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Allow me to be Andy Rooney for a moment.
Imagine me as a white-haired, bulbous, salty old man with a whiny accent.
I know, it’s hard. But just IMAGINE. (By the way, isn’t “bulbous” a marvelous word? I think we, as writers, should seek its descriptive assistance more often. But sorry, I digress. Back to being Andy…)
“Ya ever wonder why so many children’s books feature THREES? Goldilocks and the THREE Bears? The THREE Little Pigs? Snow White and the SEVEN Dwarfs? No wait…I miscounted…I mean The THREE Billy Goat’s Gruff?”
Yes, there’s something downright appealing about the number THREE. (P.S., I’ve returned to being Tara. Thank goodness ’cause those eyebrows are itchy.)
It’s like two is too little. And four is too many. As Goldi would say, three is “just right”. Three is as satisfying as a warm, comfy little bed. (Until the three bears arrive home, that is.)
According to Wikipedia (yes, I’m quoting Wiki), “things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader or audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of threes. From slogans (“Go, fight, win!”) to films, many things are structured in threes.”
The rule of threes is all around us. In photography, the “rule of thirds” dictates that the most visually striking elements of a photograph should align with the intersection of theoretical lines which break the image into thirds lengthwise and widthwise. (Geesh, what a clunker of a sentence.) Hence:
In interior decorating, objets d’art are often grouped in threes.
Architecture adheres to this rule as well. Three are more aesthetically pleasing than two or four. Threes help to balance the focal point in a room. Just ask Genevieve.
There’s the “three schema approach” in software engineering. But don’t ask me to explain. That’s the hubby’s forte.
Even religion espouses threes—the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
“Omne trium perfectum” is a Latin phrase which translates to “everything that comes in threes is perfect”. The world seems to think so. You’ll see the “rule of threes” demonstrated everywhere. Hey, I even sneeze three times in a row.
So in picture books, where do we use this rule?
Descriptive groups of three.
“The Monstore” by Tara Lazar & James Burks
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Three images upon a page.
“Boy + Bot” by Ame Dyckman & Dan Yaccarino
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Even three text boxes!
“Children Make Terrible Pets” by Peter Brown
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And the classic three characters.
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But the most important rule of threes in picture books is three attempts to solve a problem. (Prior to the fourth successful attempt.)
These three attempts invest the reader in your hero’s struggles. Solving the problem in one fell swoop? That doesn’t feel genuine, and the reader won’t care about their journey because it’s over before it’s even begun. There’s no time to empathize with your MC. And with two attempts, the main character has not yet collected enough information to help complete his task. But third time’s the charm! (See that?) It’s when he tries again, fails, hits his lowest point, but then realizes just what he needs to rise again. Three attempts build tension and encourage the reader to turn the page–eagerly! Oooh, what happens NEXT?
Crack open your favorite picture book and you’ll notice threes abound. What did you find?
But now, I’m going to tell you about some different numbers…
THE MONSTORE author and PiBoIdMo creator Tara Lazar’s “7 ATE 9”, a pun-packed preschool noir mystery, starring a hard-boiled Private “I” and a mysteriously missing number, to Kevin Lewis at Disney-Hyperion, by Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency (World).
Hip, hip, hooray!
(That’s three cheers!)
Hey look, Jerry won a prize in a box of cereal!
Well, he’s going to be mighty jealous of you PiBoIdMo’ers—because your prizes sure beat a Honey Comb tattoo. (Your prizes are BIG, yeah-yeah-yeah. They’re not SMALL, no-no-no.)
It’s time for the final prizes of PiBoIdMo, the ones offered by our guest bloggers during the month of November. There’s artwork, signed books and critiques galore!
How were the winners selected? I used Random.org to pick a number that corresponded with the order in which you commented on each prize post. Then I checked the winner’s name against the list of registered participants and those who signed the Winner’s Pledge. The name had to appear in both places. If the person commented twice on any of those three posts, they were disqualified. Winners were eligible for one prize only. If a name was selected twice, they were removed and another number was picked by Random.org.
All winners will be emailed within the next few days. If you do not receive an email from me, first check your spam folder, then contact me directly.
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OK, so let’s start with the PRIZES YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT! These are prizes offered by people who did not guest blog but felt compelled to contribute to the event. Thank you Tamson, Suzanne and Alayne!
First, editor Tamson Weston offered a picture book critique for manuscripts under 1000 words. The winner is:
SUZY LEOPOLD
Next, illustrator Suzanne del Rizzo offered a signed, personalized copy of her picture book SKINK ON THE BRINK. It goes to:
BRENNA FRIESNER
Finally, Alayne Kay Christian offered a picture book critique. The lucky one is:
DARYL GOTTIER
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Now let’s move on to the prizes offered by PiBoIdMo guest bloggers.
