010 - Alvina Ling - Picture Book Summit Podcast
Release Date: 10/20/2020
082 - Picture Book Summit 2025 Speaker Reveal
Picture Book Summit Podcast
It's that time of year! Early Bird tickets for Picture Book Summit 2025 are now available and in this episode, we share all about our 2025 Superstar Speakers! It's quite a lineup for this year's conference: Big, Bold, and Brave: Supercharge Your Picture Books! This year's online conference takes place on October 4, 2025. Everything happens in our Zoom webinar room, so you can attend from anywhere in the world with a decent Internet connection. We are thrilled to welcome true picture book superheroes NYT Bestselling author Susan Verde, Caldecott Winner Jason Chin, and Caldecott Winner Vashti...
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081 - Nikki Grimes: The Music of Language
Picture Book Summit Podcast
In this episode, we’re thrilled to bring you an excerpt from Nikki Grimes’ presentation The Music of Language. Nikki’s accolades include the Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the ALAN Award for outstanding contributions to young adult literature, the Children’s Literature Legacy Award, the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, a Sibert and a Printz Honor as well as the Coretta Scott King Book Award among others. Nikki is here today to share how lyrical picture books can help children learn to love language and how you can...
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080 - Interview with Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton
Picture Book Summit Podcast
We are especially excited about today’s episode because we get to bring you a snippet of a past Summit presentation with the one and only Julie Andrews along with her daughter and our friend Emma Walton Hamilton! This duo has written over 30 books for children, including 9 New York Times Bestsellers. Their picture books include The Very Fairy Princess, Dumpy the Dump Truck, The First Notes: The Story of Do-Re-Mi, The Enchanted Symphony, and Waiting in the Wings. So, what started this fruitful partnership? Where do they get their ideas? What strengths do they each bring to...
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079 - Great Refrains in Picture Books
Picture Book Summit Podcast
You might know about refrains in music, but they're also in picture books! The Picture Book Summit Founders get together to discuss what refrains are, define the different types of refrain, and share how to use them strategically in your own picture book writing! Spoiler alert! There are some excellent mentor texts in this episode. *Books mentioned in this episode: by Angela Pham Krans and Thi Bui by Carrie Finison and Erin Kraan by Katie Davis by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Christine Davenier by Donna Barba Higuera and Cynthia Alonso by Angela Joy and Janelle Washington ...
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078 - Interview with Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple
Picture Book Summit Podcast
In this episode, Julie Hedlund interviews Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple. With over 400 children's books to her name, Jane shares how she chooses the words and what influences her choices. The pair touch on the impact of banned books and how their writing partnership has evolved over the years. So, what's one key to being prolific? Always be learning and growing as a writer. Books mentioned in this episode: written by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight Check out our previous episode with Jane Yolen here:
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077 - How to Analyze a Picture Book: Part 2
Picture Book Summit Podcast
It's time for How to Analyze a Picture Book - Part 2. In this episode, we talk about how to analyze a picture book's illustrations and other things to look for when analyzing a mentor text. First up, illustrations: What's the job of the illustrations? What do they add to the story? How does color make a difference? If you're an author-only creator, how can you leave room for the illustrator and still get your story across? Is it okay to use art notes? Then we jump into a variety odds and ends to consider and pay attention to as you continue to analyze and study picture books, including "is...
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076 - How To Analyze Picture Books: Part 1
Picture Book Summit Podcast
Today we share how to analyze a picture book. In many of our discussions and presentations, the Picture Book Summit Team and our guest speakers analyze picture books and use that analysis to illustrate the point we're teaching. When you as a picture book creator learn how to analyze a picture book, you can turn reading picture books into your own writing class. As you look for and identify the key elements of a picture book we discuss today (and in our next episode!), you'll be able to more easily spot revision opportunities in your own work—getting you that much closer to a publishable...
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075 - Roundtable: Celebrity Picture Books
Picture Book Summit Podcast
Today in our Picture Book Summit Roundtable discussion, we tackle the touchy topic of celebrity picture books. So, what's the truth about celebrity picture books? Do celebrities get to cut the line when it comes to publishing? Are they held to a lower standard than lesser-known writers? Do they help or hurt the industry? We have the opportunity to hear what it's like to be and/or work with a celebrity author as Emma Walton Hamilton shares her experience of writing with her mother, actress Julie Andrews. You might be surprised what it's like on the flip side of the celebrity book coin. Then...
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074 - The Appeal of Dark Picture Books
Picture Book Summit Podcast
What is the appeal of dark picture books? Do kids want to read (and re-read) books about tougher topics? How do you make these books kid-friendly? Julie Hedlund leads our Roundtable discussion about dark picture books, what place they have in children's lives, and why they can be so important. Books mentioned in this episode: The Rough Patch by Brian Lies The Longest Letsgoboy by Derick Wilder and Catia Chien Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson and Hudson Talbott Kamau & ZuZu Find a Way by Aracelis Girmay and Diana Ejaita Finding Papa by Angela Pham Krans and Thi Bui Lubna and...
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073 - Read-Aloudability: The Measure of a Great Picture Book Part 3
Picture Book Summit Podcast
Picture book authors are closer in their craft to screenwriters and playwrights than any other kind of author. Why? Because picture book writers direct their readers on how to read the book. It's your job as a writer to make your (often adult reader) look like a rockstar. Emma Walton Hamilton shares how to make your manuscript reader-proof.
info_outlineIn this episode, we’ll hear from Alvina Ling, vice president and editor-in-chief of Little Brown Books for Young Readers. In this excerpt of Alvina’s Picture Book Summit presentation, she reveals very specific reasons why a manuscript might get acquired or rejected by Little Brown or by any publisher in general. Enjoy this peek behind the publishing curtain.
Find out more about Picture Book Summit at picturebooksummit.com.