ReFoReMo Day 17: Liz Garton Scanlon Creates Balance

3/17/2016

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

Sharon Giltrow

3/17/2016 01:27:23 am

Thank you for the excellent mentor texts Liz I am really enjoying reading all the books and love how different people suggest the same book but for a different reason e.g If you want to see a whale.

Liz Garton Scanlon link

3/17/2016 10:19:21 am

The good books work in all sorts of ways, don't they?

Maria Marshall

3/17/2016 02:26:44 am

Thank you Liz. I love the idea of leaving space "for the reader to breathe, and the child to imagine." We always hear leave room for the illustrator, but I like the idea of a space beyond the words, spurred (but not contained) by the illustrations, where our imaginations soar to far off wonders. I'm putting those words by my computer. :-)

Liz Garton Scanlon link

3/17/2016 10:20:40 am

Oh, good. Glad that resonated. I think it's helpful to imagine ourselves past the creative and crafting stages and into the sharing stage....

Katelyn Aronson

3/17/2016 04:34:22 am

"All the right words, but none of the extra." True! In poetry and picture books: brevity creates room for beauty. Thank you, Liz.

Liz Garton Scanlon link

3/17/2016 10:21:10 am

Thank you!

Sara Gentry

3/17/2016 05:14:42 am

Thank you for the suggestions. I appreciate sparse text in non-fiction, such as The Iridescence of Birds. It is a gentle way to introduce my five-year-old daughter to new ideas.

Liz Garton Scanlon link

3/17/2016 10:21:40 am

Isn't that a LOVELY book???

Denise Engle

3/17/2016 06:04:31 am

Thanks, Liz, for the reminder of how important it is for the writer to leave space for the illustrator to add to the story! I love the mentor texts you chose for this blog post, especially One Day!

Liz Garton Scanlon link

3/17/2016 10:22:20 am

That book is such a pleasure, isn't it?

Michele Manning

3/17/2016 06:20:38 am

Looking forward to reading these- thanks Liz!

Mary Warth

3/17/2016 06:34:54 am

Thanks Liz! The simple beauty of space is a good thing.

Joy Main

3/17/2016 06:35:28 am

Thank you Liz. Even the cover illustration of The Iridescence Of Birds draws me right in and sets the imagination alight. Can't wait to read these books.

Nancy Rimar

3/17/2016 06:50:33 am

Thanks Liz. Looking forward to reading the books on your list.

Terri DeGezelle link

3/17/2016 06:58:32 am

I enjoyed discovering these books it is not easy telling a story the reader will want to read over and over again with as few words as these titles. These are great examples. Thanks you.

MD Knabb

3/17/2016 07:02:59 am

Leaving space to imagine-a lovely way of thinking about words counts, positive instead of negative. Thanks, Liz.

Rebecca Colby

3/17/2016 07:06:13 am

Leaving space can be so difficult but is so necessary. I look forward to checking out these recommendations. Thanks, Liz!

Chana Stiefel link

3/17/2016 07:11:54 am

Breathing & imagining! Got it! :)
Great mentor texts. Thank you!

Linda Schueler

3/17/2016 07:12:57 am

Good point: leave room for the child to imagine.

Val McCammon

3/17/2016 07:22:06 am

Excellent advice re: "leave room"; thanks for these great examples, Liz.

Patricia Nozell

3/17/2016 07:26:15 am

Love the idea of leaving space for the child to imagine, Liz. Thank you!

Karla Valenti

3/17/2016 07:28:49 am

This is one of the things that makes PB writing so different from other genres: every single word counts and has to play a part in telling the story. By the same token, every word unspoken, every empty space, every brushstroke does the same. Thank you for such great mentor text recommendations!

Lisa Connors link

3/17/2016 07:37:08 am

Thanks Liz. I'm looking forward to reading these books through your lens.

Joan Swanson

3/17/2016 07:49:20 am

Thank you for the list of books. It helps us Newbies!

Donna Cangelosi link

3/17/2016 07:50:57 am

Lovely selection of books, Liz! I love your ideas about leaving space for the illustrator, reader and child. Thank you!

maria gianferrari link

3/17/2016 08:09:13 am

Thanks for the great recommendations, Liz!

I haven't been able to get my hands on One, Day, but I love Rebecca's poetry.

Tanya Konerman link

3/17/2016 08:21:29 am

I LOVE books that accomplish what you've talked about. They have that perfect balance. Thanks for the great recommendations!

Cathy Mealey

3/17/2016 08:25:24 am

Love, love, love IRISDESCENCE. Must go re-read that one right this second! Thanks Liz.

