Here are the 7 steps to writing a book for children, plus publishing tips from an editor for aspiring children's book authors.

Do you want to learn how to write a children's picture book? Read this ultimate guide to help you know how to start before you even have an idea in mind!

Children's books that teach about honesty and encouarge kids to build truthful relationships with others.

Do you want to write a picture book? Here's how to plot your picture book, plus a free picture book plotting worksheet to help you master your craft!

Before having my third (and FINAL!) child and finding that I no longer have time to brush my hair let alone do anything else, I used to run a 6 week evening course on how to write and illustrate children's books. Being a fan of reuse, recycle and re-hashing old material I thought I might blog the course so that anyone out there who might be interested in taking up this noble profession (which according to my husband amounts to little more than 'colouring in') can glean what they may from my musings. The first three weeks are how to write a picture book, the following three are how to illustrate one. Obviously this is, at best, a brief introduction to the discipline but I hope it might serve as a starting point for a few who may have the talent and inclination but be a little lost on where to begin. I was at that point 14 years ago when I started self-teaching myself by reading just about every article I could lay my hands on and quizzing any professional who didn't take out a restraining order. There will be homework! If you chose to do it, great, if you want to send it to me for my perusal please do and if I get the time to get back to you then we'll both be doing well. Picture Book Writing Course Part 1 What Makes A Good Picture Book It's Tough! True story; Dr Seuss was at a dinner party when he met a Brain surgeon, the brain surgeon said ‘oh, are you that guy who writes those little books for children? I’ve always thought that when I had a free afternoon one Saturday I’d love to write one. Dr Seuss replied, ‘ ‘Ahh yes, and I’ve always thought when I had a free afternoon one Saturday I’d love to do a little brain surgery’ I'm not suggesting that what I do is brain surgery (it's actually more like rocket science;) but there is a misapprehension that it’s easy to write for children and get published. I thought so! Until the harsh realities and rejection letters beat my optimistic spirit violently down. The truth is that writing picture books is a particular artform with it’s own rules and requirements - it’s a craft that takes a long time to master - (and clearly I am in no way near to mastering it yet). It is also an EXTREMELY competitive field. I spoke with a small publisher a few years back who told me they get 100 unsolicited (i.e. not through an agent) manuscripts a week - of which 2 a year might get published. It took me 2 years of hard slog to get illustration work and 8 years of writing picture book manuscripts before one was published - and this is quicker than many. So why do so many people think they can do it? 1) Every parent/grandparent/teacher/aunt with a grain of imagination has made up stories to adoring children and thinks they would be good enough to be published. Unfortunately kids love the attention of anyone making up stories for them whether the stories are any good or not. We all have the ability to make up a story, but this doesn't make us all writers. I can make beans on toast - doesn’t make me a chef! 2) People think their book will change the world! People often get into writing children’s books with projects they are truly passionate about - pets, family anecdotes or memories, or a moral they wish to impart and then take it terribly personally when they hit their first wall and refuse to compromise or take advice. 3) People think it’s easy because unlike a novel, it’s short! But just because there aren’t many words doesn’t mean there isn’t much story. Children's author Mem Fox once compared writing picture books to ‘writing War and Peace in Haiku’. A slight exaggeration, maybe, but one of the most difficult books I've ever written is Zoo Girl - and it's told in only 20 words! But trying to get the story right first, with emotional ups and downs, cliff-hangers, a strong beginning, middle and end, character depth etc. and then condense that down and tell as much as I could in the pictures rather than the words was an immense challenge. It's easier to ramble. As this blog entry is proving. 4) People think it pays well - true if you have a big hit like The Gruffalo but this is exTREMEly unlikely and many books go out of print after their first print run so the writer gets no royalties and may be paid an advance of just £1000 - £3000. Why do most people fail? The fact is that most would-be children’s writers have no idea what they’re doing. They simply haven’t taken the time to learn about writing for children. Let's face it, you wouldn't try to fly a fighter jet without first taking flying lessons. So why do so many people think they can write a children's book without first learning how? (I admit this is a terrible analogy - no one, so far as I know, has ever died a horrible plummeting death from trying to write a picture book without the proper training, but you get my point.) So what’s the secret? Simple - In order to get your picture book published, you MUST find out what publishers