Pondering picture book basics
Picture books give delight to readers 3 to 8 years old (see the classic retelling in Figure 2-3). Generally, picture books have 24, 32 — or less frequently, 40 — pages and anywhere from 100 to 1,500 words. These books can capture the vastly different interests and attention spans of kids in this age range. Picture books most often measure in at 8½ x 11 inches.
From Quick as a Cricket by Audrey and Don Wood. Reprinted with permission of the author and illustrator. © 2020 Audrey Wood and Don Wood. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
FIGURE 2-3: Quick as a Cricket, a picture book.
Here’s a rundown of the not-so-standard picture book varieties:
Licensed-character picture books: Feature characters generally culled from popular television shows, toys, videogames, apps, and movies. Some licensed characters that have been around for a while and will probably stick around for a while more include Elmo, Barbie, My Little Pony, and SpongeBob SquarePants. According to publishing expert Jane Friedman, a third of all children’s books sold today are based on licensed characters. These books are assigned authors by the publishing or licensing company.
Board book adaptations of picture books: These titles have already had successful runs as picture books, and they get a second life as board books. In general, these board books keep the same text and illustrations as the original picture books (sometimes with an editorial nip and tuck here and there, but usually not enough for the casual reader to notice).
Softcover picture books: Although the 8x8s (books measuring 8 inches x 8 inches) are the most common softcover picture books out there (see Figure 2-4), softcovers come in many sizes and shapes. In the old days, all picture books had a first run (the first printing of the book) as hardcovers. If the hardcover picture book was successful, then the publisher would follow up with the cheaper softcover. Nowadays, publishers often release picture books initially in a softcover format (sometimes referred to as picturebacks). You can often find them in spinner racks at bookstores and markets.
a) Countdown to Grandma’s House and b) Grandpa Lets Me Be Me by Debra Mostow Zakarin. Reprinted courtesy of the author.
FIGURE 2-4: Example picture books.
Becoming a picture book author
To break into the picture book market, you have to write a stellar story, which involves mastering the elements of writing that we cover in Part 3. When you’re done with creating your masterpiece, make sure that you do the following in your picture book:
Keep it short. Capture the essence of your story in no more than 500 to 1,000 words, the fewer the better. (If the book is longer than 1,000 words, you risk losing the attention of the youngest of the picture book audience — and hence those who do the reading to them, as well.)
Make every word work really hard. Eliminate all descriptive baggage and every unnecessary word — especially those words that the illustrations convey.
Use beautiful words. Replace ordinary words with richer, more evocative ones without getting wordy or too adult.
Create a relatable main character. Give your picture book a strong, multidimensional main character whom a child can relate to. (We talk about creating great characters in Chapter 8.)
Follow a clear story arc. Take your main character through a satisfying story arc that includes a beginning, a middle, and an end. (Chapter 9 gets into how to shape your story.)
Convey concrete visual imagery. Use this imagery in action and dialogue throughout to move the plot ahead.
a) My Dog, My Cat reprinted courtesy of Tanglewood Books. © 2011 by Ashlee Fletcher. b) Is a Worry Worrying You? reprinted courtesy of Tanglewood Books. © 2005 Ferida Wolff. c) An Equal Shot by Helaine Becker; illustrations by Dow Phumiruk. Text copyright © 2021 by Helaine Becker. Illustrations copyright © 2021 by Dow Phumiruk. Reprinted by permission of Henry Holt and Company. All Rights Reserved.
FIGURE 2-5: Example picture books.
Other books that have pictures
Although picture books and board books seem to dominate the field in illustrated books, you can find four other players in the category — coloring and activity books, novelty books, informational books, and graphic novels. Of the four, coloring and activity books probably outdo all the others combined in terms of units sold.
THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH POETRY
Most children’s book editors feel pretty strongly about rhymed text. From those who despise it or merely tolerate it to those who adore it, editors are pretty picky about rhyme. Why? Because authors often sacrifice the story for the sake of the rhyme — not to mention torturing the English language to create rhymes, paying little attention to whether the rhymes even make sense. Much more often than not, amateur writers of rhyme skimp on plot and character development, throwing in extra words just to make the rhyme work. Make sure that the story and the language come first; rhyme is secondary. A good rhyming story can sell, but it has to be written as tightly as a story in prose.
If