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NUGGET & FANG Prize Pack
JANET HALFMANN
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Hand Screenprinted Cards
AMIE VALORE-CAPLAN
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Original ZOE & ROBOT Drawing
COURTENAY SCHURMAN
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Signed Hardcopies of the Following Books:
SANTA KID
SHERRY WALZ
MISS SMITH AND THE INCREDIBLE STORYBOOK
DONNA J. SHEPHERD
MISS SMITH AND THE HAUNTED LIBRARY
TONYA LIPPERT
MISS SMITH READS AGAIN
SUZANNE KAUFMAN
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Signed Hardcopy of BE IN CHARGE (Five Winners)
SUE PODUSKA
JANET SMART
LISA CONNORS
JENNIFER VOIGT KAPLAN
ALEXA KAUFHOLD
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Elizabeth Rose Stanton’s Prize
Signed Hardcopy of HENNY (when released)
RICK STARKEY
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Signed Hardopy of CHICK-O-SAURUS REX and a personalize illustration by Daniel Jennewein
LINDA HOFKE
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Signed Hardcopy of CORA COOKS PANCIT
JULIE GRASSO
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BABY PENGUINS EVERYWHERE Prize Pack
ANN BIRNIE
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Choice of Picture Book with Audio CD
MELINE SCHEIDEL
Picture Book Critique
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD
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Signed Copy of DRAW CRAZY CREATURES (Two Winners)
DAWN MITCHELL
LAURI MEYERS
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Signed copies of THE QUIRKS and ELVIS AND THE UNDERDOGS
STACY GRAY
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Picture Book Critique
SUE HEAVENRICH
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Signed F&G of RABBIT’S SONG
THIS KID ERIK
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8.5 x 11 Print from her Etsy Shop (Two winners)
CAROLYN ROHRBAUGH
SHIELA FULLER
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ROBOT ZOMBIE FRANKENSTEIN! Prize Pack
GRANT JENKINSON
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KAR-BEN Books Prize Pack
COREY ROSEN SCHWARTZ
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Critique of Kidlit Manuscript – 10 Pages
MELANIE ELLSWORTH
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ARNIE THE DOUGHNUT Prize Pack
MARGARET GREANIAS
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Well, that’s all folks! This officially concludes PiBoIdMo 2013. It’s been a blast! Thank you for your enthusiasm throughout the event, in your comments and your participation in the Facebook group. I could not do it without you—and that’s not cliché, that’s TRUTH.
Please remember to contact me should any of your PiBoIdMo ideas win a contest, an agent or a contract. I love highlighting your success stories!
But for now, write on! Be sure to consider some of these other picture book writing challenges offered throughout the year:
- Shannon Abercrombie’s Start The Year off Write 2014
- Meg Miller’s ReViMo 2014
- Julie Hedlund’s 12 x 12 in 2014
- Lora Koehler and Jean Reagan’s Picture Book Marathon 2014
- Paula Yoo’s NaPiBoWriWee 2014
…and, of course, PiBoIdMo 2014! See you next November!
Who shall roll the drums this time?
Sorry, Anna Kendrick canceled last minute and this is all I could get on short notice.
So there’s more prizes to give away…all the Post-PiBo goodies!
Again, winners were selected with the help of Random.org and double checking and blah-di-blah-di-blah-blah. You know the drill by now.
So let’s go…
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TEA PARTY RULES Prize Pack
LORI ALEXANDER
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Signed hardcopy of DEAR SANTASAURUS
CATHY BIGGERSTAFF
Picture book critique
MARY CROCKETT
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Picture book critique
SUZI GUINA
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Signed hardcopy of GOLDI ROCKS AND THE THREE BEARS
ELLEN MOTT
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Weeeeee! Congratulations to the winners! Be on the lookout for an email from me.
That’s all for today, folks. Stay tuned for the rest of the PiBoIdMo prizes!
I’ve already asked Animal for a drum roll twice on this blog, so it’s time to give someone else a chance. Take it away, Mr. Astaire!
What poise! What grace! What shiny white spats!
So here are the prize winners for those goodies given away during Pre-PiBo in late October.
How were these winners selected? Again, I used Random.org to draw numbers which corresponded to the order in which a person commented on the prize post. Then I checked to ensure that the participant had officially registered AND completed the challenge and had only commented once on each of the three posts. If all checked out, they were named the official winner!
All winners will be receiving an email from me today. Please be on the lookout for it. If you don’t receive it, please contact me.
Without further ado…
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Signed hardcopy of NEVER PLAY MUSIC RIGHT NEXT TO THE ZOO
TANIA COLE
Skype visit
JULIANA LEE
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GOLD 12×12 Membership for 2014
JANELLE MIKULAS
Signed hardcopy of A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS
CAT JONES
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Picture book critique #1
PAT HAAPANIEMI
Picture book critique #2
YVONNE MES
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Signed hardcopies of ADOPTIVE FATHER and WITHOUT ME?