are after and then give them EXACTLY what they want. And, the good news is, children's book publishers are desperate for good children's books, because, as I’ve said, most of what they receive is rubbish! Children’s books like anything else are a business (a really fun one, but a business none the less) and as such we need to be creating products which will be appealing to the target audience - not just the children (although they should ALWAYS be at the forefront of our thinking) but the publishers, editors, booksellers that all come before a child even sees it. Hopefully in this course you'll get a strong idea of what publishers want, and how to create it and present it to them. It's also worth saying at this point that if you can overcome the odds, do the research and break into the business - it's one of the most rewarding, enjoyable and fun jobs around! This first session is What Makes a Good Picture Book? - If you don’t know this, how are you going to create your own one? The only way to do this is to research - know your market, love your market, visit libraries and children's departments in book shops, start collecting picture books that catch your eye (charity shops are a great source). If you don’t love children’s books, if you think they're beneath you, if you're scared of being stared at as you spend hours in the children's section of the library, leave now, this profession is not for you. Different kinds of picture books: I regularly get emails from people who have written 'a children's book' and when I ask what kind of children's book and what age it's aimed at they're a bit stumped, or the material in no way goes along with the age they tell me it's aimed at so you need to learn the difference between... mass-market activity books, board and novelty books, Early Readers, picture books, YA novels etc. etc. You'll get to know these by visiting those libraries and bookshops again and seeing what's in each section, holding them, looking at the blurb on the back, etc. In this course it's high-end trade Picture Books we're interested in - these are generally - 32pages, 12-14 full colour spreads, with full-colour, quality illustrations, and original tales told in less than 600 words. But within picture books there are of course different genres, for example; Humourous (eg. Dave, The Monkey With the Bright Blue Bottom, Olivia, Naked Trevor) Action adventure (eg. Gruffalo, Where the wild things are, ) Snuggly bed-time story (eg. Guess How Much I Love you, I love you Daddy, Cub's First Winter) and lots more besides, and many books of course span the whole lot. But it's worth thinking about what kind of book you want to write and which market you'd be aiming at. Characters Your picture book will need a main character and generally these are; Children - the same age or a little older than the target audince (which for a picture book is usually between 3-6 but can be much wider) Animals - usually young animals or an older animal with a child-like outlook Creatures - monsters, fairies, robots etc. Adults - very rarely the main character (Percy the Park keeper is an exception but he looks quite chubby and child-like! There are other notable exceptions but i think best to avoid as your main character) ok to include parents, teachers, doctors etc. - Adults children have come across in their own lives. Inanimate Objects - Again, there are notable exceptions but generally I would avoid writing your picture book about Simon the Stapler or Billy Banana. It's old-fashioned, it's dull, it's of little interest to publishers. The important thing is your picture book needs at least one character the child reader can identify with - so whether it's a robot monkey or bespectacled duck make sure they make choices and deal with emotions like a 5 year old child would. So what makes a book work well? THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO EVERY RULE HERE by generally a great picture book must be; Original - publishers are looking for a new hook or concept Well written - we'll go into more detail about this next week but each word must be perfect. Beginning, middle and end - Straight in, exciting progression, pleasing ending Fit nicely into 12/13 spreads with action on each spread Attractive and entertaining to children and adults Children/main character solving their own problems, not adults stepping in to 'save the day' A Simple idea told clearly Engaging characters GREAT ending We will be looking at this list and going through it in more detail next week but for now; Homework! 1. Look at a selection of (fairly recent) picture books and as you read them and study the illustrations ask the following questions; What kind of book is it (funny, adventure etc.) What’s the basic plot? What is the atmosphere of the book and how is that conveyed? Why and how do the images and text work together? Is the book appropriate for its audience? Why? Is there a character the child can relate to? What is the child meant to gain from the book, if anything? Is there an underlying message or moral to the book? How does the narrative work - is there a definite beginning, middle and end? 2. Come up with 3 vague picture book ideas - include a main character and a rough plot line. Next week - How to Write a Picture Book

Patons 964 Kid s Picture Book

These books with help you talk to your kids about the importance of acceptance, empathy and kindness for others.