PatHaap

3/17/2016 08:25:39 am

All the right words and none of the extras - hard to do, but so very true!

Diane Asyre

3/17/2016 08:26:18 am

The most harmonious approach reminds me of lyrics and tune - one does not overtake the other.

Andrea Mack link

3/17/2016 08:29:36 am

I love it when reader imagination takes off because of story! Thanks for the inspiring book list!

Karen Brady link

3/17/2016 08:31:16 am

I love today's topic and mentor texts! So far, I've read I Wish You More, The Iridescence of Birds, and If You Want to See a Whale. They're wonderful examples of how pictures play an important role in the process of storytelling. I think the best picturebooks achieve a perfect balance between written story and visual story, and have the breathing room you speak of which allows readers to weave the two together in their own way.

Kathy Halsey

3/17/2016 08:32:43 am

Kids need places and spaces to imagine so much more because of the world they live in. Great mentor choices.

Sherry Howard link

3/17/2016 08:40:16 am

Great mentor texts! It's so good to see another PB writer who does MG, too!

Brook Gideon link

3/17/2016 08:40:42 am

Liz, thank you for the wonderful examples of leaving space. It is such an important lesson in writing for all of the reasons you listed. The mentor texts were fabulous!

Robin Currie link

3/17/2016 08:46:07 am

Sometimes after writing, I reduce the story ito dialog only and then add back only what details are needed.

Deborah Allmand

3/17/2016 08:47:45 am

Liz, wonderful advice. Leaving space for illustrators to imagine and readers to breathe. Thanks for the post and great prize.

joanne sher link

3/17/2016 08:48:41 am

Love and so NEED this reminder. These are so clever. Thank you so very much!!

Alice Fulgione

3/17/2016 08:51:15 am

Thanks, Liz! If You Want To See A Whale was a very cute book. I'm looking forward to reading the other choices.

Linda Chavez

3/17/2016 08:56:24 am

Thank you! I'm looking forward to reading these selections. This is one of my biggest challenges, as a writer. Shaving off all of those unnecessary words words words, and more words!!

Amy Murrell

3/17/2016 08:56:29 am

Some of my favorites are in your suggested mentor text list, Liz. I love your idea about leaving room to breathe. I really think that helps the story come alive. Thanks - Amy

Melanie Ellsworth

3/17/2016 08:57:41 am

Thank you for this list, Liz. I'm glad to discover a few that I haven't yet read. In I WISH YOU MORE, I enjoyed lines like, "I wish you more ups than downs;" they open up so much space for the illustrator and for the child to wonder. I don't know if Amy uses any art notes; it would be interesting to know how she and Tom collaborate after completing many projects together.

Melissa Rutigliano link

3/17/2016 09:05:02 am

These books make me realize just how fun an illustrator's job could be! Ha! What an adventure it is to be taken through a book where the art tells so much of the story.
Sometimes, with so many books, the art and the text work so well together that I have to wonder whether or not it was a collaboration, or just an interpretation.

Tina Cho link

3/17/2016 09:07:28 am

Great advice. I love these books. Thanks!

Lori Gravley link

3/17/2016 09:17:14 am

I love this list. I'd never read Julie Fogliano before and now I've ordered all her books from the library. Thank you!

Anita Jones link

3/17/2016 09:18:55 am

Thanks Liz for your suggested books and information. I find that the more I revise a manuscript (sometimes up to 10 times!!) I can always cut some words...and not lose my intent! As an illustrator, I always want to tell my story with the images, but have to realize that my words are equally important...so the word "balance" will be posted in my studio!! Thanks!

Natalie Rompella link

3/17/2016 09:27:39 am

I always wonder how the editor "sees" the books with few words when it's not an author/illustrator.

Traci Bold link

3/17/2016 09:27:52 am

ONE DAY, THE END is the perfect book to show how important the middle is and that the illustrations can handle all of it on their own. Clever book. Great post Liz!

Beverly Marsh

3/17/2016 09:29:25 am

Thanks for reminding writers to leave space for the illustrator and for the reader's imagination.

Stephanie Gray

3/17/2016 09:32:04 am

Such a great group of books. Especially impressed with The Iridescence of Birds. And always amazed with the work that Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld continue to do together.

Brenda Huante

3/17/2016 09:37:09 am

Thank you for your excellent suggestions, Liz. I look forward to reading the books on your list.