DEE ALMOND
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Picture book critique
LAURA GEHL
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Signed hardcopy of THE HOUSE THAT SANTA BUILT
SANDY PERLIC
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Congratulations to all the Pre-PiBo winners.
MANY more winners to come so stay tuned!
***UPDATE 12/21/13: I’m thrilled to report that CHALKY has been fully funded! Congratulations to the gentlemen of Little Thunder Co., Jordan Henderson and Kyle Steed.***
Two weeks ago as I was wrapping up PiBoIdMo (and holiday gifts), this little fella arrived in my inbox:
I immediately connected with the illustration—even though I’m allergic to cats. ***AH-CHOO!***
But just look at him! Fluffy and soft, pawing his way into the sunshine for a day of adventure!
Captivated by the texture of the illustration, the color palette, the dapples of light, and the cat’s expressive body language, I wanted to know more.
I learned that his name is Chalky. CHALKY AND THE NEW SPORTS CAR is a picture book venture by Little Thunder Co., a trio of designers from Belfast. Chalky is a character based on a real cat, with illustrations by the talented Jordan Henderson and original typography by Kyle Steed. They’ve got a Kickstarter campaign that ends in FOUR DAYS and they need your help!
So I sat down with Gabriel, Tim and Michael of Little Thunder Co. to talk about the process of creating CHALKY and the behind-the-scenes challenges of launching a Kickstarter project. Mind you, I was sitting in New Jersey while these guys were in Ireland. And they probably weren’t sitting, they’ve been so busy promoting CHALKY! I imagine them floating around like superheroes, as in their photo…
Gabriel Muldoon, Tim Potter and Michael McKeever
Gentlemen, this blog often focuses on ideas and inspiration. Your main character, Chalky, was based on a real cat. Whose cat is Chalky and how did this evolve into a story for children?
TIM: Chalky was a stray cat who was found in a friend’s shed circa 2003. I brought him back home where he has resided ever since as our family cat.
Chalky is a fun, friendly and curious cat. He has a particular passion for cars and enjoys sitting on the warm bonnets (hoods) of vehicles that have recently parked in the neighbourhood—and who could blame him given the Irish climate? He also enjoys peering up the exhaust pipe of cars and, being a white cat, he would often return home with a black ring of soot on his face. Big exhaust pipes are his favourite—the more of his face he can press up it, the better. I don’t know what the fascination is, but it gives us a few laughs when he comes home at night with soot on his face.
My father and author, Stanley Potter, turned his hand to writing short stories and poetry in his retirement and the things Chalky gets up to are a constant source of material for him. He wanted to write these stories for his grandchildren to enjoy and he sent me over this first story “Chalky and the New Sports Car” and I was so impressed with it that I shared it with the rest of the Little Thunder Co. team.
What kind of work does your production company, Little Thunder Co., typically do, and how do you think your experience translates into creating a children’s picture book?
GABRIEL: We’re primarily a digital design studio that creates high-impact digital products for the big screen, small screen and everything in between. This typically includes websites and apps but our main speciality is humanising the user experience by taking the best practices and principles of design to create an organic experience for the user.
Part of what we do involves storytelling, and apps and websites all have an underlying narrative. Some are good and we don’t even notice them, others are bad and stick out like a sore thumb so we look at transition, pacing, language—all important aspects of how a story unfolds over time—and apply these to our work. These storytelling techniques transcend different disciplines and has helped us in the production of our children’s book. We’ve been able to break the story down, identify key scenes and art direct it in a way that is fitting to the audience, the same way we would had it been a website. We’ve learned a lot of new things along the way about picture books that we can also apply to our craft as designers so there is a great cross-over and sharing of knowledge between both practices.
As designers we also understand layout and typography so we’ve been able to apply these to the design of the book. Typography is a really important ingredient for us and we consider it ‘clothing for words’ so we’ve put a huge emphasis on getting this right which has led us to commision typographer Kyle Steed to hand craft every word in the book. We could have picked a font and there are plenty of great ones out there, but we wanted to create the complete children’s picture book experience and we couldn’t achieve it without giving the words their own unique voice.
So you knew from the beginning that you wanted to take control of this creation and not go the traditional publication route. What led you to Kickstarter? What specific challenges come with launching a Kickstarter campaign?
GABRIEL: Over the past few months there have been a string of successful Kickstarter projects from companies based within a few minutes walk from our office (Brewbot, SeeSense & Patchblocks), so we felt the time was right to give it a go ourselves. Belfast is an exciting place to be right now in regards to design and we have a very supportive community that will get behind your project and support you.
