Writing Picture Books for Children
By richpat1 | February 8, 2010
Picture books look easy to write. They usually contain less than 1,000 words with stories that appear so simple that anyone can write one.
In fact, picture books are the hardest of all children’s books to write and do well.
That doesn’t mean you can’t write one. It means that you need to take time to produce your absolute best story and you need to know what you’re doing.
There are a lot of things to consider when writing picture books.
Picture books always have 32 pages. This allows about 28 pages of text. Every page has a colour illustration, either on a single or double-page spread.
The majority of picture books are targeted at children aged between 3 and 8 years old. However, there are a number published for the older audience aged from 9 to 12. The latter stories are more complex, as are the illustrations.
Even though picture books are short they still need to contain all the usual elements of a good story - a main character that readers can identify with and care about and a conflict that needs to be resolved by the end of the story. All picture books have a happy, satisfying ending.
The conflict of a picture book must be something that children of the targeted age group have experience with and therefore understand. It should also be something that interests them.
A general rule is that whatever appears in the illustrations doesn’t need to be mentioned in the text. Firstly, you don’t have to describe your characters in a picture book. The reader can see what the characters look like from the illustrations. Secondly, you don’t need to describe your settings because they also appear in the illustrations.
It is helpful for you to imagine the illustrations as you are writing your story. Of course, the illustrator will probably do something entirely different to what you imagined. But imagining each page helps you see whether there is enough variety in the illustrations and to also decide what to exclude from your text.
Adults read picture books aloud to children. It is important that your story reads well aloud, that it has a lovely flow and rhythm. Hence, sentences should be short and easy to understand. Repetition of a sentence (or sentences) is popular in picture books as it adds to the rhythm and children enjoy joining in.
Picture book texts take a long time to get right. Published writers of picture books spend a lot of time writing their story then perfecting it.
As you are working with a limited number of words, every word is vital. You should consider every word and make sure that it is necessary. You should also ask yourself if the words you are using are the best choices. Consider things like sound, meaning, interest, tension, page-turning cliffhangers etc.
After you are satisfied that you’ve written the best possible picture book, put it away for a week or two, even a month. This distance will allow you to return to it with fresh eyes. Make sure you read it out loud. As I mentioned earlier, picture books are read out loud. Yours must sound great.
I’ve heard many publishers suggest that writers of picture books avoid writing in rhyme. They say that it is extremely difficult to do well. The majority of rhyme-texts they receive simply don’t work and thus are unpublishable.
Another point on publishers is that they prefer to receive the text-only for a picture book - unless you’re lucky enough to be an accomplished illustrator and can write/illustrate your own books. You don’t need to find an illustrator for your story or send illustrations to a publisher. Publishers have a stable of illustrators and they are experienced in deciding who would be best to illustrate your book.
As you are working with a limited number of words and aren’t including in the text what should appear in the illustrations, it is sometimes unclear from your words what should appear in the illustrations. This makes it necessary to include an illustration note next to the page number in your manuscript.
For example, I have a picture book text about a dog. Some of the pages end with - CRASH! SPLASH! OOPS! I don’t explain what happens because it is evident in the illustrations. But a publisher probably needs to know what I’m thinking to get the gist of the story, so I include a note on how I envisage the illustrations.
My advice is that you visit your local library and borrow a huge pile of recent picture books. Take them home and study them. Ask yourself what makes them work and why they are popular with children (and adults).
And take a long time to perfect your picture book. There are no shortcuts to success.
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Robyn Opie. |
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How to Enjoy Camping with Children
By richpat1 | February 6, 2010
Many of us have fond memories of our parents taking us camping as children and would like to pass on this experience to our children but are a little daunted by what we see as the unknown, particularly if it has been a while since we last went camping.
The best thing to remember is that children like simple things best and even if they are used to video games and tv they are still captivated by the basics such as learning how to start and use a camp fire or a walk at sunset to see the changing light.
Too many of us see children as people we need to entertain or manage rather than as little eyes that are constantly watching for what it is we do and find joy in.
Hate your job?