Monique Wakefield

3/17/2016 09:37:22 am

Excellent advice! We often forget about what the illustrator will bring to the story when writing:)

Maria Johnson

3/17/2016 09:43:09 am

The Iridescence of Birds is a marvel of a PB biography, to convey so much with such spare text complimented with such lovely illustrations.

Ellen Leventhal

3/17/2016 09:43:33 am

Thanks, Liz! I really like how you say these books leave room for the "reader to breathe and the child to imagine." Well said! I see you live in Austin. I love Austin! I live in Houston and get to Austin fairly often. Thanks again!

Shelley Kinder

3/17/2016 09:46:34 am

Love these recommendations! Thanks! I'm always trying to find that perfect balance between keeping words to a minimum, but yet not so minimal that it loses its flare. Not easy.

Anita Banks

3/17/2016 09:55:27 am

Thank you for the suggestions.

Sue Heavenrich

3/17/2016 09:56:25 am

One Day is all about leaving room for illustrations - and imagination. These are all wonderful books, and great reminders of how to leave room for the pictures to carry half the story (or in the case of One Day - much of the story). Can't wait to read Think Big.

Cecilia

3/17/2016 09:57:19 am

Looking forward to paying close attention to balance through these books, especially The Iridescence Of Birds. Thanks for the suggestions.

Sue Poduska

3/17/2016 10:00:29 am

These look like great examples. Thanks!

Leah Heilman Schanke

3/17/2016 10:06:47 am

I WISH YOU MORE is so heartwarming and sweet! I find the poetic language to be deceptively simple. Thank you!

AJ Irving link

3/17/2016 10:21:42 am

Great mentor texts! Thank you, Liz!

Marianne Kuzujanakis link

3/17/2016 10:32:30 am

All beautiful PB mentor texts!
I love your own ALL THE WORLD too, Liz!
Thanks for the reminder to let imagination find its breathing places.

Mary Worley

3/17/2016 10:35:52 am

Thanks for the great examples. I have the hardest time finding the balance.

Laura Renauld

3/17/2016 10:36:51 am

Such an important thing to remember in our genre. Thanks for reminding us to leave room for imagination!

Amy

3/17/2016 10:40:30 am

Haiku poetry is the perfect text for children, because haiku, by its very brevity, contains "white spaces" that invite the illustrator to "fill in" the words visually, thus creating a complete story that prompts reflection and imagination. It's the perfect pairing. This is why I hope to find a home for my late mother's haiku book for children. This gives me renewed hope!

Rita Lorraine Hubbard link

3/17/2016 10:42:39 am

Hi Liz, thanks for these recommendations. Finding that balance between "enough words to enthuse the publisher and not too many so that I stifle the illustrator" is something I've been working on for a while. Can't wait to see how these authors do it. :)

darlene koppel link

3/17/2016 10:43:35 am

Thank you for the book suggestions and tips. Very good points!

Lori Dubbin

3/17/2016 10:44:22 am

These are wonderful mentor texts. I especially love THE IRIDESCENCE OF BIRDS. Thank you for your post about the iridescence of WORDS, which happens perhaps when the right balance is struck.

Angela Turner

3/17/2016 10:45:14 am

I love it when authors and illustrators can communicate so much with so few words. It makes the writing look easy but actually I think it is more difficult. Each word carries a bigger load and has to be perfect. Thank you for these great recommendations.

Tracey Brown

3/17/2016 10:48:47 am

Room for imagination...love it! Great suggestions, thank you

Vicki Reinhardt

3/17/2016 11:03:24 am

"...leave space … for the illustrator to tell her own story, the reader to breathe, and the child to imagine." What great advice! And thank you for the book recommendations, too! =)

Sherri Jones Rivers link

3/17/2016 11:07:24 am

I am waiting on two of these, but I enjoyed the three I got to read. Just listened to a podcast on rhyming picture books and heard Rebecca Dotlich talk about the inspiration for One Day. One idea morphed into another, they chose the best ones, and then the illustrator got to do his thing. So neat to hear the story behind the story.

Linda Hofke

3/17/2016 11:08:27 am

I Wish You More is a lovely book. The only other one I've read on this list is Is Mommy? That one wasn't really my thing.

I'm off to go find the other books!

Anne Appert link

3/17/2016 11:08:48 am

Love this advice! If you want to see a whale is one of my favorites. The text is beautiful, and yet still leaves space for beautiful illustrations. Great advice, thanks so much for the post.

Annette B. Pimentel link

3/17/2016 11:18:58 am

Is Mommy? was new to me. I loved watching the story unfold quite separate from the (wonderful) words.