MICHAEL: This is the first Kickstarter project that we have launched and one thing we have learnt is that preparation is first and foremost. There is an enormous amount of content you have to think about and prepare beforehand. The video itself is an important part of your pitch and we were literally filming right up until a few minutes before we needed to go live.
TIM: Once it went live you soon find yourself working around the clock to promote it, responding to questions and comments, thinking of new strategies to help gain pledges, the list is endless. It’s quite the emotional roller coaster as if you don’t make your goal, you don’t get a penny from Kickstarter. It’s all or nothing which adds to the intensity during the funding period.
What are your goals for CHALKY? How do you hope your audience will react to the story?
GABRIEL: Simply, we hope that the book resonates with the audience through the beautiful illustrations, typography and engaging story to create the sort of book parents will enjoy reading their kids and the book that the kids will ask for their parents to read them.
What will be your definition of success for the book?
MICHAEL: I would say success to us would be getting to the stage where we have physical copies of the book that people can own and can live on their bookshelves. Something that kids and parents will enjoy reading.
GABRIEL: Yeah, and just on that point, I think the greatest moment will be able to read our story to my kids and get to experience what it is all about at the end of the day, a book the family can enjoy.
Do you have a goal for the number of books you hope to sell?
TIM: In all honesty we’re doing this project out of passion to create something beautiful and different from what is already out there on the market. As far as sales go, it is hard for us to project this, because this is our first attempt at entering the children’s book market. All we knew starting this was we wanted this book to exist and every sale after that is a bonus, so we’ve no spreadsheet hidden away with projected sales and targets. To us it’s all about the craft of something great.
What about Chalky do you feel is different from what’s already on the market?
I would say we’ve researched the anatomy of great storytelling and what makes something visually compelling and tried to apply these to the production of CHALKY. An example would be the typography. We could have used an existing typeface for the book but for us to create a richer, immersive experience and to compliment the illustrations, we’ve wanted to get the words hand-crafted. We also have gone for a unique illustrative style, that is totally digital but calls on traditional painting techniques to create them.
If successful with this book, what will you do next? A Chalky sequel or other picture books?
GABRIEL: We actually have another four Chalky stories written and ready to go which will introduce new characters and adventures. If this first book is successful, we’ll start to work on the next one and develop Chalky as a brand. The bigger picture is to become an independent publishing house and work with other story writers, designers, typographers and illustrators to create a rich and varied collection of picture books all created to an exceptional standard.
Thank you so much Gabriel, Tim and Michael, and I wish you much success with CHALKY!
Dear blog readers, ’tis the season of giving. The gentlemen are shy of their Kickstarter goal, so won’t you consider backing them? Remember, when you back them, they give you something back!
Click below to go to the Kickstarter campaign.
Plus Gabriel, Tim and Michael would love to hear what you think of CHALKY! Do you have any questions about their creative process or Kickstarter? Please leave them a comment below.
P.S. More PiBoIdMo prizes to come, so stay tuned!
Drum roll, please!
(Did I ever mention I’m a huge Muppets fan?)
It’s time to announce our PiBoIdMo 2013 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS!
How were these winners selected? Every participant who signed the PiBoIdMo Winner’s Pledge was assigned a number based upon the order in which they commented. I then used Random.org to generate random numbers. The numbers were checked to their corresponding name, then I ensured that name was on the PiBoIdMo registration post. If the name had been registered, then I double checked to make sure they had not commented on the winner’s pledge multiple times (thus giving them extra chances to win). If all checked out, the winner was verified. (And they all checked out!)
Without further ado, here they are! Please congratulate them!
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KAREN MAE ZOCCOLI
DENICE R. GILB
JAN DEYKIN
MARY ROSE
SYLVIA LIU
SUMMER HINDERER
NOEL CSERMAK
DEBBIE ALVAREZ
KATHY DOHERTY
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I will pair each of you with a PiBoIdMo agent and contact you via email.
You will have one week to contact your agent with your FIVE best ideas. I suggest you flesh them out into a paragraph, like an elevator pitch. Something short and snappy. The agent will then provide feedback on which idea(s) may be the best to pursue as manuscripts. The agent may provide short and sweet feedback like a simple “Go for it!” or more lengthy feedback providing suggestions. I don’t know what’s in store for you–but there’s one thing for certain–their feedback will help you determine what to begin writing!
Thank you all for participating this year! I daresay it was the best year ever!
Remember there are PLENTY more prizes to come—everything you saw during the event plus even a few more! Signed books and critiques and art, OH MY! More to come all this week…
***blows into hankie***
Yes, I’m emotional because the 5th annual PiBoIdMo has come to a close. It’s been an incredibly satisfying few months for me—from organizing guest bloggers, to reading their sage advice, to receiving thankful emails from you, the participants. I am grateful for your feedback. Knowing that the kidlit writing community has benefitted from this challenge is my greatest reward. It means there are many more fabulous picture books on their way, into the eager hands of children.