Then this is what you are teaching your kids.
Constantly short of money and living in credit?
This is what you are teaching your kids.
Everything we do they watch, even when they are pretending not to.
Get back to basics even if it means changing your job or your income.
Your kids are there to provide you with an opportunity to look at your life and ask yourself ?Is this really what I want to be doing as an example??
Camping with children allows us to take out the clutter from our lives and laugh together at the simple things like catching yabbies in the creek, learning how to be careful with fishooks and knives, being considerate of other campers at night with noise, how to set up tents and swags, waking before the sun rises and going for a walk on the beach, taking a boat out on the river and learning about water and currents and tides and swimming, how to be patient and flexible when the fish aren?t biting or the weather turns to rain, and the million other little things that are what camping is all about.
In the end it is probably not even about camping as much as it is about the basics in life and how short a time we get to enjoy our role as teachers of these little spirits.
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History Written for Children
By richpat1 | February 3, 2010
When is history fun? When it is told or written in story form. Children are more responsive to stories of true events than they are to reading a conventional history book. Shirley Nelson author of ?What Happened Here?? saw the need for a local history book and wrote it so that children and adults would enjoy learning from it.
Shirley Nelson, author of What Happened Here, took time out from her very busy schedule to give us at Far West Books and Gifts an interview.
What made Shirley want to write a book about the history of this area (Coos and Curry counties, Oregon)? Shirley taught school in Medford, Oregon for several years. The last couple of years she taught fourth grade. At that time, fourth grade children learned Oregon History. Shirley thought they would enjoy stories more and they could learn history that way. She read to them stories about true events written in a way that children could understand. Shirley found that the children responded better to the stories written about history better than reading history.
When Shirley retired and moved here to Port Orford, Oregon, she started to learn about all the rich history of this area. Her idea was to write a book about the stories of the local history, a book which children would like and was in a simple vocabulary that children could understand but adults would read also. Many adults buy the book not only for themselves but for their children also. It was the idea that these stories are interesting, they tell us about who we are and where we come from. Shirley wanted to do it in a form that people would enjoy. There are many excellent history books written on this area, but they are big and long and technical. Many people will not pick them off the shelves and read them. (Shirley included a bibliography of Oregon History books in What Happened Here?)
What Happened Here? is in it?s second printing and available at several local stores. Far West Books and Gifts now has it available at our on-line store at booksatfarwest.com. What Happened Here? has received very good reviews from Librarians, Historians and other authors.
When you are ready to learn more about the local history of Coos and Curry counties of Southern Oregon, this book should be on your list. It has fourteen short stories about local stories and legends based on the history of Coos and Curry counties, five maps, 22 pictures and a historical time line from 1848 to 1945. It is also very informative to new residents or visitors of the area.
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Catherine Dahrens is the owner of Far West Books and Gifts, an on-line book store located at http://www.booksatfarwest.com |
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Teddy Bears Should Be Given To All Children
By richpat1 | February 1, 2010
All children should get a teddy bear when they are young. It is meaningful for children to have a bear they can sleep with or be with. Teddy bears should be given when kids are young enough to appreciate the bear.
Most children that are given a teddy bear when they are young keep them for many years. It means a lot to kids, when they are given something they can hold on to for years. Many times children have tattered bears on their bed and in their rooms. These are the bears that mean the most!
Some parents try to throw out the bears, but most children are upset by this. This stuffed animal means a lot to them and most if able will dig the teddy out of the trash. Tattered as they are and some with stuffing coming out, they still love them and sleep with them.
Some nameable teddy bears are Thatcher and Tennyson. These two bears are the perfect gift to give a small child. They are between fourteen and eighteen inches in length, a great size for them to hold and play with.
Thatcher is a smooth soft cuddly bear, while Tennyson has fur that looks to be curly. Tennyson is not quite as soft as Thatcher, but all in all they both are cuddly in their own way.
There is no greater joy than seeing a face of a child when they open a gift of a teddy bear. Teddy bears can be given any time. You do not need a reason to give a teddy bear. Giving a teddy bear as a ?just because? gift is the best, the surprise is greater on the face of a child.
