Sunday, March 10, 2013

Picture Books - Keep Them Coming

I heard an editor at an SCBWI conference several years ago say that she read children's books above and beyond the manuscripts she reviewed. She went to the library and checked out books (old and new) to be reminded of what is timeless and what is up and coming. 

Hearing that, I've elected to do the same. Nearly every Saturday, I visit one of our branch libraries and choose from among new and classic picture books to review. Yesterday, I chose several new books including Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, The Monster Returns by Perter McCarty, and Red Sled by Lita Judge. All great stories with varied illustration styles. I noticed each story had at its core a theme of helping others. Classic. I hope to incorporate that to a greater degree in the picture book story I'm working on now.

Want to look for more underlying themes? Check out this list of favorite books compiled in 1999 and then updated in 2007 by TeachersFirst. Find your favorites and see if they appeal due to an underlying and connecting theme.

1 comment:

  1. We have our writer's meeting every Tuesday at the Library. I pick up and return PBs and MGs each week to read and look at. Most are great, but I wonder how some of them got published. :o)

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