As a newbie kidlit writer, I had to discover much of the information you’ve learned here on my own. There were few picture book blogs when I began my journey seven years ago, and most of the craft knowledge I gained was from SCBWI events. I would take copious notes then dash home to transcribe them with lightning fast fingers. Doing so helped the information soak into my brain. Then I decided to slap my notes on a blog for others to benefit. After all, not everyone is able to attend SCBWI events.
To this day, the most popular post on my blog remains the one I created when I learned about picture book construction from an editor—the difference between a self-ended picture book and one with colored ends—and how you do not have 32 pages to tell a tale in a 32-page picture book. No one had ever bothered to explain this to me before, and I had never seen it diagrammed. That post from February 2009—almost five years ago—gets the majority of this blog’s traffic, even during PiBoIdMo!
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But I’m also emotional because—hey—picture books crave emotion. A story is truly defined as an emotional journey. The character in the beginning of your story is not who she is at the end. She has grown. Changed. EVOLVED.
Your picture book should contain a universal emotional truth to which a child can identify. The reader must empathize with your character. They must know how your character feels. They must become invested in the emotional journey.
Let’s examine some emotions in popular picture books:
The premise:
Emily’s favorite toy Stanley gets bunny-napped by mean old Queen Gloriana.
The emotional truth:
Children understand the love and joy a cherished toy brings. And they understand the misery of that kind of loss.
Other lost-toy tales:
KNUFFLE BUNNY & KNUFFLE BUNNY TOO by Mo Willems
EXTRA YARN by Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen
I LOST MY BEAR by Jules Feiffer
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The premise:
Ruby is the new girl in school and she just wants to be noticed. But she goes about it the wrong way—by copying everything Angela wears, says and does.
The emotional truth:
Children feel trepidation surrounding new situations. Being young, their lives are full of “new”. Many books deal with this issue, from welcoming a new baby into the family (be careful, this topic is overdone), to being the new kid in school. Other emotional themes in these books are loneliness, fitting in, and being yourself.
Other making-friends/new kid tales:
LISSY’S FRIENDS by Grace Lin
YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND! by Peter Brown
NEVILLE by Norton Juster and G. Brian Karas
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The premise:
Everything was always quiet on Earmuffle Avenue, that is, until the Louds moved in. The quiet neighbors became quite upset. They asked the Louds to tone it down, but once silence descended, the neighbors realized they missed the boisterous family.
The emotional truth:
Children must constantly adjust to a variety of people, ideas and perspectives around them. And they have to assert themselves and grow into their own little personalities. They understand how “different” some people can be. They understand how they can sometimes be the “different” one. Books like THE LOUDS demonstrate how it’s OK to be whom you are, and that it’s possible to appreciate people who are different from you. And the book does this without being preachy. In fact, it’s mighty good, rowdy fun.
Other being-different/being-yourself tales:
CALVIN CAN’T FLY by Jennifer Berne & Keith Bendis
COWBOY CAMP by Tammi Sauer & Mike Reed
CHRYSANTHEMUM by Kevin Henkes
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The premise:
Zack is tired of his pesky little sister overtaking his bedroom. So he buys monsters to scare Gracie away. But the monsters don’t do their jobs. In the end, however, the siblings learn to appreciate each another and to cooperate.
The emotional truth:
Many children have siblings and they understand the contentious nature of that relationship. They can relate to a sibling either being pesky, or being shunned and teased by an older sibling. So they can understand Zack’s eagerness to spook Gracie and Gracie’s desire to be around her brother. And they also know that sometimes a sibling can be the best playmate ever.
Other sibling tales:
THE CHICKEN OF THE FAMILY by Mary Amato & Delphine Durand
SCRIBBLE by Deborah Freedman
DAFFODIL by Emily Jenkins & Tomek Bogacki
These stories aren’t just about a toy rabbit, a classroom, loud neighbors or kooky monsters. There is an emotional layer woven into each tale. The child reading the story can empathize with the characters because they have felt similar emotions. Sure, they may never have been visited by the Queen’s footmen or crawled into a trap-door monster store—those are the fantastical elements of the stories. But these elements are grounded in reality by EMOTION.
Other emotions in picture books:
- Fear/Worry
- Anger
- Confusion
- Disappointment/Loss
- Sadness
- Embarrassment
- Impatience
- Nervousness/Anticipation
- Loneliness
- Excitement
- Thankfulness/Appreciation
- Pride
- Love
- Happiness
And there’s more. This is by no means an exhaustive list!
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to identify the emotion in random picture books. Go to the library, pull some off the shelf and read. What emotions are in the tale? How easily can a child relate to these emotions?
And don’t forget a box of tissues. Some books are so lovey-dovey, I can’t help but choke up.
