Field Trip!

July 15th, 2009 by Sara

There’s nothing like a field trip to break out of the routine and make some trouble.  Today, a group of illustrator/writer friends of mine packed our lunches, got on the bus, and descended upon the best kids’ book store in LA.  And by “the bus,” I mean our gumless, bully-free cars.  And by “packed our lunches” I mean pancakes at John O’Groats.  Sometimes I love being a grown-up!

Children’s Book World is a wonderful, well-stocked bookstore full of staff who love books and want to help you fall in love with them too.  They’ll work hard to find a perfect book-match for you.  Or if you want to have a good book debate, they’re the right people: smart, funny, and with definite opinions.  It’s a joy to go there and see what’s new, what the staff likes, and what people are reading.

Last year when I read 1000 picture books in 100 days, the folks at Children’s Book World were lifesavers, creating delicious piles of books for me to read while I sat on their comfy couch.  By the time I got halfway through the pile, they had already replenished it with a never ending stack of perfect books.  As you can see, the tradition has continued.

It was also wonderful to have illustrator friends Ken Min and Karyn Raz there to share their favorite artists and new picture books.  There is nothing like savoring picture books in the company of picture book creators.

And I had a kids book first.  With my friend, Wilson Swain, there in the bookstore, I bought The Castaway Pirates, a great pop-up picture book that he illustrated.  Then, there in the store, he autographed it for me.  Today was definitely a day for reveling in creative successes, wonderful stories, and talented friends.

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1000 Books!!!

January 1st, 2008 by Sara

Hooray! On the last day of 2007, I reached my goal of reading 1000 picture books in 100 days. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done for my writing. I have a new understanding of picture books that I’m already putting to good use and much fun.

I kept track of all the books on LibraryThing. You can sort the entries by any category, author, ratings, or, most handy of all, publisher. I’m excited about using it to see what publishing houses are publishing what sort of books. I hope you find the list useful as well.

To celebrate in the right way, I finished the Great Picture Book Read of ‘07 by reading 2 of my favorite classics to the people who read me my first picture books. My parents.

Here I am reading my final books, Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, to my rapt audience.

Many thanks to Linda Sue Park, who suggested at this summer’s SCBWI conference that reading this many picture books was essential to writing one yourself. She is a great writer and one smart woman. Happy New Year, Everyone!

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Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas Tree

December 25th, 2007 by Sara

Haiku Review:

Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry

Christmas time machine,
This book is just the right size.
I am 5 again.

Merry Everything, Everyone!

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Books of the Week: Illustrators

December 17th, 2007 by Sara

I’m constantly delighted by the illustrations in the picture books I’ve been reading. Here are a few illustrators that have really captured my imagination.

Dan Yaccarino
(Every Friday, Trashy Town)

Mark Teague
(How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, The Secret Shortcut)

David Shannon
(No, David, Duck on a Bike)

Steve Jenkins
(Move, Actual Size)

David Wiesner
(Tuesday, Flotsam)

These illustrators show a creativity with their subject matter that brings you closer to it. Their pictures invite you into the story and stay in your mind long after. Whether it’s the simplicity of line, the movement within a still image, or the depth of detail, all of these illustrators and their styles are a joy to look at and read.

Wanna see who else I’ve been reading?

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Words VS Pictures

December 10th, 2007 by Sara

My friend, Tonilyn, asked me the other day if I thought illustrations and text were a 50/50 partnership in picture books. Hmmm…. lets find out.

Fight!

Illustrations can make or break a picture book. You cannot have a great book without great pictures.
Mediocre Text + Fantastic Pictures= Good Book
Fantastic Text + Mediocre Pictures= Mediocre Book

Ouch! I’m sure there are exceptions to the ‘Law of Pictures’ that I’ve just totally pulled out of my b… uh… brain. But, ultimately, illustrations have the power to bring a book to life. They engage and capture us. If the pictures don’t resonate with us, the reader, if they don’t give us a rich, active world, then the story and characters are never going to win us over.

But wait! Words still have a chance here. I mean, they come first. The words are what inspire the pictures. Without words, there are no books. Right?

But, what about Flotsam by David Wiesner? Or Rainstorm by Barbara Lehman? They don’t have any words.

Okay. Without stories, there are no pictures. I suggest that authors and their stories are what inspire the pictures in the first place. If the words don’t hint at more than just what’s on the page, or if they give too much detail, then the illustrators can’t create wonderful pictures. Words and stories are critical in their ability to fire up the imagination of both the illustrator and the reader.

Ooops. Does that mean, in this fierce battle to the death, that pictures and words really are an even match?

Ummm…

Good question.