Discover fun and easy Eric Carle activities to do with your child! Here are a few ways to create art, games and activities inspired by the popular children's picture book author and illustrator Eric Carle.

Booklist of diverse and multicultural picture books. Children need to not only learn about new cultures, places, and traditions but they also need to be able to "see" themselves in a book.

Use mentor text children's books to teach sensory description and model for our kids how good writers use all their five senses in their writing to show, not tell.

You can teach anything with children's picture books: Science. History. Writing. Math. Cooking. And Art. Especially art. Because picture books are an artform. I'll be writing a Five Day Series this week about connecting children's literature to art. Monday through Thursday I will be sharing four art project ideas inspired by children's picture books. On Friday I have …

Have an idea for picture book that's ready for publishing? Here's the complete breakdown for how to publish a picture book when you're ready!

A big list of 55+ best children's books from the 80s and 90s - titles that will never grow old! Have fun reading these classics with your kids

This giant list of art projects based on children's books will help your students connect art to literature and make some fantastic artwork in the process.

When you've decided to write a children's book, it's easy to wonder how to actually get the art for the book. If you're an artist, then this might not be a concern at all but lots of picture book authors are not. So how do you get your picture book illustrated when you can barely draw a stick figure yourself? It's actually easier than you'd think! In this post, I've broken it down into two easy steps.

Share Wildflower Ramblings!I am excited to bring you the best rhyming books for children! We created a free printable book list to take with you to the library, so you can easily read these with your kids — check it out below!! We have chosen some classics for babies, toddlers and preschoolers, and some collections...

Collection of children's picture books about cowboys and cowgirls. Great for exploring themes like the Wild West, character building, history and more.