***blows into hankie***
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Here’s a request from me—if you have enjoyed PiBoIdMo 2013 and reading this blog, I ask for your nomination for “The Top 10 Blogs for Writers” over at Write to Done. Please note the nomination will not count without the link to my site (taralazar.com) and a comment regarding why you are nominating it. And of course, feel free to nominate someone else’s deserving blog instead of this one. Only one nomination counts, so make it count!
Also, signed and personalized copies of THE MONSTORE are available for holiday purchase directly from The Bookworm in Bernardsville, NJ. Just give them a call at 908-766-4599 and I’ll run over there to sign your copy. (Don’t worry, it’s not far. And besides, who doesn’t love spending time at a bookstore?)
Thanks again for participating in PiBoIdMo 2013! It’s your enthusiasm that makes this such a worthwhile event. Prize selections will begin this week! Good luck to all!
by It’s only fitting that Tara would choose me, the author of THE BUTT BOOK, to bring up the rear, closing out the guest blogs of Post–Picture Book Idea Month—or Post-PiBoIdMo, to the cognoscenti. And I’m pleased as punch to oblige—and grateful for the opportunity.
I wasn’t always a picture-book author. I spent my days chiseling away at the manuscripts of others, fashioning them into presentability. And at night I would dream. I would dream that someday, some blessed someday, I too would write a picture book. Inspiration struck while reading Dr. Seuss’s wacky anatomical series. You know, The Foot Book, The Eye Book, The Tooth Book, The Eyetooth Book! They’re a goldmine of zaniness and fun. But something was missing. And that something was . . . THE BUTT BOOK. Now, I know it was presumptuous, even cheeky, of me to think that I could write it, but someone had to. Dr. Seuss would have penned it himself, I’m sure, had he not passed away in 1991, when the zeitgeist was less disposed to the duff. So I wrote THE BUTT BOOK, and the rest is history. Bloomsbury Children’s Books selected the superb illustrator Mike Lester to bring pictorial life to my words, and it published in January 2010. There would be no stopping me now. I had a cranium full of ideas—and several new notebooks.
While THE BUTT BOOK still had legs (and long ones at that), it was now time for my second act. I didn’t want to be a one-trick pony. I cast about for the perfect follow-up. What should it be? Should it be . . . naaaah. Or maybe . . . naaah. But then I had a brainstorm. Perhaps a children’s book in verse about poop might be the ticket! After all, what more fertile topic could there be for one’s “number two” picture book. And there seemed to be a natural progression. Butts yield poop. So I was thinking about answering the call of doody. And when the word “poopendous” came to me out of the poo—I mean, out of the blue—that clinched it! I raced to Amazon to see if anyone had written a book called POOPENDOUS! And I kept checking, day after day after day, as I set about researching and writing it. Then began the Sisyphean task of finding a publisher, all the while praying that no upstarts would trump in with a Poopendous! of their own. Could there be room in this wide world for two Poopendi! (the plural)? Blue Apple Books bit and matched me up with the super-talented artist Mike Moran, who brought a large dollop of goggle-eyed charm to the proceedings. POOPENDOUS! popped up in March 2012.
I do love writing nonfiction in verse on unmentionable topics, and the books have been very well received, but I’ve decided to take a detour with my next picture book. It will be a more traditional storybook, though still in verse, with appealing animal characters. PETER PANDA MELTS DOWN!, illustrated by the wonderful John Nez, will be coming out in February 2014. Its protagonist is a pettish panda prone to periodic paroxysms. Will he learn to calm down before much put-upon Mama Panda melts down herself!? Time will tell.
But the detour will be short-lived. I happily get back on track with BELCHES, BURPS AND FARTS—OH MY!, which will disgorge in July. My Old World grandmother would have said, “From this he makes a living?” And she would’ve been right to ask. Still, readers may wonder if I had, say, some posterior motive in writing THE BUTT BOOK. Or perhaps a natural poopensity for its sequel. I think, though, that the truth is deeper—and darker. You see, somewhere inside my stodgy exterior lurks a juvenile delinquent. In fact, scratch the surface of any do-gooding milquetoast of a man and you find a rip-roaring rapscallion. What I’ve seen also is that all boys—and intrepid girls—are drawn to these topics. It’s nature’s way. And the books bring a unique perspective to these matters, melding humor, wordplay, fun facts, and verse.
One of the great joys is getting the occasional piece of fan mail. The other day a young mother wrote to say how much she and her three-year-old son are enjoying POOPENDOUS! But she added, with a hint of exasperation, that all he says now is “Hey, farmer, have you tried manure?” So I offered a sincere apology for the disruption.