Gabrielle Snyder link

3/17/2016 11:22:09 am

Thanks for the awesome mentor text suggestions, Liz. I love the idea of leaving room for the child's imagination.

Cheryl Kim

3/17/2016 11:25:43 am

What a great reminder- to leave space for both the illustrator AND the child's imagination. Thank you, Liz!

Sheri Radovich

3/17/2016 11:28:40 am

I was able to find 4 of the 5 books and I wondered about how much more the illustrator would need, like illustration notes of any kind. Didn't find One Day at bookstore or library system. Going back to Linda Ashman's site helped see how you send a manuscript with less than 90 words in and speak to an illustrator. Thanks for these new titles.

Carol Nelson

3/17/2016 11:29:29 am

I love I Wish You More! I've been giving it to all of the new parents I know. Perfect for parents and children.

Christie Allred link

3/17/2016 11:32:30 am

I haven't read any of these until I saw them here. Thanks for the suggestions :)

Lydia Lukidis link

3/17/2016 11:41:53 am

Great post. Though I still struggle with whittling down my stories ;)

Marlene Rohr link

3/17/2016 11:44:10 am

Thanks Liz, these are great mentor text suggestions. I am learning so much from this month of PB research about the interaction between text and illustrations, and how often "less is more" when it comes to both aspects of a PB.

Mary Jo Wagner

3/17/2016 11:50:55 am

I often try to think like an illustrator because he/she will elevate the story to unimaginable heights. Thanks for giving me more examples to learn this important skill.

Angie Quantrell

3/17/2016 11:56:13 am

Yet another fantastic day of information and picture books! Thanks so much for sharing with us, Liz. Happy writing and reading! :)

Lynn Davidson link

3/17/2016 11:56:50 am

I haven't read any of these books yet, but the library has two of them for me to pick up. I'm excited to spend time in them. Thanks for the suggestions, Liz.

Judy Cooper link

3/17/2016 11:59:01 am

Thank you for introducing me to The Iridescence of Birds. The illustration technique of relief printing in this book is quite captivating.

Jena Benton

3/17/2016 11:59:28 am

Great examples! Thank you.

Shari Della Penna link

3/17/2016 12:15:10 pm

Your examples bring home my life philosophy: Balance in all things. Easy to say and hard to do. Now I'm thinking of picture books as perfect triangles writer, illustrator and reader--each providing a leg.

Charlotte Dixon

3/17/2016 12:19:19 pm

Thank you, Liz, for the examples of just enough words and room for illustrations.

Sharon Putnam

3/17/2016 12:25:56 pm

Thank you for such terrific suggestions, Liz. I love the idea of leaving space in picture books “for the illustrator to tell his/her own story, the reader to breathe, and the child to imagine.”

I fell in love with The Iridescence of Birds the first time I read it.

Therese Nagi

3/17/2016 12:28:47 pm

Liz thanks for suggestion to be mindful of the word usage and leaving room for the illustrator.

Meena

3/17/2016 12:34:25 pm

That's very true - Eric Carle's books are proof for that! I love the white space reminding us to go run wild with our imagination. Thanks for the suggestion.

Sue Ganz-Schmitt link

3/17/2016 12:37:30 pm

Thanks so much Liz. I have found two new favorites from this list. One Day and I Wish You More. I can't help but wonder what the manuscript for One Day looked like! Were there lots of illustration notes, or was it left completely open for the illustrator!?

Melissa Stoller link

3/17/2016 12:48:44 pm

Thanks, Liz! I love your advice to "include all the right words but none of the extra." Remembering to pare down words and to omit the unnecessary is so helpful when trying to craft a tight and meaningful story.

debra daugherty

3/17/2016 01:02:17 pm

Thanks, Liz, for posting. I like your choices. I like how the authors work with the illustrators with just enough words and just enough space to hold a child's interest.

Megan Taraszkiewicz

3/17/2016 01:06:05 pm

Thank you for this post! I especially loved how One Day, The End left so much room for the illustrator-perfect!

Emily J

3/17/2016 01:13:21 pm

Excellent post Liz! I love all the books you recommended

Ann Magee

3/17/2016 01:21:33 pm

Thanks, Liz. As PB writers, we often hear about leaving room for the illustrators. But we don't hear "leave room for the reader to breathe, to imagine." Love this :)

Mona Pease

3/17/2016 01:27:38 pm

Thanks Liz. Great advice-Leave space!

debbie mccue

3/17/2016 01:31:23 pm

Thanks for your post, Liz. You point out very good reasons for leaving space. I love the idea of giving more space to leave room for the child to imagine. I have found that picture books with less text allows me to engage the listener in discussion about the story.

