The first official Picture Book Month ended on November 30, but the effort lives on to make this a yearly event. Dianne de Las Casas, the brains behind Picture Book Month, funded this first effort from her own pocket. Her goal is to go international next year, and she needs your help. To donate any amount (even $10 is a big help), click here and read all about Dianne and the Picture Book Month campaign.

My post appears today on the official Picture Book Month blog:
http://picturebookmonth.com/2011/11/why-picture-books-are-important-by-laura-backes/

Read it to see how my son got made into a pizza!

I'm thrilled to be in such esteemed company on this blog. And thanks to Dianne de Las Casas for organizing and promoting Picture Book Month! I can't wait to see how this grows in the years to come!

Last October, an article in The New York Times declared, “Picture Books No Longer A Staple for Children”. This incited a barrage of responses from the children’s book industry, many in defense of the venerable picture book.

Thus, Picture Book Month was born. Founder Dianne de Las Casas decided it was time to celebrate picture books in their traditional printed format so she created an initiative to designate November as “Picture Book Month.” Katie Davis, Elizabeth Dulemba, Tara Lazar, and Wendy Martin came on board to champion the cause and spread the word. A logo was designed by Joyce Wan. A website (www.picturebookmonth.com) was created to feature essays from “Picture Book Champions,” thought leaders in the children’s literature community. Each day in November, a new essay will be posted from such notable contributors as Suzanne Bloom, Denise Fleming, Leslie Helakoski, Eric A. Kimmel, Tammi Sauer, Dan Yaccarino, and Jane Yolen.Better World Books and organizations like Scholastic Book Fairs Philippines are lending their support. The website will also feature links to picture book resources, authors, illustrators, and kidlit book bloggers. In addition, parents, educators, and librarians can download the theme calendar to help them plan their picture book celebrations and access picture book activities.

Visit www.picturebookmonth.com. The website officially opens on November 1, 2011.

Know your audience. This sage advice is appropriate for all writers and, in particular, authors of children’s books. “Children” is a broad concept, representing a wide range of readers from birth to young adulthood.

Nancy Kelly Allen writes fiction and nonfiction for young children. Visit her website at www.nancykellyallen.com, and her writing workshop blog at www.nancykellyallen.blogspot.com.

In order to communicate clearly so readers will enjoy and understand the story, we have to recognize the differences in age groups. The writing should be appropriate for the age group of the target audience. Emerging skills and changing interests of children require different writing for different ages.

Before writing the first word, determine the age group of the reader. Understanding the interests and abilities of the audience helps us adjust our message of what we say and how we say it. We should also consider the interests of the age group so we can develop a character with which the reader can identify. Younger children respond to child-centric books and to concepts reflecting their life experiences. Most kids like to read about characters their same age or slightly older. Boys like to read about male main characters and girls will usually read books with either male or female characters. Read more

Many newcomers believe it's simple to write picture books, but it actually requires a lot of skill to pack a story into a few words. If your dreams include writing a picture book, here are some tips to consider before you begin:

 
* Keep it simple. You should be able to sum up the plot of your picture book in three sentences. Not every detail, of course, but the broad strokes. Create one sentences to capture the beginning (naming your main character and the problem or conflict he’ll face in the story), one for the middle (describing the gist of the efforts your character makes to solve his problem), and one for the end (how he finally resolves the conflict and reaches his goal). If three sentences doesn’t capture the essence of your plot, then it’s probably too complex for a picture book.

Note: You’re concerned here on plot (the action of the story), rather than theme (the underlying message). Don’t get into describing theme while you’re summarizing your plot. The theme shouldn’t even be an issue at this point. You want to construct the story so the character’s actions, and how he transforms because of those actions, presents a lesson to your readers.

 
* Think in pictures. The term “picture books” says it all: the illustrations are equally as important as the words. The average picture book is 32 pages long, with about four pages of front matter (title page, copyright page, etc.) So you have 28 pages of text and illustration. If you aim for 1000 words to tell your story (the average length of picture book text), that gives you about 36 words per page (some pages will have more words, some less, depending on the pacing of your story). While you don’t want to obsess over precise word counts when you’re writing early drafts of your manuscript, do keep in mind that every page of your book needs to inspire a different illustration. So count out 36 words from your manuscript and note how large a chunk of text that is on the page. That’s about how many words you can devote to each illustration. After that, your characters have to do something— move around, change locations— so the illustrator will have a new picture to draw.