And I have admirers. After my reading at Celebrate Children’s Book Day at Sunnyside, a mommy eagerly approached me, with her adorable little towhead in tow. Little Samantha, all of four years old, stood shyly before me and began to recite Poopendous! “Poop is yucky, poop is foul. Step in poop and you will howl. To read this book, you must be strong. Just hold your nose and come along!” Apparently, she and her mom had picked up a copy while summering in the Hamptons, and she was so taken by it that she had committed it to memory. I was deeply moved by her recital.
But I’ve also had hecklers. The very first time I read THE BUTT BOOK before a live—and sizable—audience was at a synagogue for a Purim celebration. I was nervous, never having done anything like this before. I had just completed the opening verse—“Eyes and ears are much respected. But the butt has been neglected. We hope to change that here and now. Would the butt please take a bow?”—when a small boy, sitting right up front, yelled out, “That’s not possible!!!”
And I have to admit, it shook me up just a little bit. So I would tell that story at subsequent appearances and say how I hoped there were no hecklers in the audience today. Then one day, during an appearance at the Book Revue in Huntington, Long Island, a young mom, flanked by her small daughters, raised her hand just as I finished relating this anecdote. “Yes, what is it?” I asked. “Our last name is Heckler. We’re the Hecklers!” she proclaimed. “You’re the good Hecklers, You can stay!” I told her.
Well, I think it’s a wrap. It’s way past my bedtime. Time for milk and cookies.
In conclusion, I believe we’ve seen how ideas for great picture books are everywhere—and how inspiration surrounds us. We’ve only to greet the world with compassion, courage, and humor, and our dreams may all come true.
Happy reading—and writing!
Artie Bennett is the executive copy editor for a children’s book publisher and he writes a little on the side (but not the backside!).
Artie, who would be hailed as “the Dr. Seuss of your caboose,” wrote THE BUTT BOOK, his first “mature” work, which published in 2010. THE BUTT BOOK was showered with praise and won the prestigious Reuben Award for Book Illustration. His “number two” picture book, fittingly, was entitled POOPENDOUS! What more fertile topic could there be but poop!
His third picture book, the much-anticipated PETER PANDA MELTS DOWN!, illustrated by the virtuosic artist John Nez, publishes in February 2014. His fourth picture book, the uproarious BELCHES, BURPS AND FARTS—OH MY!, will publish in July 2014.
Artie was the youngest (at age thirteen) person to originate and sell a crossword puzzle to the New York Times. He went on to sell several dailies and two large Sunday puzzles to the Times before he began college. It’s been downhill ever since.
He and his wife, Leah, live deep in the bowels of Brooklyn, New York, where he spends his spare time moving his car to satisfy the rigorous demands of alternate-side-of-the-street parking and shaking his fist at his neighbors.
Visit ArtieBennett.com . . . before someone else does!
by Ame Dyckman
There they are! Your PiBoIdMo ideas! Staring at you with perky eyebrows and expectant smiles and wiggling like puppies.
Now, whatddya DO with ’em?!
Your 30 ideas all have potential for something. (Except that 11:59 PM idea about the talking toilet. Let that one go.)
Your 29 ideas all have potential for something. But no matter how rockin’ each of them may be, you really can’t develop more than a few of them into picture book manuscripts at the same time. And you don’t know to choose just two or three to focus on now.
So you try my patented Idea Herding Method® and bang your head on the table*, causing most of your PiBoIdMo ideas to run and dive into various folders in your brain:
- Possible Future Manuscript Ideas
- Possible Tweet/Post/Social-Media-of-Your-Choice Ideas
- Possibly Too Weird To Share With Anyone Else Ideas
*You agree that Ame shall not be held responsible for damage to your forehead—or table—and acknowledge that suing Ame would be pointless as she spends all her money on books and candy.
These hiding-in-folders ideas aren’t gone gone. They’ll probably peek out to say, “Howdy!” from time to time. (And the ideas in the last folder are bound to pop out and create Very Embarrassing Moments at parties. Nuthin’ you can do.)
But a few of your PiBoIdMo ideas don’t run away. They rush over and give your poor sore head a reassuring pat.
’Cause they really like you.
And you realize you really like them, too.
So be a good host and offer your Special Ideas a little something. Like opening lines.
No, not “Hey, baby. Come ’round my brain often?” I mean opening lines for the stories your Special Ideas want to tell.
Genius opening lines, ones that set up worlds where each of your Special Ideas can hang out and grow.
Got ’em? Awesome! Looks like you and your Special Ideas are bonding.
Write each Special Idea’s opening line (and title, if you’re feelin’ it) on its own piece of paper.
Now fetch a roll of tape. And this is the Really Important Part…
Tape your nose like a pig.
Yeah, it has absolutely nothing to do with writing. But it’s FUN! And having fun is Really Important!
Right. Back to writing.
Use the tape that’s not on your nose to tape each of your Special Ideas’ opening line pages to a door in your home.