Susie Sawyer link

3/17/2016 01:53:39 pm

I feel like I've had an epiphany this past year, about the balance between me as an author and the illustrator. I've found it incredibly helpful to view the text of a mentor pb without the illustrations. It give a whole new view of the story, as it should be submitted for publishing. It's amazing how much truly should be left to the illustrator.

Thank you Liz - I like how you think: "...for the illustrator to tell her own story, the reader to breathe, and the child to imagine." :)

Sandra Jenkins

3/17/2016 02:00:35 pm

Ahh. The space where magic happens.

Shelley B Marshall

3/17/2016 02:06:11 pm

I am going back to revise with your inspiration in mind.....fewer well chosen words can make a wonderful read leaving room for imagining by the illustrator and the reader .
I like that!

Juliana Lee link

3/17/2016 02:07:59 pm

Kids need room to grow into who they're going to be. Great picture books help them do just that. Liz, I loved your book. Read it last year and it left a great impression on me.

Mike Karg link

3/17/2016 02:08:04 pm

“A word is worth one coin, silence is worth two”
― Chaim Potok, The Chosen

carole calladine

3/17/2016 02:58:08 pm

Thank you, Liz. Leaving room to breathe is such good advice--for the child, illustrator, and author. Thank you for sharing some of your favorites who create that space.

Pam Jones-Nill

3/17/2016 03:04:36 pm

Thank you. I'm looking forward to reading the books on your list!

Jilanne Hoffmann

3/17/2016 03:13:31 pm

Room to breathe. I love that metaphor. Room to imagine. Room to create. Room to make their own mark. So important!

Manju Howard

3/17/2016 03:19:05 pm

Thanks, Liz! I just rewrote a PB with "leaving space" in mind - cut all art notes.

JEN link

3/17/2016 03:29:32 pm

I love meeting new books! They almost always turn into new friends.

Bev Baird

3/17/2016 04:01:38 pm

What a perfect description of what makes books magical. Love the idea of giving children the opportunity to imagine. Thank you.

Laura Purdie Salas link

3/17/2016 04:16:56 pm

Liz, your THINK BIG is a perfect example of this balance, and IN THE CANYON, too. I'm off to read/re-read these with your post in mind. Thanks!

Kirstine Call

3/17/2016 04:36:23 pm

I loved reading your suggestions! Thanks for a fantastic post!

Christine Rodenbour

3/17/2016 04:43:42 pm

So true about kids getting bored when there are too many words on the page! At least my kids. =)

Lucky Jo

3/17/2016 04:59:23 pm

Comment. (low word count)

Dee Leone link

3/17/2016 05:07:19 pm

"... I’m looking for the ones that include all the right words, but none of the extra, unnecessary ones." Great point. I suspect editors feel the same way.

It was an honor to sign at the same B&N school book fair with you in Houston. Happy writing! Congrats on venturing into MG.

Liz Garton Scanlon link

3/17/2016 09:33:53 pm

Oh, hi Dee!! Good to see you here :)

Karen Condit

3/17/2016 05:11:20 pm

Less is often more...thank you!

Susan Zonca

3/17/2016 05:12:46 pm

What a lovely array of books to show us the value of choosing words carefully and leaving room for the illustrator. Thank you.

Jaclyn Kruzie link

3/17/2016 05:29:01 pm

Such a good reminder! As a writer I tend to use artsy words thinking they improve the story, but lets face it sometimes I just fall in love with my own words ;)

Liz Garton Scanlon link

3/17/2016 09:34:47 pm

Oh, never fear, Jaclyn. We all do :) That's what revision's for!

Jarm Del Boccio link

3/17/2016 05:41:26 pm

That's something I strive for. . . fewer words but clearer meaning. Thanks for the examples, Liz!

Kristi Veitenheimer link

3/17/2016 06:12:57 pm

Aw, brevity. We could all use some of that! Now to add these titles to my ever-growing list!

Linda Thomas

3/17/2016 06:15:03 pm

Liz, your one paragraph about balance describes it so well...in a nutshell! Thank you for the book recommendations. I look forward to reading them as well as your own!

Alan Elliott link

3/17/2016 07:03:46 pm

Great suggestions. Shorter is better.

Susan Deo

3/17/2016 07:33:48 pm

Liz: Thank you for the reminder that the white space, like the spaces between the notes in music, is also an important part of the story! I know several of these titles and feel that way when I read them. I am looking forward to reading the others!