One way to think visually is to convey the character’s problem, and her efforts to solve that problem, in concrete, visual terms. If your character is having trouble memorizing facts for school, that all takes place inside her head. But if she’s embarrassed because she can’t swim, then her attempts to learn are easily illustrated.

Note: Some illustrations will span two facing pages, called a two-page spread. In this case, you’ll have about 70 words for that one illustration. But picture books are a mix of single page illustrations and two-page spreads, so keep the action moving at a good pace.

 
* Maintain a childlike outlook. Picture book characters can be children, adults, animals or fantasy characters. But all main characters must embody the sensibilities of a child between the ages of 4-8. As a result, the problem your characters faces needs to be relevant and important to your target audience. The way your character tackles that problem must fit with the way a child would tackle it. Don’t create an adult main character just so you can impose some adult wisdom on your readers. Grown-up characters using the emotional, illogical and sometimes messy coping strategies of children can be a very effective, and funny, storytelling technique. Above all, the character must be the one to solve the problem, using methods that are accessible to children. If readers see themselves in your main character, then they’ll understand the underlying message of your story.

* Get the Right Advice.  We've got a free eBook mini guide that can really help separate fact from fiction. It's called "Getting Started Writing Children's Picture Books" and you can get a copy right now by going to http://cbiclubhouse.com/free-ebook/

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Laura Backes is the Publisher of Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for Children's Writers.  For much more about writing for children, visit Laura at http://cbiclubhouse.com  To learn more about writing picture books, visit http://cbiclubhouse.com/free-ebook/ to get your free copy of "Getting Started Writing Children's Picture Books".

Acclaimed children's book authors Maurice Sendak, Dr. Seuss, and Shel Silverstein all have new books coming out this month (and yes, Seuss and Silverstein have passed away, making their new offerings even more magical than usual). But these three publishing powerhouses have something else in common; they helped children's books evolve from lesson-driven stories that modeled perfect behavior to tales that entertain and celebrate all messy, wild and self-absorbed aspects of childhood. In short, they were subversive, offering a window into the world that kids knew existed and grown-ups hoped to ignore. The Children's Authors Who Broke the Rules from The New York Times is a great article that celebrates these three game-changers, who thankfully paved the way for the books we have today.

Looking for a manageable recommended reading list for all ages of children's books? Four Delaware seventh graders — Benjamin, Brittany, Shayna, and Chrissy — told me about a site they've been using for their summer school ELA requirement: Sofa Adventures in Reading: Reading Suggestions for Kids, Tweens and Teens. A mixture of new books and older titles, the site breaks the list into four age categories and gives a nice summary of each book. Thanks for the tip!

And if you're serious about keeping tabs on the market and who's publishing what, check out the Spring Sneak Previews from children's publishers in a recent Publishers Weekly. Can you spot the next big trend?

Writing Picture Books:  Rewarding, But Challenging

Many newcomers believe writing picture books are a breeze, but it requires a lot of skill to pack a story into a few words. If your dreams include writing a picture book, here are some tips to consider before you begin:

• Keep it simple. You should be able to sum up the plot of your picture book in three sentences. Not every detail, of course, but the broad strokes. Create one sentences to capture the beginning (naming your main character and the problem or conflict he’ll face in the story), one for the middle (describing the gist of the efforts your character makes to solve his problem), and one for the end (how he finally resolves the conflict and reaches his goal). If three sentences doesn’t capture the essence of your plot, then it’s probably too complex for a picture book.

Note: You’re concerned here on plot (the action of the story), rather than theme (the underlying message). Don’t get into describing theme while you’re summarizing your plot. The theme shouldn’t even be an issue at this point. You want to construct the story so the character’s actions, and how he transforms because of those actions, presents a lesson to your readers.