Are you exploring gardens or plant life in your homeschool? Today I'm sharing some great books about seeds and plants to help you learn.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I'm feeling pretty festive today (or maybe I'm just craving tacos...) so I thought I'd share some of my favorite Spanish picture books. Or really, to be more specific, the Spanish bilingual books and Mexican culture stories I enjoyed using my Head Start Preschool storytimes (you can see a couple highlighted bilingual storytimes I did here). So here are my top eleven! Plus some more, because I always seem to think of other random titles here and there in my descriptions. There are, of course, many more awesome bilingual books, so if you have a favorite, don't forget to share them in the comments below! Cinco De Mouse-O Written by Judy Cox, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler Holiday House (January 1, 2011) 978-0823423286 ¡Que felicidad! It’s Cinco de Mayo, and Mouse follows his nose to the festival, where musicians play, dancers stomp, and delicious treats abound. This one would be most appropriate for today, of course! Mouse gets to enjoy a proper fiesta (although he should beware the cat) and even tasted some candy. Another awesome Mexican holiday book I enjoyed is The Dead Family Diaz, which celebrates the Day of the Dead. Chicks and Salsa Written by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Paulette Bogan Bloomsbury (October 7, 2005) 978-1599900995 The chickens are very tired of their chicken feed. Luckily, the farmer's wife has been watching some cooking shows and Rooster knows just what to do. This celebration of Mexican food (mmm, guacamole) is pretty silly, but still lots of fun. It's also very similar to another play-on-food-words, Mice and Beans, by Pam Munoz Ryan, which is another great Mexican culture story. Señorita Gordita Written by Helen Ketteman, illustrated by Will Terry Alber Whitman & Co (March 1, 2012) 978-0807573020 A little corn cake has escaped from the frying pan that cooked her and is on the run! Yep, a Spanish version of The Gingerbread Man. It has a lot of Spanish vocabulary (all the animals she's running from) and is a total hit with the kids! Well, until the very end... This author/illustrator team actually has a lot of awesome southwestern-flair retellings that are sure to please, such as Armidilly Chili, and There Once Was a Cowpoke Who Swallowed an Ant. Don Quixote: A BabyLit Spanish Language Primer Written by Jennifer Adams, illustrated by Alison Oliver Gibbs Smith (April 1, 2015) 978-1423638759 So no, this isn't a Mexican cultural book, but it does involve classic literature (albeit, from Spain) and learning Spanish. Plus the illustrations are so cute and it's aimed for those youngest of readers, so yes, I'm including this one. This is a cute one to share with tots and babies. My Family Adventure (Sofia Martinez) Written by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Kim Smith Picture Window Books (February 1, 2015) 978-1479557905 Great for beginning readers, Sofia Martinez is a fun and spunky character dealing with all sorts of family drama (it is hard to be the youngest, you know). The story also has a good amount of Spanish vocabulary—any Spanish words that Sofia and her family use are highlighted and there's an index in the back with the translation. There's also other helpful hints and activities at the end, too. Be sure to check out all the books in the Sofia Martinez series. Mañana, Iguana! Written by Ann Whitford Paul and illustrated by Ethan Long Holiday House (September 1, 2004) 978-0823418084 A classic! Iguana is planning a fiesta. Tortuga the tortoise, Gonejo the rabbit, and Gulebra the snake all want to come. But do they want to help Iguana deliver invitations or stuff the pinata or cook the food? No, no, and no! A lazy trio loses out in this Mexican retelling of the Little Red Hen. Again, be sure to check out more from this author/illustrator duo, such as Fiesta Fiasco and Tortuga in Trouble (a Little Red Riding Hood retelling). Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin Written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh Henry N. Abrams (March 1, 2010) 978-0810938724 This is the story of two cousins, one in America and one in Mexico, and how their daily lives are different yet similar. The text is quite beautiful, with a good sprinkling of Spanish vocabulary. It's a perfect introduction to Mexican culture. Gazpacho for Nacho Written by Tracey C. Kyle, illustrated by Carolina Farías Two Lions (January 14, 2014) 978-1477817278 Okay, yes, I have a thing for food, especially Mexican food. Yes, a lot of these books have to do with food. Sorry, not sorry. This one is really cute, though, so I have to share it. The beautifully rhyming text (yes, English and Spanish words both) tell a perfectly relatable story about a picky eater. It's sure to be loved by all ages. P is for Pinata: A Mexico Alphabet Written by Tony Johnston, illustrated by John Parra Sleeping Bear (September 23, 2008) 978-1585361441 The Discover the World Alphabet series is a favorite of mine. This book has little poetic phrases for each letter of the alphabet, introducing different topics about Mexico. What's even better is the good amount of factual text included to support each topic. This is a good nonfiction choice to share with kids. Fire! ¡Fuego! Brave Bomberos Written by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Dan Santat Bloomsbury (April 24, 2012) 978-1599904610 Firefighters are super brave and this book shows what a day in the life may look like for these heroes—with a healthy dose of Spanish included! Yes, this really isn't a Mexican cultural story, but I do so love Dan Santat's work. And plus, the rhyming, simple text is awesome—good for beginning readers/ Plus, there's an index at the end that explains the many Spanish words. Buenas Noches, Luna Written by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd HarperCollins Español (April 11, 2006) 978-0064434164 This book is more of a tag on to remind you that many classic children's books have been translated into Spanish, making for a great opportunity for kids to learn the language. Do they have a favorite they've practically memorized? Get them the Spanish translation! ....... Do you have a favorite Spanish bilingual or Mexican heritage picture book? Share them in the comments below?

'The fruit of the Spirit for kids' shares a way to teach kids this concept without making it another list of virtues or rules. Includes extra ideas for teaching!

Why are picture books usually 32 pages? How does that affect the story? Part of a 30-day series on How to Write a Picture Book.

Want to teach rules and expectations in an engaging way? Use picture books! These 15 picture books are some of the best to start your year.

Before you submit your children's book to publishers learn how to format your children's manuscript first! Here is the easy guide to help you look like an expert.

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Celebrate diversity with one month's worth of picture books for children ages 4-8.