Mary Boehmrt

3/17/2016 07:50:27 pm

Thank you for sharing with us. Wonderful book suggestions, I Wish You More was beautiful!

Cathy Breisacher

3/17/2016 07:52:35 pm

I love how you phrased your post... a child imagining and the reader breathing... I need to keep this in mind while writing.

Elizabeth Duncan link

3/17/2016 07:53:28 pm

The idea of leaving room for the illustrations in your story is a compelling one and is at the heart of a study of picture books. Since I'm a writer and not an artist, I need to find that balance where the words are complete enough and the pictures allow the story to take flight. It's interesting.

Rachel Hamby link

3/17/2016 08:00:29 pm

Thanks, Liz. I look forward to studying these books closely to find that balance.

Cindy Cornwall

3/17/2016 08:36:44 pm

Is Mommy? and If You Want to See A Whale are both great examples of less-is-more, but in different ways. Love that. Thanks for the diverse sampling Liz!

Celeste Gerard

3/17/2016 08:39:59 pm

I like the idea that less is more when it comes to words in the story! Thanks for sharing your wisdom and book recommendations.

Denise Benavides

3/17/2016 08:41:27 pm

From reading the posts, it's obvious that we all agree that you "have a way with words" :). Thanks for the poetic lesson on leaving space.

Kimberly Marcus link

3/17/2016 08:44:58 pm

Thanks Liz for a great reminder on leaving room for the illustrator!!

Trine

3/17/2016 08:45:58 pm

I just Love The Iridescence of Birds. I teach a unit on Henri Matisse each year!
Thank you for helping me think this way as a writer:
for the illustrator to tell her own story, the reader to breathe, and the child to imagine.

Charlene Steadman

3/17/2016 08:58:16 pm

It's amazing that you could have such a great biography about Matisse with the limited words and the amazing illustrations! I wish that I could illustrate after all I've learned this month so far!

Janet Smart link

3/17/2016 09:49:22 pm

Thanks for the examples. I found If You Want to See a Whale and I Wish You More on You Tube. Less is more!

Bethany Roberts link

3/17/2016 09:49:26 pm

Thanks for the list- it's always helpful to find books with sparse text to study!

Keila Dawson link

3/17/2016 10:02:17 pm

Finding books with the write words with the right pictures is like watching a magic trick. Love when that happens.

DeLeon

3/17/2016 10:47:45 pm

By giving the artist the space to illuminate the story, authors contribute to make the story more appealing to children and adults. To be able to get rid of many words and let the artist work some magic is not an easy task, but it sure pays off. Thank you, Liz. I enjoyed reading and admired the illustrations of your suggested picture books!

Heather Pierce Stigall link

3/17/2016 10:50:03 pm

Great suggestions -- thank you! And THINK BIG looks really cute!

Donna L Martin link

3/17/2016 11:03:56 pm

I'm such an admirer of your work...now I have to add these books to my collection...;~)

Heidi Yates

3/17/2016 11:06:19 pm

Thank you for the reminder to leave room for the artwork in picture books. I loved the example books you shared. :)

Ashley Bankhead

3/17/2016 11:09:40 pm

Thank you for this great list of mentor texts that use just the right amount of words, and leave room for the illustrator.

Carol Cole link

3/17/2016 11:29:52 pm

Liz, what great mentor texts. "The Iridescence of Birds" was a great creative non-fiction book. "I Wish You More" was so sweet, while "if you want to see a whale" cute. I wonder how hard it would be to pitch "One Day" with so little text if you were a new author since Rebecca Kai Dotlich had many books published before this one.

Natalie Lynn Tanner

3/17/2016 11:42:29 pm

LIZ: I LOVE what you had to say about keeping the balance in our writing. I struggle with being verbose, so I TRULY needed your wisdom today! I especially LOVE your thought: "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." PURE, SIMPLE, YET PROFOUND WISDOM! THANK YOU!!!!

Pamela Courtney

3/18/2016 12:04:50 am

"Leave Space." I am so grateful for these posts. That is what I want to do. I fall in love with my words. Oh my precious words. And do they really add such an intense trajectory? Are they REALLY needed? Probably Not. We must be reminded of this. Thank you for doing so.

Ali Bovis

3/18/2016 08:54:32 am

Thanks so much for this amazing post, Liz! Such an important lesson. I struggle with including all the right words and none of the extra unnecessary ones. I'm excited to see how I can do a better job by studying the great texts you suggested. Thanks!

Jess Townes link

3/18/2016 09:29:32 am

Thank you Liz! These are my favorite kind of books too - ones that allow the illustrations to take part in revealing the story. Thank you for the wonderful recommendations!