Yeah, I’m being serious. (What? It happens occasionally.)
You don’t get to make any excuses for not doing this. ’Cause I’ve already made them—and countered them—for you:
- “I don’t want people to see my ideas.”
Your signings are gonna be interesting.
- “I might scuff my door.”
So repaint it when you’re done. Purple would be nice.
- “I don’t have a door.”
Really? I will be right over to investigate your freaky slide-in-the-windows-General-Lee-style home. And then I will find something in your home to tape your opening lines to: - Your fridge.
- Your TV.
- Your pet. (Sorry, Fluffy!)
Because this is the Really Important Writing Part: when you feel your Special Ideas can stand up to the Blood (paper cuts, yo), Sweat, and Revisions necessary to try to bring them forward, then they’re worth keeping them where you can see them—and sharing with the Special Folks that supported your participation in PiBoIdMo in the first place:
- Your family.
- Your friends.
- The delivery guy with the sideburns that look like Peru. (Okay, maybe not him. But definitely your family and friends.)
And with your continued work and your Special Folks’ continued encouragement, your Truly Special Idea has the potential to become an Amazing Manuscript—and hopefully, more.
So, get to taping! Then say it loud, say it proud:
“This is the Future Published Picture Book I’m writing. And here’s how it starts…”
GOOD LUCK, GUYS! I can’t wait to see ’em on the shelves!
Ame Dyckman is the author of BOY + BOT (Knopf; 2012); TEA PARTY RULES (Viking; 2013); WOLFIE THE BUNNY (Little, Brown; 2015); and HORRIBLE BEAR (Little, Brown; 2016). Her Super Agent Guy is about to sub her latest manuscript, previously taped to a purple door in Ame’s house. (The manuscript. Not her agent.) Find Ame sitting on the floor of her local library, or on Twitter: @AmeDyckman.
Ame is giving away a signed copy of TEA PARTY RULES (brilliantly illustrated by K.G. Campbell), and a TEA PARTY RULES prize pack: bookmark, sticker, button, and squeeze cookie. (If you win, do not attempt to eat the squeeze cookie. Ame says they taste gross.) This prize pack will be given away at the conclusion of Post-PiBo.
You are eligible for this prize if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented ONCE ONLY on today’s post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You have signed the PiBoIdMo Winner’s Pledge.)
Good luck, everyone!
by When I tell people that I have a mechanical engineering degree and that I’m also a picture book author, they look at me like I’m trying to mate two different species. Like I’m part alligator and part butterfly. (That would be one scary insect/reptile.)
But as an engineer, I relied heavily on my creative gifts and as an author I can use engineering skills to organize and tackle writing projects. November and PiBoIdMo were about the creativity. Now in December, let’s use our engineering skills to tackle the what-is-next problem. (Don’t worry. You DO have engineering skills. You just don’t know it.)
When I worked as an airline seat engineer I had to create a bill of material (called more affectionately a BOM). A BOM was used by purchasing to order all the parts needed to create an airline seat—everything from nuts and bolts to cushions to motors. (These were the awesome first class seats that fully recline and offer in-flight entertainment.) I’m suggesting a BOM could also be used to create a children’s picture book.
Let’s look back at our ideas from November. This is our inventory from which we can create a BOM. I like to use a spreadsheet, but you can do the same thing with paper, pen and a straight edge. Make a list of all the characters that sprung to life in November and put them in column A. Then make a list of other components needed in a book: settings, problems, titles, goals, situations, emotions, other, etc. It’s OK if you have fifty characters listed and only five settings.
(click to view chart at full size)
Now we have a list of components we can use to build a story. By creating your spreadsheet, you might see that you have a great character and interesting problem that you do not previously consider putting together. Your cookie-loving shark might be the perfect hero to free Mars of aliens.
Or maybe not.
Engineers—like authors—also go through numerous revisions. And every part you need to build your picture book will not be in your inventory list. Your BOM for each story will require the creation of new components. Your goal and your setting may work, but you may need to create a new character (a character not created in November, but in December).
So don’t be afraid to engineer your picture book. In the end, creativity and structure can live happily ever after.
Stacy was a mechanical engineer for 8 years before becoming a full-time writer. DEAR SANTASAURUS, her first picture book, was released in October from Boyds Mills Press. She has also engineered two other picture books to be published in 2015 by Random House and Knopf. Stacy lives in a messy house in North Carolina with her 3 messy kids, 2 messy dogs, and 1 messy husband. Visit her at StacyMcAnulty.com.
Stacy is giving away a signed copy of DEAR SANTASAURUS and a picture book critique. Leave a comment to be entered.
You are eligible for this prize if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented ONCE ONLY on today’s post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You have signed the PiBoIdMo Winner’s Pledge.)
Good luck, everyone!
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 