Picture BooksTag

Things I Learned from Working in Publishing (That I Wish I Knew Earlier)

I spent 12 years in children’s publishing and here is a selection of things I learned on the job that I wish I had known beforehand. You don’t need an illustrator to submit your picture book manuscriptIn ...

Sara Truuvert Explores a Child's View of Japanese Internment in Her Moving First Picture Book

In Japanese folklore, a baku is a chimeric creature that children can call on to protect them from bad dreams – an eater of nightmares. In fiction writer and poet Sara Truuvert's first picture book Mira ...

Susan Vande Griek on How the Reemergence of Urban Animals Around the World Inspired Her New Picture Book

Anyone who has ever seen a deer, fox, or other skittish wildlife knows that your best bet to catch a glimpse is to stay still and quiet – to pretend, in essence, that you're not there. In The Animals ...

Eugenie Fernandes on Breaking Down the Extrovert/Introvert Dichotomy in Her Lovable New Picture Book

In recent years, the idea of introverts (those who may enjoy social interactions but find them draining) and extroverts (those who gain energy from social interactions) has been everywhere, from online ...

Marie-Louise Gay on Getting Personal about Tough Childhood Moments in Her Magical New Picture Book

For a kid, moving to a new house and finding friends in a new school can be extremely tough. In iconic KidLit creator Marie-Louise Gay's new picture book, Hopscotch (Groundwood Books), Ophelia uses ...

Picture Book Trends

Picture books, like all art forms, are subject to trends and shifts in theme, style and format. I don’t necessarily recommend writing to trend, but it’s always good to be familiar with what’s working ...

Maggie Knaus Shares 2 Strange & Happy Moments from the Long Journey to Creating Her Stunning Debut Picture Book

Eleanor was born under a spectacular harvest moon. As it hung low in the sky, her grandfather made a promise: that wherever they both were, and however far apart that may be, they would look up at the ...

Co-Creators Kirsten Pendreigh & Crystal Smith Help Young Readers Find "Comfort and Connection in Natural Spaces"

Finding ways to connect to the people we've loved and lost can be a complex process. In author Kirsten Pendreigh and artist Crystal Smith's gentle and beautiful new picture book, Maybe a Whale (Groundwood ...

For the Love of Dog – Hadley Dyer Creates a Smart, Moving Picture Book to Help Kids Grieve Animal Friends

Veteran children's book editor and writer Hadley Dyer has teamed up with beloved kids book creator Paul Covello (known for his Toronto ABC and Canada ABC, amongst other titles) to create a book ...

Valerie Kaiyang Wood Explores Transracial Adoption in Her Dazzling Debut Picture Book

Transracial and transnational adoptions are complex processes, with parents welcoming children from cultures they don't necessarily have any connection to, and children arriving into families who may ...