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Author is Michele Rogers, owner of http://www.lilyputts.com Lilyputts Gift Baskets , an online gift basket retailer. Also hosted is a http://www.lilyputts.blogspot.com BLOG that reviews gifts and welcomes other comments as well. Please visit Lilyputts Gift Baskets for descriptions and product presentations. |
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Classroom Teachers - Why Writing for Children Could Be the Perfect Summer Job for You!
By richpat1 | January 30, 2010
While most classroom teachers enjoy the summer break from work that a teaching position gives them, other teachers struggle to find part-time work during that time to earn a little extra income.
If you’re one of those classroom teachers who searches for part time work during the summer, writing for children just might be the job you’re looking for. Here’s why:
1. During the school year you’re in close contact with children and/or teens in your classroom. That means you know first hand what kids or teens think about, how they talk, and how they act. You can use this information to create believable child or teen characters and dialogue for these characters that rings true. If you read stories and books for children with your students during the school year, you also know the kinds of story lines that appeal to children and teens.
2. As a teacher, you have access to your school’s library. Talk to the librarian to find out what kinds of books students find most interesting. Also, what kinds of books seem to be in short supply? Does your school librarian think there needs to be more middle grade novels available for girls, for example? Or, is there almost nothing available on certain topics of interest to children? Use this information to create stories, novels, and nonfiction articles and books that will help fill these voids or shortages.
3. You know what kinds of materials you like to use in your classroom with your students. Why not try your hand at creating some of these materials for children’s educational publishers? Most of the best teaching materials are created by teachers themselves. Why not make some money from the types of materials you are probably already creating and using yourself in your own classroom?
4. Once you gain a few publication credits, you can continue writing for children or teens during the school year. You won’t have time for as much writing while you’re teaching, of course. Still, you can probably manage to work on at least one nonfiction article or short story for children or teens each month. Even if you don’t finish these pieces and submit them for publication during the school year, when school ends for the summer you will have plenty of writing projects to finish up and submit to editors.
5. Once your part-time children’s writing career is established, you won’t need to search for a part-time job every summer. You can immediately get to work once summer break begins. You might even manage to line up some regular summer writing assignments with one or two children’s educational publishers. Many full-time teachers manage to write a short nonfiction book for children or teens every summer and substantially increase their yearly income.
6. Should you ever decide to stop teaching, or when you retire from teaching, you will already have an enjoyable second career to fall back on. And this time, you can work from home in the comfort of your pajamas if you like!
These are just a few of the reasons that so many classroom teachers turn to writing for children as a part-time job or second career. If you enjoy writing as much as you enjoy teaching, then writing for children just might be the perfect summer job or second career for you, too.
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Find out how you can get a free ebook called “Tricks of the Trade: How to Write for Children,” plus additional information about writing for kids, by visiting the National Writing for Children Center at http://www.writingforchildrencenter.com or Suzanne Lieurance’s website at http://www.suzannelieurance.com |
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How to Enjoy Camping with Children
By richpat1 | January 27, 2010
Many of us have fond memories of our parents taking us camping as children and would like to pass on this experience to our children but are a little daunted by what we see as the unknown, particularly if it has been a while since we last went camping.
The best thing to remember is that children like simple things best and even if they are used to video games and tv they are still captivated by the basics such as learning how to start and use a camp fire or a walk at sunset to see the changing light.
Too many of us see children as people we need to entertain or manage rather than as little eyes that are constantly watching for what it is we do and find joy in.
Hate your job?
Then this is what you are teaching your kids.
Constantly short of money and living in credit?
This is what you are teaching your kids.
Everything we do they watch, even when they are pretending not to.
Get back to basics even if it means changing your job or your income.
Your kids are there to provide you with an opportunity to look at your life and ask yourself ?Is this really what I want to be doing as an example??