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Books of the Week: Did I mention…

December 7th, 2007 by Sara

My Little Sister Ate One Hare
written by Bill Grossman and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

Maggie and the Monster
written by Elizabeth Winthrop and illustrated by Tomie dePaola
The OK Book
written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

Chickens to the Rescue
by John Himmelman

Bark, George
by Jules Feiffer

Click,Clack,Moo: Cows That Type
written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin

Waking Up Wendall
written by April Stevens and illustrated by Tad Hills

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
by Kevin Henkes

Traction Man is Here
by Mini Grey

Here are a few books I want to read over and over, give to everyone I know, and fill my bookshelves with. Hope you enjoy them, too. Have any favorite reads I haven’t mentioned?

Wanna see the other 800 picture books?

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Books of the Week: Great books, Tough topics

November 30th, 2007 by Sara

There are some topics that it’s impossible to imagine a great picture book about. Until someone does it. Here are a few books that are great stories first, important topics second. As I mentioned in my ‘issue books‘ review, it’s so important to have stories that reflect children’s experiences. But it takes a great writer to reflect them meaningfully, engagingly, and with such compassion.

Before You Were Mine written by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by David Walker

This is a wonderful story about adopting a rescue dog. The child asks the inevitable questions about what the dog’s life was before the child adopted him. Maribeth Boelts doesn’t skirt away from hard thoughts about neglecting or abandoning animals. Instead, she deals with these ideas with compassion, looking to ignorance rather than meanness as the culprit.

As if that wasn’t enough to take on, the child also tells his adopted dog about his other dog, who grew old and had to be put to sleep. This is all done with such gentleness and tenderness that the book retains it’s focus on the friendship between a boy and his dog, without dwelling on the darker side of things. Amazingly well done.

Visiting Day written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by James Ransome

Jacqueline Woodson writes this lovely story about a girl visiting her dad in prison. It focuses on the excitement the girl and her grandma feel about the upcoming visit, about the preparations they make, and how good it feels for the girl to see her father.

This is all done in the context of normalcy, without any judgement or negativity about the girl’s father being in jail. The illustrations are also beautiful and bring out the emotion, softness, and joy in the story. This book brought this subject into a whole new light for me and I love that it is out there.

The Magic Beads written by Susin Nielsen-Fernlund and illustrated by Genevieve Cote

The Magic Beads starts off as a ‘new school’ book, but you quickly realize it is much more. Lillian is starting a new school because she and her mother are living at a shelter, escaping Lillian’s abusive father. Though this is a huge and difficult subject, it manifests itself in specific and very real problem for Lillian. Show and Tell.

Everyday, a different student brings in something cool to show the class. While other students show off their expensive toys and gadgets, the butterflies in Lillian’s stomach turn into grasshoppers and, eventually, buffaloes. Lillian had to leave all her toys, nice clothes, and comforts behind when they left her father. Now, she has nothing to show. She misses her stuff and her Dad a little, too. Triumphantly, Lillian finds her own way to wow the class in this well crafted and engaging story. What a great way to discuss a difficult subject.

Wanna see the what else I’ve been reading?

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Mirror, Mirror, on the wall…

November 27th, 2007 by Sara

I was trying to express the other day why the children’s book community is such a warm and supportive place. I think it’s the same reason why I write for children and young adults in the first place. That is: writers and illustrators of children’s books are trying to achieve something greater than a fantastic story. We are also trying to hold up a mirror that reflects a different image than society is reflecting.

I felt this strongly in high school when I was reading Madeline L’Engle’s A Ring of Endless Light, which showed an awkward, scientifically-minded girl finding love, magic, and poetry in the world. Over the course of the book, Vicky learns how to be strong and I, in turn, integrated her strength into myself.

Before that, in middle school, the same thing happened with the Anastasia Krupnik books by Lois Lowry. Anastasia was always making dramatic and embarrassing mistakes. For example, while walking her dog to the corner mailbox, she accidentally mailed a bag of dog poop instead of her letter. Too mortified to tell anyone, she spends the rest of the book positive that the police were going to arrest her for tampering with the mail. Anastasia’s wild imagination and neuroses helped me find humor in my own.

Before The Great Read of ‘07, I may not have extended this idea to picture books, but now I see that it’s definitely true. Though in a slightly different way. While middle grade and YA books are usually holding the mirror up to the individual (the reader and the main characters), I’ve found that picture books are often reflecting the world at large.

Picture books usually show the way the world should be, or maybe more accurately, the way it should behave. Imaginations are rewarded. Beauty and magic are found everywhere. Grumpy, wild behavior is be forgiven and answered with unconditional love. The lost parent is found, the mix-up is explained, the bully reasoned with. Most of all, kids find ways to fix their mistakes and are easily forgiven.

