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.
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072 - Read-Aloudability: The Measure of a Great Picture Book Part 2
Picture Book Summit Podcast
It seems nothing is more fun to read aloud than lyrical or rhyming picture books. A common misconception is that it's easy to write rhyme: just count the syllables and make the end words sound alike, right? Wrong. Good thing you came across this episode, where Julie Hedlund—rhymer extraordinaire—gives examples of what good rhyme and lyrical writing actually is, what makes it work, and how to write it yourself.
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071 - Read-Aloudability: The Measure of a Great Picture Book Part 1
Picture Book Summit Podcast
Picture books are a truly unique genre of literature. Other books CAN be read aloud, but picture books are ENGINEERED exactly for that precise purpose. In this episode, Emma Walton Hamilton defines the importance of "Read-aloud-ability" (HINT: it can sway the submission process), while Katie Davis illustrates one impactful way to factor that secret sauce into your writing. Stay tuned! This is the first of a three-part series.
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070 - Meet the Gatekeepers
Picture Book Summit Podcast
Editor and agent assistants: the rarely-talked-about demi gods of the publishing industry. They are the gatekeepers, and if they don't think your manuscript is up to snuff, it won't be leaving the slush pile. So what can you do about that? In this episode, Emma Walton Hamilton asks editor and agent assistants AZ Hackett, Claire Tattersfield, and Gaby Caballero all the burning questions.
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069 - Shadra Strickland - The Parallel Universe of Authors and Illustrators
Picture Book Summit Podcast
Author/Illustrator and Agent Shadra Strickland reveals how to get at the heart of your story by sharing ideas and exercises to get your creativity flowing—in your brain and on the page. This is a fun one. Happy listening!
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068 - The Fan Brothers: To Imagination and Beyond
Picture Book Summit Podcast
In this episode, Eric and Terry Fan, also known as writing-illustrating duo The Fan Brothers, are taking us to new worlds in To Imagination and Beyond. They reveal their unique path into picture books after originally pursuing other careers and talk about some of the unconventional sources for their story ideas. They are proof that stories can hop from one place to another: from a t-shirt design that eventually became The Night Gardener, or a careless doodle from thirty years ago that grew into Lizzy and the Cloud. Eric and Terry reveal how your next story may be waiting in the...
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067 - The Cosmic Connection Between Beginnings and Endings
Picture Book Summit Podcast
Today’s episode features a practically perfect pair of presenters. You’ve seen presentations about great picture book beginnings. You’ve seen them about effective endings. But a truly great picture book relies on the connection between the two. Today, Emma Walton Hamilton & Julie Hedlund are here to show how to launch topflight stories and navigate them to stellar endings.
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066 - Houston, Your Manuscript has a Problem
Picture Book Summit Podcast
One of the best ways to navigate your course as a writer is through critiques. In this episode of the podcast, we share a snippet of Founder Katie Davis’ presentation Houston, Your Manuscript Has a Problem. Katie discusses why critiques are important and things to consider as you seek feedback from critique groups and freelance editors. Get ready to take your work to a whole new stratosphere!
info_outlineWhat 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 Pebble by Wendy Meddour and Daniel Egnéus
- The House Before Falling into the Sea by Ann Suk Wan and Hanna Cha
- The Skull by Jon Klassen
- The Cat Man of Aleppo by Karim Shamsi-Basha, Irene Latham, Yuko Shimizu
- The Circus Comes to the Village by Yutaka Kobayashi
Let this episode linger and check out a few of these picks as you discover the world of dark picture books.