Did you Know? November is Picture Book Month!
Celebrate National Picture Book Month
The First Page of Your Picture Book
A picture book is all about your Main Character (MC) and the problem he or she is trying to solve. As in all manuscripts, the first page of your picture book plays an important role. We’re going to talk about the text that will eventually become the first page of the published book. Because the […]
Choosing Your Mentor Text
As any brave explorer would do before embarking on a journey, it’s important for us as children’s writers to choose a reliable flashlight to help us find our way.For writers, our flashlight is a mentor text. What exactly is a mentor text, you may ask? In a nutshell, it’s a children’s book that you want […]
PB Master Class Takeaway: From Frustration to First Draft
The video clip is adorable. A racoon dips a chunk of cotton candy into water, anticipating the scrumptious morsal. but it disappears! He frantically looks for his dissolved treat, unable to comprehend the science between water and the fluffy confection. This is the inspiration for my picture book. Unfortunately, I discovered that it was extremely […]
16 Reasons to Attend Laura Sassi’s Picture Book Master Class by Carol Baldwin
I asked our participants what they are looking forward to learning at Laura Sassi’s picture book class. Each of these is a reason to attend! This is what they said: A list of traditional publishers currently accepting submissions would be great. Joyce M. How to get started putting a children’s book together. Michelle S. How […]
DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE: A Review, Author Interview, and GIVEAWAYS GALORE! by Carol Baldwin
Laura Sassi, our Master Class instructor, gives us a peek into her publication journey.
Let’s Explore Picture Books by Laura Sassi
Here’s a glimpse into Laura Sassi’s Picture Book Master Class is next month.
Pumped Up About Picture Books by Carol Baldwin
We’re pumped up about our Picture Book Master class!
Reading With My Mom by Emily Babbitt
I’ve been working from home for 21 weeks. This prolonged period of isolation has given me time to reflect on happier times in life: adventures and excitement in college, friendships forged in high school, and time spent reading with my mom as a child. Those were the good days — Mom reading to me and […]
9 Tips for Writing Unforgettable Characters by Deborah DeCiantis
According to Elaine Marie Alphin (Creating Characters Kids Will Love p. 2) “Kids read because a magical closeness springs up between them and the characters in books and stories—the same magical closeness I felt as a child. They read because a writer has brought a character to life on the page for them.” Every great […]