 By Katrina Moore Picture books, by their nature, are books in which the pictures tell as much (sometimes more, sometimes all) of the story as the words. When done well, this is why picture books are so magical. In 40 or less pages (mostly) and 500 or less words (usually) we are made to laugh, or cry, or wonder, and in the very best of cases . . . all of the above. So how do you craft such a magical marriage between words and illustrations? And how is this done if you are only the author? Let’s share some stellar examples:
 Interior page from LOVE, by Matt de la Peña and Loren Long (Penguin Random House, 2018) Sometimes, the words are purposefully open to interpretation, like in SOMEDAY by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds:
 Interior spread from SOMEDAY by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007)  This can also lead to illustrations that amplify the drama and escalate the tension (and humor), like in CHARLOTTE AND THE ROCK by Stephen Martin Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill:  Interior page from CHARLOTTE AND THE ROCK by Steve Martin and Samantha Cotterill (Penguin Random House, 2017) Sometimes, the words are charged with emotion, leading to illustrations that are giggle-worthy,
 Interior page from TRUCK, TRUCK, GOOSE! by Tammi Sauer and Zoe Waring (HarperCollins, 2017)   Interior spread from NO, DAVID! by David Shannon (Blue Sky Press/Scholastic, 1999) Sometimes, the words are super silly, and the illustrations create the perfect compliment,
 Interior page from THE BEAR IN MY BED by Joyce Wan (FSG/Macmillan, 2018) Sometimes, the words are intended to be ironic (and if you are the author-only, this is an instance where you will want to include an art note), as in Cate Berry and Charles Santoso’s PENGUIN AND TINY SHRIMP DON’T DO BEDTIME, where the words say,
 Interior page from PENGUIN AND TINY SHRIMP DON'T DO BEDTIME by Cate Berry and Charles Santoso (HarperCollins, 2018) In the above picture book examples, the words and art flow together fluidly, sometimes complimenting each other, sometimes elevating each other, sometimes opposing each other, and sometimes balancing each other so beautifully that the matches are seemingly made . . . in picture book heaven. So as you craft your picture books, think: How can I leave room for the illustrator? What purposeful word choices can I use to make a big splash?  Interior page from DEAR GIRL by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal, illustrated by Holly Hatam (HarperCollins, 2017) Happy Writing!✨ -Katrina  Katrina Moore writes and teaches in New Jersey. Earning her M.A. in elementary education, she has been a teacher for almost a decade in Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York. Her mission is to create books that children will hug for ages. Her debut picture book, ONE HUG, illustrated by the talented Julia Woolf, is a lyrical celebration of the different ways that hugs bring people together, forthcoming from HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books in 2019. Her second picture book, GRANDPA GRUMPS, illustrated by the amazing Xindi Yan, is a humorous and heartfelt story about a little girl, Daisy, and how she connects with her Chinese grandfather across cultures and generations, forthcoming from Little Bee Books in 2020.
When she is not writing or teaching kids in elementary school, she is cooking without a recipe, painting outside the lines, or snuggling up with her two kids, husband, pomapoo pup, and of course, a cozy book. Connect with her on twitter @kmoorebooks or at www.katrinamoorebooks.com.
