber. 1187 words.

Should Ira bring his teddy bear to his first sleep-over? Kids completely relate to this character and his predicament. Kid-true dialogue makes them laugh out loud.

Abiyoyo by Pete Seeger, illustrated by Michael Hays.
629 words.

Has all of the features mentioned above, and the added allure of a sing-along refrain.

Shari Dash Greenspan is the editor and art director of Flashlight Press, a small indie publisher specializing in picture books, founded in 2004, and distributed by IPG. Among their terrific titles are I Need My Monster, When a Dragon Moves In, When a Dragon Moves In Again, Maddi’s Fridge, Dragon and Captain, and Too Much Glue. www.FlashlightPress.com