Nadine Gamble

3/18/2016 10:12:06 am

Wise Words! Thanks for the inspiration...

Kathy Mazurowski

3/18/2016 11:26:55 am

Thank you for a new way to read these titles.

Angela De Groot

3/18/2016 12:06:43 pm

Perfectly said, Liz. Leave space for "illustrator to tell her own story, the reader to breathe, and the child to imagine."

Noelle McBride

3/18/2016 12:12:29 pm

Thank you Liz! I am learning to take a risk by leaving that space, trusting that someone else will "finish my sentence..."

Darlene

3/18/2016 12:28:42 pm

Thank you for these wonderful recommendations, Liz!

Valarie Giogas

3/18/2016 02:53:50 pm

I look forward to reading these!! Thanks for the suggestions.

sue twiggs

3/18/2016 04:21:11 pm

Liz,
our post and others in ReFor Re Mo have really got me thinking about stripping my PB manuscripts down to the bare bones to allow room for the illustrator to tell his/her story. Thanks for these book. I especially want to read the one about Monet.

Martin Segal

3/18/2016 06:12:09 pm

Thank you for sharing, Liz! I can't wait to read more of these stories!

Lydia Lukidis link

3/18/2016 08:55:35 pm

Great reminder. I still "say" too much...but learning how to trim!!

Linda Carpenter link

3/19/2016 12:21:47 am

Space - just like playing a musical instrument - pausing is good - room for expression.
Many thanks for the great post! Love your books!

Virginia Law Manning link

3/19/2016 07:26:18 am

This was a great post and book selections about leaving room for the illustrator--and, oh, what the great illustrators, like Vanessa Brantley Newton, do with that space!

Lotus Ivak link

3/19/2016 07:41:35 am

HI Liz, Thank you for your thoughts about leaving space. It's so important.

Sydney O'Neill

3/19/2016 11:12:12 am

The details, and sometimes second story, a child discovers for himself in the pictures are a large part of what make picture books fun. Thank you for the recommebdations.

Lynn Alpert link

3/19/2016 12:20:02 pm

Thanks for reminding us why picture books are so magical – the words and pictures truly need each other!

Lenne' Musarra

3/19/2016 01:35:18 pm

Your mentor books for learning how to leave space for: the illustrator to tell their story, for the reader to breathe, and the child to imagine, are great. Thank you. Having lived in Alaska and been on many whale watches, If You Want to See a Whale, made me laugh. PB are about stirring children's imagination and writers, illustrators and readers should make room and facilitate it.

Amanda Sincavage

3/19/2016 03:12:08 pm

Another great list! Love how all of these were also thought-provoking! As a mommy of a 15-month old, I especially appreciated I Wish You More and Is Mommy? My daughter loves If You Want to See a Whale (as well as And Then It's Spring). Thank you Liz!

Suzy Leopold

3/19/2016 09:42:28 pm

Thank you, Liz, for a short and sweet post that shares so much. Remembering to leave room for the child to imagine is excellent.

Gabrielle Schoeffield

3/20/2016 10:18:11 am

Thanks for the mentor text suggestions and the inspiration!

Holly Samson Hall

3/20/2016 11:03:36 am

This is so important! I'm currently working on a manuscript that I intend to illustrate as well, and even as both author and illustrator, balancing text with illustrations while leaving room for imagination (ironically, the subject of my book) is challenging. Thank you for these mentor texts!

Caroline Webster link

3/20/2016 02:22:03 pm

"To me, the most magical of picture book texts leave space … for . . . the child to imagine." I love this. What a clear, important takeaway. It is so easy to write more than is necessary. I think finding what to leave and what to keep takes a bit of magic ;-).

Wendy Greenley

3/20/2016 05:59:23 pm

Congratulations on your crossovers--pb and novel. Transitioning between the two forms, leaving space for those illustrations and then telling the whole story must be hard!

Laurie Bouck

3/20/2016 06:45:08 pm

Great suggestions, thank you! There is nothing worse (for me, personally) than trying to read my grandson a picture book with too many words - we both lose interest pretty quickly! lol

Anna Forrester link

3/20/2016 09:39:18 pm

Lovely selections. And yes yes yes about space...

Helen Dening link

3/20/2016 09:45:54 pm

Thanks for the great list. Great tips:Room to create, room to breathe, and room for the child to imagine. It is all about balance. Thank you!

Lisa Williams

3/20/2016 11:45:44 pm

"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." Beautiful! I totally agree! I need constant reminders to leave room! The book I Wish You More is a beautiful book.

