Mining for Heart: “Follow the Dream,” by Nancy Churnin
Writing a picture book biography? Follow the dream! … More Mining for Heart: “Follow the Dream,” by Nancy Churnin
Writing a picture book biography? Follow the dream! … More Mining for Heart: “Follow the Dream,” by Nancy Churnin
PPBF: Six Dots. Another gem from Jen Bryant. She’s amazing! … More Six Dots
When anyone can look up anything, what makes a story different than a Wikipedia entry? What is it that lingers after a child reads a book, bringing new perspective and inspiring thinking? To me, that’s heart, the most essential and difficult part of writing. It’s a thread that you won’t find in the research, but something that comes from the research. It might hit ten seconds before sleep, during a walk, while reading something entirely unrelated, or may never surface at all. Barb Rosenstock, author of a number of picture book biographies, calls it the “So What?” … More Mining for Heart: “Writing a Picture Book Biography? So What?” by Barb Rosenstock
Today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday post features a man of seemingly endless talents, author /illustrator Don Tate. Looking forward to meeting him at the WOW retreat and learning about his process, with text and art! Title: It Jes’ Happened, When Bill Traylor Started to Draw Written by: Don Tate Illustrated by: R. Gregory Christie Lee and … More It Jes’ Happened and more from Don Tate
Another WOW Retreat author is Audrey Vernick. She’s definitely a baseball fan and writes nonfiction as well as fiction picture books. Title: The Kid From Diamond Street, the Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton Written by: Audrey Vernick Illustrated by: Steven Salerno Clarion, HMH, 2016, biography Suitable for ages: 4-7 (easily extends to age 10) … More The Kid From Diamond Street and other Audrey Vernick favorites
Another author I’m thrilled to meet at the Week of Writing (WOW) Retreat is Barb Rosenstock. I’ve already started my list of questions for her. What an amazing writer! It’s hard to choose just two favorites… Title: Dorothea’s Eyes, Dorothea Lange Photographs the Truth Written by: Barb Rosenstock Illustrated by: Gerard DuBois Calkins Creek, 2016, … More Dorothea’s Eyes and The Noisy Paintbox
PPBF Special: For all the teachers who are in the midst of testing season, I’ve included a literature unit for this amazing book. Title: A Splash of Red, the Life and Art of Horace Pippin Written by: Jen Bryant Illustrated by: Melissa Sweet Random House/Knopf, 2015, biography Suitable for ages: 5-8 (easily Gr 1-5) Lexile: 610 … More A Splash of Red
Growing Up Pedro
A perfect book for October! Gearing up for the playoffs and the World Series? Sit down with a great baseball picture book. Here’s one to get you started. (And don’t forget the Cracker Jack.) … More Growing Up Pedro