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By Katrina Moore Before I’m ready to send a manuscript to my agent, and even to critique partners, I go through rounds of self-revision. Over time, I’ve found myself asking the same questions over and over again (and asking the same questions to my critique partners when giving them feedback on their work), so I’ve compiled the questions into a revision checklist for myself. And now... I’m sharing it with you! Because I keep learning. And growing. And nothing helps me to learn more or grow faster than sharing what I’ve learned along the way. In this post, you’ll find essential questions to ask yourself as you revise your manuscript to make it the best that it can be. I’ve also included an example for each checkpoint using recently released (within the past 3 years), stellar picture books. Without further ado...here's the checklist: PICTURE BOOK REVISION CHECKLIST: 1) WHAT’S YOUR BOOK REALLY ABOUT? Write out the pitch. -What’s at the heart of this story? -What do I want this story to do? (Use this as a guide for revision)
  2) IS YOUR CHARACTER FULLY DEVELOPED? -Is this someone a kid can relate to? -Is there depth? -Why are we rooting for the main character? Interview your character and ask all sorts of questions. This is to inform YOU even though most of it won’t make it into the text. The better you know your character the better you’ll write your character, the more your character will feel real and we’ll care about your character. Example: Check out the first spread of JULIÁN IS A MERMAID by Jessica Love. In very few words, we know so much about Julián and we care about him. We’re immediately connected to his relationship with his abuela. Think about how much is not written in this text, but was necessary for the author to know in order to create such a powerful opening and introduction to the characters.  (c) Jessica Love, 2018, from Julian Is A Mermaid (Candlewick Press) 3) IS YOUR STORY TIGHT? Go through the story sentence by sentence, word by word. -Is this word/sentence serving the story? -Is it driving the plot? -Is it adding to character development? If the answer is no—cut! Example: Kelly DiPucchio and Greg Pizzoli’s DRAGON WAS TERRIBLE opens with:  “Dragon was terrible. Naturally, dragons have a bit of terrible in them because they’re dragons after all. But THIS dragon here? Super terrible.”  (c) Kelly DiPucchio and Greg Pizzoli, 2016, from Dragon Was Terrible (FSG BFYR)  The first sentence here introduces us to the character and sets up the plot. Every word following this first sentence carries weight in establishing the narrative voice of the book, and also drives the plot by creating more tension. It engages what we already “know”—dragons are terrible. But this character is going to be even more terrible than those dragons we already know? Oh boy. As a reader, I’m eager to find out how bad this character is and what shenanigans he causes. How can he be that terrible?! See how she hooks us in with exactly the right words? 4) IS THIS PACED FOR A PICTURE BOOK? Paginate it (12 or 15 spreads). -Where do you envision the page turns? -Does it end at a surprising moment? -Are we holding our breath? -Is there tension and build up? Here’s what it looks like when I lay out a picture book: Example: Check out this spread from Ame Dyckman and Scott Magoon’s MISUNDERSTOOD SHARK:
 What is Shark’s excuse? I’m curious to find out. I am holding my breath. And I’m wondering, Will I believe him? I have to turn the page to find out. Since there is a literal pause that takes place when a picture book is being read aloud and the page turns, it’s beneficial to maximize the effect of those page turns. 5) DOES THE STORY FEEL RESOLVED? -Was it logical but surprising? -Are we satisfied? Example: In BOATS WITH PAPA by Jessixa Bagley, Buckley carves beautiful boats and sends them out to sea in hopes that they reach his papa, who he misses very much. I won’t give away the ending, because it’s so beautiful and you have to check it out for yourself. It feels inevitable—you know it’s coming, and yet, there's still a twist that's so heartwarming it brings me to tears everytime I read it (which at this point, is close to 100 times, if not more). 6) IS IT MARKETABLE? -What are the recent comparable titles? -How is yours fresh from these? -Why would a kid love this book? -What are the universal truths/emotions/themes that readers will connect with? (these should be in and match the pitch) Example: Check out BACK TO SCHOOL WITH BIGFOOT by Samantha Berger and Martha Brockenbrough, Illustrated by Dave Pressler.  It takes a familiar theme, starting school jitters, and makes it fresh (and funny) by making it about Bigfoot, which is a high interest, intriguing subject for kids (and adults). How does Bigfoot feel about starting school? What would he worry about? There’s tons of kid appeal here! (*More on the marketability of your picture book in this post.) Now it’s your turn! Does your picture book check the list? Happy writing and revising! ✨ -Katrina  Katrina Moore writes and teaches in New Jersey, outside Philadelphia. Earning her M.A. in elementary education, she has been a teacher for almost a decade in Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York. Her mission is to create books that children will hug for ages. Her debut picture book, ONE HUG, illustrated by the talented Julia Woolf, is a lyrical celebration of the different ways that hugs bring people together, forthcoming from HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books in 2019. The book follows an Asian-American boy as he and his family prepare to welcome their immigrant relatives.When she is not teaching elementary kids or writing, she is cooking without a recipe, painting outside the lines, or snuggling up with her two kids, husband, pomapoo pup, and of course, a cozy book. Connect with her on twitter @kmoorebooks or at www.katrinamoorebooks.com.