While so many of these things are not true of the real world, picture books reflect things that should be valued and treasured. They instill a world of creativity and love within a child, that can support and encourage them when the ‘real’ world fails them. This is an awesome and wonderful task. To, page by page, help build the inner world of a child. This is why I write picture books.

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Books of the Week: ‘Truck’ Books

November 25th, 2007 by Sara

There’s probably a better name for this genre, but I call them Truck books. It includes any book that kids love because of the big machines, trains, or trucks that vroom and crunch through it. Though I started out a bit disdainful of this necessary, but often boring genre, I’m learning to respect a good Truck book. Here’s the one that changed my mind:

Trucks Roll written by George Ella Lyon and illustrated by Craig Frazier
The best part about this book is that it’s funny. Though the trucks are beautifully drawn and realistic, they drive across the country carrying loads of giant chocolate chip cookies, puzzle pieces, and dogs. The active rhyme makes this book great to read, as well as look at.

Easy Street written by Rita Gray and illustrated by Mary Bono
Easy Street is a simple, rhyming book about paving a street. What makes this book special is the pictures. Little clay, doozer-like people build the road page by page. Real dirt, gravel, and asphalt are used in the pictures, giving a detailed and exciting look to the process. I swear I could smell the hot tar.

The Three Little Rigs by David Gordon
A twist on the The Three Little Pigs. This book has wonderfully personified machines and enough technical details to really fascinate a child.

Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo written by Kevin Lewis and illustrated by Daniel Kirk
I already raved about this perfectly rhyming, colorful picture book. But this list wouldn’t be complete without it.

Special Mention: Up Above & Down Below by Sue Redding
This book really captures your imagination. Though not a typical ‘truck’ book, it has the same sort of detail and behind the scenes look that kids love. It shows, often humorously, what’s going on above and below in each scene. On the second floor and on the first floor. Bunnies in the garden and below the ground. Kids on the street and workers under it. Simple rhymes and great pictures make this a joy to read.

Posted in Books, Books of the Week, I heart this book, Picture books, The Great Picture Book Read

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One for my baby and one more (page turn) for the road

November 20th, 2007 by Sara

That last page can make or break a story. At the SCBWI Schmooze the other day, someone asked what I was learning from the Great Picture Book Read of ‘07. So here’s the biggest thing. It’s not enough to have a good story. You must have a great ending.

A ’sweet’ last page ends up feeling cheesy if it’s not combined with a giggle. The ‘quiet’ ending leaves you trying to turn one more page, sure that the story isn’t actually over. As a writer, it’s important to ask, is that final page going to deliver a laugh? A twist? A zing? At least a smile? If the reader is going to feel satisfied, it really needs to.

Marla Frazee and her editor, Allyn Johnston, talked a lot about this during the summer conference. Even for a simple book like Everywhere Babies, they sweated over the ending. The last page turn was originally super sweet. I think the picture was a parent hugging a baby and the text went something like this:

“Every day, everywhere, babies are loved…. for trying so hard, for all that they do, for being so wonderful…just like you!”

They wanted a zingier ending, so the text was changed to this and was paired with a baby taking her first steps.

“Every day, everywhere, babies are loved…. for trying so hard, for traveling so far, for being so wonderful…just as they are!”

This was definitely less sweet, but still didn’t give them that final zing they were looking for. So, they kept the new text, but changed the picture. Now, in the published version, the page spread before the final page is a kid’s first birthday party and the final page reads “Just as they are.” With a baby grinning proudly with cake all over her face. This change transformed the final page turn from an ‘ahhhhh….’ to a chuckle. And it makes for a much stronger book.

The perfect ending is definitely tricky to do. Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst brings us a laugh at the end by giving a twist to the repeated phase, “I think I’ll move to Australia.” The book ends with “Mom says some days are like that. Even in Australia.”

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett and Miss Nelson is Missing written by Harry Allard and illustrated by James Marshall both use pictures and text to give us a tantalizing hint that everything is not exactly as it seems.

Often, the final zing is completely in the pictures. Olivia by Ian Falconer is a classic example of the visual last page turn. On the final page of the books, you get to see what grand dreams she is imagining. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems is the same way. Mo Willems even uses the end papers to show the Pigeon imagining himself driving the big rig. Pssst! by Adam Rex uses a visual twist masterfully, though I won’t ruin the surprise. David Wiesner is also a master at this in Tuesday and Sector 7.

Though this may sound a bit obvious, the entire book is leading up to the ending. The final page turn often determines whether the book will make a lasting impression on the reader. It’s your last chance to win over the reader or get that final smile. So make it a good one.

The End

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