Camping with children allows us to take out the clutter from our lives and laugh together at the simple things like catching yabbies in the creek, learning how to be careful with fishooks and knives, being considerate of other campers at night with noise, how to set up tents and swags, waking before the sun rises and going for a walk on the beach, taking a boat out on the river and learning about water and currents and tides and swimming, how to be patient and flexible when the fish aren?t biting or the weather turns to rain, and the million other little things that are what camping is all about.
In the end it is probably not even about camping as much as it is about the basics in life and how short a time we get to enjoy our role as teachers of these little spirits.
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Choosing The Right Children’s Gift And Toy
By richpat1 | January 24, 2010
Take advantage of shopping online to help you save time. Instead of trekking out into the shopping malls to stand in lines, you can elect to do some or all of your gift shopping online and save the gasoline and the frustration. There are plenty of children?s gifts and toys available online that you can use for:
? Birthdays
? Graduations
? Christmas presents
? Religious occasions such as christenings, baptisms, dedications, confirmations, communions, bah mitzvahs
? Other occasions.
The Internet opens a wealth of opportunities to shop online. Take advantage of online reviews to read about what children?s gifts and toys are popular to help you decide on what to buy. Children can even create their own gift registry so that you can find out exactly what they want and are in need of. Here are some popular children?s gift and toy options that are a hit with the kids and are also readily available online:
1) NFL lockers
2) Floam
3) TV dance mat
4) Pool shark
When shopping for children?s gifts and toys, look for something with a good return policy incase the child on your list receives a duplicate. NFL lockers are a great gift for any boy?s bedroom or playroom. They feature the logo of the favorite team and a nameplate in a locker that can be a great tool to help organize the football fan?s bedroom. He?s going to love being able to look at his name on the official looking locker name plate and have a place to hang his things, store his football and other items as well as put things away in the compartment. This is a great gift!
Floam is a fantastic item for a crafty kid. This stuff is made of small micro beads that you can shape and play with. You can wrap Floam over other things, create shapes and animals and easily express artistic talent. It is removable, colorful and best of all, non-toxic. This is great children?s gift and toy for girls, especially.
The TV Dance Mat is a hit for kids and adults. It connects to your television set and lets everyone play the popular dancing arcade game right in their living room or playroom. There are several games and songs and you can get really competitive while doing a great cardio workout! Many parents complain that video games keep their children sedentary but this game encourages calorie burning for anyone who plays it.
The Pool Shark is another popular children?s gift and toy that can create a laugh at the pool or beach when the shark chases all the swimmers out of the water.
Children?s Gifts and toys are everywhere. They?re not hard to find but you do want to find an age appropriate gift that that child on your list will like you can do a little bit of online research to find the perfect gift. If you are aiming to surprise someone with a gift and don?t know what to get, speak to other kids that age for some hints and tips.
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This article was written by Aiden Bigeon, to talk about how to choose the right gift or toy for a child. With this said, I would highly recommend visiting Taylor Gifts to find out more about a wide variety of toys and gifts for children. |
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Start Your Children’s Writing Career Today
By richpat1 | January 22, 2010
So you want to write a children’s book. Great! Writing for children is a wonderful hobby or occupation (as in my case).
But where does one start? What does one need to do to become a children’s author? How did I become a published children’s author?
Actually, I decided that I wanted to be a writer before I decided that I wanted to write children’s books. The first thing I did after realising that I wanted to be a writer was join our local writers’ centre. Then I joined a romance writers’ group. Writing romance seemed like a good idea at the time. At a meeting of the romance writers’ group I met several writers who were also writing children’s books.
I hadn’t read a children’s book in quite a few years. And I hadn’t considered writing for children. But the prospect interested me, so off I went to my local library. A visit to my library can take me a good hour (or more) as I study the shelves for books published in the past year or two.
While at the library, I also looked for non-fiction books about writing children’s books. I’ve read every book on writing for children that I could find in the libraries around my city. I’m a member of a lot of different libraries. It’s a joke with me that I collect libraries like some people collect stamps.
Next, I investigated a number of courses about writing children’s books. I settled on an eight week course run by a local college. It covered everything I needed to know about writing for children (well, almost everything) at a very reasonable rate. Later, I completed a picture book course run by an adult education facility.
