If you saw last week’s Perfect Picture Book Friday post on DUCKWORTH THE DIFFICULT CHILD, you might be curious as to how Michael Sussman comes up with his ideas. Well….here he is to share his process of “mining” for the heart of humor. Thanks, Michael! The Heart of Humor Is anything more delightful than the … More Mining for Heart: “The Heart of Humor” by Michael Sussman
Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday! Here’s a refreshingly fun tale that turns the usual upside down. Next week author Michael Sussman will be back to share his take on the heart of humor! Title: Duckworth the Difficult Child Written by: Michael Sussman Illustrated by: Júlia Sardá Simon & Schuster 2019 Suitable for ages: 4-8 Themes/topics: … More Duckworth the Difficult Child
Today we go Behind the Scenes with author Anne Renaud as she explores the writer’s all important decision of whether to go ahead with a picture book biography or not. Heading down the rabbit hole of research involves a lot of time and effort. I love historical figures that have been lurking in the shadows, … More Behind the Scenes: “Writing a picture book biography – Stop or Go?” by Anne Renaud
Cue the air guitar. It’s time to rock on Perfect Picture Book Friday with GUITAR GENIUS by Kim Tomsic! It’s music, engineering, and rock and roll paired with perseverance, ingenuity, and pure joy. Next week, Kim Tomsic gives us a peek “Behind the Scenes” of her writing journey and shares some craft nuggets.. Title: Guitar … More Guitar Genius
Today Sophia Gholz, author of THE BOY WHO GREW A FOREST, gives us a look “behind the scenes” at a few of the finer threads in the fabric of story. Mood, tone, and theme, done well, work seamlessly to ground a story and let the characters and plot shine. Mood, Tone, Theme & Story Weaving … More Behind the Scenes: “Mood, Tone, Theme & Story Weaving” By Sophia Gholz
It’s so special when I get to share a critique partner’s book for Perfect Picture Book Friday! Based on a true story, this book sprang from the documentary, A Place in the Middle. A few weeks ago, author Heather Gale wrote a guest post for Mining for Heart. If you missed it, go back and … More Ho’onani: Hula Warrior
Today’s feature for Perfect Picture Book Friday, A RACE AROUND THE WORLD: THE TRUE STORY OF NELLIE BLY & ELIZABETH BISLAND, is due out in October. Today you’ll get a sneak peak, and next week, author Caroline Starr Rose will share part of her writing process in a “Behind the Scenes” post. But first—the winner … More A Race Around the World: The True Story of Nellie Bly & Elizabeth Bisland
I’m back for Perfect Picture Book Friday with a lovely tale about nature, commitment, and the impact of a single person. As a tree-lover, this story hit home, and it’s chock full of food for thought for all of us. Don’t miss it! Reminder: If you missed Heather Gale’s Mining for Heart post earlier this week, … More The Boy Who Grew a Forest
One of my long-time critique buddies is here with some thoughts on finding the heart in her debut picture book, HO’ONANI: HULA WARRIOR. Illustrated by Mika Song, the book will release from Tundra Books on Oct. 1, 2019. It’s so exciting to see a manuscript you’ve watched grow and change into a story become a book! AND … More Mining for Heart: “Strong, Sure and Steady: The Beat of Ho’onani’s Heart” by Heather Gale + giveaway!
Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday! I never knew how Title IX came to be until I read GIRLS WITH GUTS: THE ROAD TO BREAKING BARRIERS AND BASHING RECORDS by Debbie Gonzales. What better way to tell about the landmark legislation that opened the door to girls’ athletics than to start with some history and highlights … More Girls With Guts!