 This is what my weekly library haul looks like. Between being a writer, a elementary teacher, a mother to 2 young kids, and a lover of picture books, I read an average of 20-30 picture books a day. Many of them MORE than once. That’s more than 9,000 picture books a year! By Katrina Moore If you want to write picture books, you have to read picture books. Hundreds. Thousands. Hundreds of thousands of picture books. As debut author Cate Berry eloquently says on the Cynsations Blog: “Picture books are like learning a new language. There is a rhythm, a vibe, and implicit rules are attached to the form. Taking a class or reading a craft book is great, but reading a heap of picture books is even better.” But if you’re a writer, it’s not enough to read picture books. You must study picture books. What’s working? What’s Fresh? Why do you love it? Here’s how I studied two recently released picture books in 3 parts:  PART I: Summarize First, I read the book as a reader. If I really enjoyed the book, then I jot down some summary* points: Premise: (Who/what’s this about and what’s their goal?) Square is trying to make something for Circle that’s as perfect as Circle is. Inciting Incident: (What happens to set the story in motion?) Circle sees the “sculpture” that Square “made” and insists he makes one for her. Resolution: You’ll have to check it out yourself !:-) *Acclaimed author Arree Chung has a great method for studying picture books (& more) that he shares in his Storyteller Academy Class. Part II: Analyze Then, I think about how this picture book works as a marketable product for the intended audience. *Remember, picture books are unique in that you have 2 audiences in mind (the child and also the adult reading to the child): What’s working? The story structure is familiar, but it’s suspenseful from the inciting incident. As a reader, I’m wondering, how will Square solve this? He’s unprepared for it! Oh, the pressure!! I can feel the tension. There’s logic. Everything make sense for this abstract world. I’m not spending my time questioning or second guessing anything that distracts me from the narrative. It’s deceptively simple! There’s a lot of room for the reader to fill in the blanks. What’s fresh? What I love about this book, and really all books by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, individually and together, is that they both respect the child reader and her/his intelligence. SQUARE allows big conversations and a lot of thinking to happen. The takeaway is so subtle and it’s open to interpretation. Why did I love it? This book is so funny! There’s sparse text and very specific word choice, such as “Oh crumbs!” and “Oh dirt!” The art is genius. Jon Klassen is able to convey so much emotion from these characters using only their eyes. I was emotionally invested in Square’s “journey.” His problem was relatable, and the way the page turns built up tension was extremely satisfying. On spread 26-27, Square says, “I Must stay up all night and figure this out!” And when I turned the page, I burst out in laughter. All that built up tension was comically deflated in a very enjoyable way. Part III: Storyboard Finally, because I am fascinated with the picture book design and story structures, I like to flip back through the pages (starting from when the story begins) and break down how many spreads are dedicated to each part of the story arc**: Set up: 5 spreads Escalation: 7 spreads Climax/Low Point: 2 spreads Resolution: 3 spreads Wink: 1 spread **For more on storyboarding a picture book, see Steph Lurie’s interview on Picture Book Builders. (Note that this will work with narrative picture books, but not others, such as concept books.)  STARRING CARMEN! Written by Anika Denise Illustrated by Lorena Alvarez GÓmez (Abrams Books For Young Readers, 2017) Part I: Summarize
Premise: (Who/what’s this about and what’s their goal?) Carmen is a star, a one-girl sensaciÓn! But how will the show go on when the audience needs a break from show business? Inciting Incident: (What happens to set the story in motion?) Carmen’s little brother, Eduardo, asks if he can be in her show. Resolution: You’ll have to check it out yourself ! :-) Part II: Analyze What’s Working? This story is paced well (see Part III) and gives us insight into Carmen’s world. From the catchy title and bright, colorful cover, I’m intrigued! I know this is going to be about Carmen. She is a star! I want to know more. What makes her a star? What happens when she’s not a star? It’s a character I want to know more about. What’s fresh? While there are many sibling stories, this one stars Carmen! It’s her perspective, her world, her stage. The narrative voice is strong and thus, we are immersed in Carmen’s world from start to end. Why did I love it? Carmen has universal appeal and yet, she’s so uniquely her own. She’s sassy, a bit devious, and loves her little brother. I saw myself as an older sister in Carmen, and myself as a younger sibling in Eduardo. I also loved that this book stars a girl from a marginalized background that we don't often see in a starring role. We get a glimpse into this loving family’s life and learn some new spanish words throughout that adds fun flair to this charming story. And the last spread had me giggling. Part III: Storyboard Set up: 3 spreads Escalation: 4 spreads Climax/Low Point: 3 spreads Resolution: 4 spreads Wink: 1 spread Now it’s your turn! Pull out that picture book manuscript you’ve been polishing. Summarize it. Analyze it. Storyboard it. What’s working? What’s fresh? Why will a reader love it? In a future post, I’ll dive more deeply into revision. Until then, happy reading (and studying) and writing!✨ |
AuthorKatrina Moore writes for all, teaches many, and raises two young children. She holds an M.A. in elementary education. Her debut picture book, ONE HUG, is forthcoming from HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books in 2019. More about Katrina here. Connect with her on twitter! Archives
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