Penning Picture Books #5 – “Theme”, or Simple Gifts
The ‘What’s It All About’ discussion of the last post leads right to the next topic: theme. What do you want to say to your audience, and why?  It’s not enough to simply entertain – we want to offer our readers something to think about, a feeling, perhaps, or a question for further dialogue after the book is finished.  Your theme is your message, your point, your reason for writing this story… in a word, the gift you wish to give. Let’s say you have an idea about a rescue dog: a compelling character with plenty of plot possibilities.  But what is it you want to say to kids about being a rescue dog?  Is it the value of home, f

Penning Picture Books, #4 – What’s It All About, Maurice?
At the core of every successful children’s book is the “central dramatic question.” This is the question raised by, and in, the story. Will Max’s mother forgive him and give him dinner after all? Will Peter learn to whistle? Will the prince ever find a real princess? Will the pigs conquer the wolf? The central dramatic question can usually be summed up as: “Will ______ find, g

Penning Picture Books, #3 – Icing Vs. Cake (or, Verse Vs. Prose)
I’m going to be very frank, since this is a subject that comes up over and over again in my editing practice. Language is a fundamental part of children’s literature. Word play, rhythm, alliteration, parallelism, refrain  - being playful, imaginative, creative with language is at the core of style when it comes to children’s books.  But let’s face it – Dr. Seuss is an anomaly.

Penning Picture Books, #2 – A Question of Style
A major question to consider when developing an idea for a children’s book is what the style of the book will be. Will it be lean and simple, or rich in imagery and ideas? Will it be matter-of-fact, lyrical, or tongue in cheek? What about narration – what voice will the story be told in? First or third person? Wh

Penning Picture Books, #1 – Q: Whose Your Hero? (A: Your Reader!)
Welcome to the first entry in a new blog series on writing books for children! This series is part of a new e-course and group coaching program I am developing, as well as being fodder for a new book, so your comments here are most welcome and will help me shape the direction of all these offerings.  If you haven’t done so already, please be sure to subscribe to my mailing list (I promise, no green eggs and spam) so that I can let you know when the programs are launched. And now to the first topic… Q: Whose Your Hero? (A: Your Reader!) When my mother and I first started working on the Dumpy the Dump Truck series, we neede