Juli Caveny link

3/21/2016 12:42:24 am

I love when someone implies that writing a PB with limited word-count must be "a breeze." It is quite the opposite! The ability to write with brevity is a true talent. Thanks for providing great mentor texts that demonstrate this skill.

Dina Ticas

3/29/2016 02:36:41 am

I had the exact same thought. Brevity is a skill. And one that I've yet to master. Thank you Liz for a wonderful selection. I couldn't find "One Day" so I will keep looking. And, "I Wish You More" is a recent favorite. My kids included.

Kelly Rice Schmitt

3/21/2016 09:21:57 am

Thank you for these lovely suggestions and a short, but insightful post to let us have room to breathe and imagine and discover the magic of these texts on our own.

Jill Jeffries

3/21/2016 10:26:57 am

Thank you for the reminder to limit the details allowing for the imagination of the illustrator to bring the story to life. I appreciate your examples too.

Lauren Kerstein link

3/21/2016 02:11:17 pm

Thank you for this excellent post. I've been really paying attention to the times the author takes a step back to leave space for the illustrator, a reader's imagination, or to enhance the pacing. Thank you for these mentor text recommendations.

Rosie Pova

3/21/2016 03:23:56 pm

Well said and so important to have all those characteristics present! Thanks for sharing.

L. Michelle Quraishi link

3/21/2016 04:23:38 pm

Julie Fogliano is a master of leaving space.

Jennifer Cole Judd link

3/21/2016 05:31:51 pm

Love this--leave space. I'm going to write this on a sticky note on my bulletin board, because I am soooo verbose. Thanks for the great selections!

Linda Kujawski link

3/22/2016 10:44:50 am

Liz, thank you for this wonderful list of magical picture books & your thoughtful post on "leaving space."

Sadee Schilling

3/22/2016 12:46:53 pm

"All the right words and none of the extra." That is such a tricky thing to accomplish! I find myself leaving out words sometimes when I read PBs to my kids. But finding the "perfect PB" is such a treat and a treasure...and I hope to be able to write one myself someday :). Thank you for the recommendations!

Lauri Meyers link

3/22/2016 03:05:56 pm

You always know it when you see it - when just the right words and no extra ones comprise the book.

Wendy Greenley

3/22/2016 04:52:26 pm

I'm not familiar with Is Mommy? Interested to read!

Suzanne Poulter Harris

3/23/2016 01:20:36 pm

Great words of wisdom and mentor texts! I look forward to attending your Picture Book Intensive at the SCBWI Conference in Austin.

Karen Bell

3/23/2016 06:48:47 pm

Thank you for a wonderful list of mentor texts that illustrate "leaving space". A favorite is "I Wish You More".

Anne Young

3/25/2016 12:00:35 am

I think it can take courage and optimism to trust an illustrator to see what you see. How joyful it is (and what a good lesson) when they see beyond even your ideas.

Joana Pastro

3/25/2016 10:36:12 pm

Thanks for your post. I loved The Iridescence of Birds. I can't wait to read the other mentor texts.

Cindy Jolley

3/26/2016 12:53:13 am

It is indeed a challenge to find that delicate balance when writing to, as you say, "include all the right words, but none of the extra, unnecessary ones, the ones that make the illustrator superfluous and the children bored." Thank you for these books to read as good examples.

Kristen Browning

3/27/2016 01:00:10 am

Thanks for your post and for the reminder to leave room for the illustrator to work his/her magic. I like IF YOU WANT TO SEE A WHALE more every time I read it--it shows that a PB with low word count can still have fun and beautiful language. I hadn't read ONE DAY yet--I found it very clever.

Myrna Foster

3/27/2016 02:50:46 am

I love that all of your examples have separate authors and illustrators! Thanks for this post!

Lisa Morgan

3/28/2016 09:18:26 am

Hi Liz, thank you for your insight to creating balance and helping me to think about intentional word use. I think that is the biggest surprise to me as I wade deeper and deeper into this writing process. As a beginner, I love how words paint a picture, but when pairing the story with illustrations I am learning that I need to take words out to allow for the illustrations to give that extra layer. I am learning so much. My library only had one of your suggested books, now that I'm on spring break, in a new city, I'm headed to the local library to search for four of the books!

Claire Noland link

3/30/2016 01:57:24 am

I actually have read all of these books before this month - each is so special and unique. Thanks for sharing your insights on each of these titles.

ReFoReMo Day 17: Liz Garton Scanlon Creates Balance

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