There's nothing quite as amazing as cooking with kids. Frustrating, yes. But amazing, too. I've always (mostly) enjoyed showing my kids how to cook decent food and take ownership of their own nutrition. But that's not always easy when they're first learning to read recipes. Especially for young kids still learning to read. Long recipes

I love using picture books as inspiration for children’s art projects. Over the past 13 years I have curated a a massive list of project ideas and lesson plans. Here is my growing list of picture books and coordinating art projects for kids: A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni Abe Lincoln’s Dream by Lane Smith

STEM picture books with reviews! Great STEM books for kids to inspire.

Books Come Alive for Children With Picture Book Activities. Crafts, questions, journal pages, printables activities for your favorite books!

Inside you’ll find: picture books about composers, full of living ideas perfect for a Charlotte Mason picture study. Have you ever met a person that hated all types of music? Yeah, me either. Unfortunately, I know far too many people that don’t appreciate classical music. Maybe because they weren’t exposed to it at a young [...]

What is citizenship? Is it the ability to vote? Does it mean having the right documents? Is being a citizen about being part of a community? And what does it mean to be a good

For the past two weeks, my class has been learning about figurative language and how to use it to enhance writing. We worked through 6 elements of figurative language: similes, metaphors, hyperboles, idioms, personification, and onomatopoeia. Here is a listing of picture books I used to teach figurative language and the activity we completed for each piece of language: My lovely student teacher started off with a T-Chart on the board with "like/as" in the center. She had a variety of pictures and words on magnets. Students came up and moved the pieces to create similes such as "busy as a bee" or "cool as a cucumber." She then read the class "Crazy like a Fox." Afterward, she brainstormed with the class characters and a plot to create a class simile story. Pairs of students were assigned a page and had to write a few sentences, including one .". They are currently working on finishing off the illustrations. This story is great to read to your class even if you aren't teaching figurative language! It's all about a boy who can't help but shout out and the strategy he learns to stop it from happening. I didn't do much beyond read the story as the students were able to easily understand having done similes first. Again, I LOVE this story! There are two sequels as well: "More Parts" and "Even More Parts." They are quite funny. The entire book is an exaggeration, but there's also some idioms in here as well. I started off this lesson by having students wash their hands. They were so intrigued just from that! When they returned to their desks, there was a bowl of Alpha-bits cereal on each table group. I gave them 5 minutes to make as many words as they could. After, I told them "Eat your words." :) I explained that in this situation, I actually meant "eat your words", but that's not what the saying really meant. Only one student has actually heard the saying before, so they explained it to the class. As I read "Amelia Bedelia's First Field Trip" (you could read any Amelia story, they are all full of idioms) the students munched their snack and were on the lookout for other things that sounded one way, but actually meant something else. They were able to find them all! I didn't use a book for this one. We talked about onomatopoeia earlier in the year when working on "great grabbers" for writing. A student did tell me that Batman comics would be really useful for teaching this though. I heard about this book on my favourite website - Pinterest. I ordered it off Chapters website and am very happy I did. The little red pen has a whole lot of marking to do, and none of the other school supplies want to help her. But, when she falls into the Pit of No Return (the garbage can) the supplies get together to help her out. I started off by making a chart with all the supplies as headings. I also had an actual red pen, stapler, eraser, push pin and green highlighter. I had the students describe the items. After reading the story, we added more to the chart based on how the books are in the story. I called a student up to circle any "alive" words. It was at this point I introduced the term personification. Students made their own chart that had the headings: noun, verb and adjective. The added at least 5 items under each. From there, they could create personification sentences such as "the wind tapped softly on my window" or "the car grunted as it slowly climbed the hill". What books do you use for teaching figurative language? Leave me your suggestions in the comments!

Inside: You can publish a children's book. You can do it this year! Let's get started with three different paths forward. Shortly after publishing Belinda Baloney Changes Her Mind I started getting messages that were worded much more eloquently but essentially boiled down to this: But, like, how? It's a great question! And a question

The best children’s books about disability every kid should read. This is a list of 21 must-read children’s books that feature characters with disabilities.

Looking for some fabulous Christian picture books for your children? Be sure to check out the picture books on this list!

Learn what you need to make a Quiet Book with links to all the necessary supplies. Links to Quiet Book page ideas and binding tutorial included.