During the first years of my career, I worked exclusively as a visual artist. I painted, and I taught art. Before that, I had earned both BA and MA degrees in English, but I somehow landed as a visual artist and after college, my primary purpose for reading was for understanding how to better improve…
Month: April 2022
Alliteration – A Literary Device to Add Some Writing Spice
Over the next few days, I hope to say a word or two about several different literary devices that writers might use to give their writing some punch. My favorite literary device is alliteration. “Laboring, lumbering, laden, and lingering, The Ladybug lollygags along, Her polka-dotted paint shop lags behind.” Ladybug and Damselfly: How They Became…
The Important Thing about Margaret Wise Brown by Mac Barnett – Picture Book Daily
The Important Thing about Margaret Wise Brown is the most beautiful and well-crafted biography that I have ever read. It is a masterpiece. Yet, I am hesitant to echo the publishing label on Amazon. I do not agree that this is a picture book for children between the ages of years 4 – 8. [that…
Picture Books by Margaret Wise Brown – Listed in the Order of Their Publication
Margaret Wise Brown was born in 1910, and she died from an embolism 42 years later. By 2022, she would have been 112-years-old. That puts things in perspective for me. Brown was born before World War I began, and she died slowly after World War II ended. She lived during the time of the Great…
The Whispering Rabbit by Margaret Wise Brown – Picture Book Daily
The Whispering Rabbit by Margaret Wise Brown Illustrated by Annie Won A Little Golden Book 543 Words 24 Page First Copyright of the Whispering Rabbit – 1948 Renewed by Penguin Random House – 1975 The Annie Won Version of the Book – 2017 Today, I am sharing a few tidbits about Margaret Wise Brown’s picture…
After the Fall by Dan Santat – Picture Book Daily
After the Fall Dan Santat 2017 Roaring Brook Press Caldecott Honor Book Rated as One of the Best Picture Books of 2017 by School Library Journal 357 Words 36 Pages The text of this book begins on page 5. Pages 4 and 5 are a 2-page spread, with the first text page beginning on page…
Harry and Horsie – Picture Book Daily – Jacki Kellum
Harry and Horsie Katie Van Camp Pictures by Lincoln Agnew Baker & Bray [An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers] 2009 370 Words 36 Pages Harry and Horsie is a picture book romp through space, where Harry jets around looking for his stuffed animal Horsie. Horsie was whisked away from earth by one of the bubbles…
#13DayPBChallenge Day 13 – How to Format A Picture Book Manuscript
The following is what SCBWI says about formatting a manuscript so that it is ready to submit: How to Format Your Manuscript “All manuscripts must be typed on 8½ ” x 11” white paper in black ink. » Use 12-point Arial or Times New Roman. » Double-space all manuscripts. » Pages should be numbered consecutively….
Agent List – for Children’s Picture Book Writers
Ausbury, Hannah VanVels Belcastro Agency First and foremost, I’m building an inclusive list with a variety of voices and genres. I’m looking for BIPOC authors, authors of color, queer authors, disabled authors, and generally, authors from historically excluded backgrounds, regardless of genre. I love identity-driven stories that reflect the first-hand, lived experiences of the creators….
#14DayPBChallenge Day 12 – How to Write a Query Letter
I’ll be very honest in saying that because my debut picture book manuscript was picked up in a Twitter Pitch Event, I have not had much experience with writing query letters, but that is about to change. I scoured the internet looking for tips for writing query letters, and my primary take-away from that research…