• Think in pictures. The term “picture books” says it all: the illustrations are equally as important as the words. The average picture book is 32 pages long, with about four pages of front matter (title page, copyright page, etc.) So you have 28 pages of text and illustration. If you aim for 1000 words to tell your story (the average length of picture book text), that gives you about 36 words per page (some pages will have more words, some less, depending on the pacing of your story). While you don’t want to obsess over precise word counts when you’re writing early drafts of your manuscript, do keep in mind that every page of your book needs to inspire a different illustration. So count out 36 words from your manuscript and note how large a chunk of text that is on the page. That’s about how many words you can devote to each illustration. After that, your characters have to do something— move around, change locations— so the illustrator will have a new picture to draw.

One way to think visually is to convey the character’s problem, and her efforts to solve that problem, in concrete, visual terms. If your character is having trouble memorizing facts for school, that all takes place inside her head. But if she’s embarrassed because she can’t swim, then her attempts to learn are easily illustrated.

Note: Some illustrations will span two facing pages, called a two-page spread. In this case, you’ll have about 70 words for that one illustration. But picture books are a mix of single page illustrations and two-page spreads, so keep the action moving at a good pace.

• Maintain a childlike outlook. Picture book characters can be children, adults, animals or fantasy characters. But all main characters must embody the sensibilities of a child between the ages of 4-8. As a result, the problem your characters faces needs to be relevant and important to your target audience. The way your character tackles that problem must fit with the way a child would tackle it. Don’t create an adult main character just so you can impose some adult wisdom on your readers. Grown-up characters using the emotional, illogical and sometimes messy coping strategies of children can be a very effective, and funny, storytelling technique. Above all, the character must be the one to solve the problem, using methods that are accessible to children. If readers see themselves in your main character, then they’ll understand the underlying message of your story.

Know your audience. This sage advice is appropriate for all writers and, in particular, authors of children’s books. “Children” is a broad concept, representing a wide range of readers from birth to young adulthood.

In order to communicate clearly so readers will enjoy and understand the story, we have to recognize the differences in age groups. The writing should be appropriate for the age group of the target audience. Emerging skills and changing interests of children require different writing for different ages.

Nancy Kelly Allen is the author of fiction and nonfiction picture books, including Happy Birthday: The Story of the World's Most Famous Song, Trouble in Troublesome Creek, and the Little World Math Concepts series. See all her work at www.nancykellyallen.com. For more information on writing for different age groups, see The CBI Challenge, a step-by-step writing course on The CBI Clubhouse.

Before writing the first word, determine the age group of the reader. Understanding the interests and abilities of the audience helps us adjust our message of what we say and how we say it. We should also consider the interests of the age group so we can develop a character with which the reader can identify. Younger children respond to child-centric books and to concepts reflecting their life experiences. Most kids like to read about characters their same age or slightly older. Boys like to read about male main characters and girls will usually read books with either male or female characters.

Toddlers are concrete learners. They explore books to learn about the world around them and accept the information at face value. Concept books with the themes of counting, colors, and objects are appropriate. Bedtime stories and books about family and animals are favorites, as well. Toddlers enjoy picture and novelty books (board books, cloth books, flap books, and pop-up books). Most of these books, such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, have bright colors, few words, and illustrations that are easily recognizable. Read more

We spend so much time talking about the grown-ups involved in publishing for children — the authors, the editors and agents, the reviews and bloggers and book buyers — that we sometimes forget about the most important people of all: the kids who read the books. Linda Arms White, Laura's cohort for the Children's Authors' Bootcamp writing workshops, was pleasantly reminded of this last week. When Linda returned home from the Austin Bootcamp, she found a letter from a mom whose daughter was inspired by Linda's picture book, I Could Do That! Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote. Six-year-old Cora Musser, who lives in Mifflin, PA, was motivated by Esther Morris' can-do attitude to write Pennsylvania governor Tim Corbett and ask him to rethink his plans for cutting funding for full-day kindergarten. "Because of kindergarten, I can write this letter…..I am ready for first grade," Cora wrote. See the Lewistown Sentinel article here.

"Such is the power of books!" said Linda. And smart girls, and parents who support them. And the authors who hang in there for moments like these.

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