I call all of this reading and studying my apprenticeship. A writer has to learn how to write a book just as a pilot has to learn how to fly a plane.
After all this learning and writing I was ready to send my work to a manuscript assessment agency, other writers or my local writers’ centre to gain feedback on my writing. I needed to know what I was doing wrong, as well as what I was doing right. This critical assessment of my work was part of my education.
It’s through the writers’ groups I belong to that I learnt about the publishing opportunities which lead to most of my books. Therefore I’m a big fan of networking.
I’m also a big fan of knowledge and practice, as my main publisher said to me in his first email: “you’ve obviously done this before”. Another publisher recently noted in an email to me: “someone who understands a lot about picture book structure”.
So, to reiterate, my advice is:
a) Join writers’ groups. Local and/or online writers’ groups. By joining writers’ groups you hope to network, learn about the publishing world, obtain feedback on your work and make friends with similar interests.
b) Read a lot of recent children’s books. Take notice of what you like and what seems to work. Study the writing. You’re reading for research first, pleasure second.
When I visit the local library I look for recent releases. It’s important to keep up with the market and what’s being published. If you’re writing a book about a comet hurtling towards Earth and a book with a similar storyline has been published in the last year, your story is unlikely to be published, no matter how good it is.
c) Read a lot of books about writing for children. It can help to read books about writing in general. But children’s books are a specialised field. For example, you need to know the different types of children’s books for the various age groups - the word lengths, language, style etc.
d) Write the type of children’s books you enjoy the most. Write every day if possible. Practice makes you a better writer. Practice/repetition is how we learn and master tasks.
e) Take courses on writing for children. The writing for children course I did, many years ago, involved weekly writing assignments. I wrote a picture book, easy reader, early chapter book and sections of longer novels, which were all marked by my tutor. Two of my first six published titles were written during this course.
f) Have your manuscripts assessed by a reputable manuscript assessment service. Due to the volume of submissions publishers receive and the quality of some of these submissions, many publishers are now requesting a manuscript assessment accompany every submission.
g) Write down your dreams and goals. Look at them every day. Break them down into small steps if necessary. Your writing activities should move you towards your writing dreams and goals.
h) Enter competitions. Write articles and short stories. Seek ways of filling your writer’s cv with publishing credits.
Now you’re on your way. From this point on, the secret to becoming a children’s author is persistence. I’ve read and heard quotes from many authors who claim that the secret to their success is persistence. They never gave up!
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Robyn Opie. |
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Five Most Popular Places To Enjoy A Vacation With Children
By richpat1 | January 19, 2010
Deciding on the next vacation with your family can be a daunting task, especially when your choice of place does not interest your children. You might plan to visit Alaska, but your children could be longing for a trip to the Bahamas. The best option is to figure out where your kids wish to go this vacation and finalize a kid-friendly destination.
With the release of movies like ?Madagascar?, children have become all the more keen to travel through exotic and adventurous destinations. While Madagascar is not considered to be the most popular family destination, a trip to other places like Costa Rica or Kenya can prove to be an invaluable fun-filled learning experience, well within your budget. Costa Rica serves a dual purpose as your children can learn Spanish as they explore the lush green rain forests or erupting volcanoes. Even Kenya can be a good option, as the family can learn to speak a little Swahili while exploring the rare glimpse of the mass migration of the wild beasts. You can enjoy your vacation with children listening to the sounds from within the rainforests, as well as relaxing under the star-studded sky on a safari that would be certainly more interesting for the whole family.
Eastern cities like Beijing, Seoul and Bangkok are also part of the list of favorite destinations with children, in terms of adventure. The holiday can prove to be a learning and entertainment experience, as one can see the Great Wall and learn about different cultures. Different food, different money and an altogether different way of life can be highly entertaining for you. But, entry to the country could probably take a considerable amount of time, so plan your trip well ahead of time to ensure a smooth trip to your chosen destination.
European cities such as Italy have also gained tremendous popularity over the years, but a trip might be a little too expensive. However, the Western Europe country trips generally come with discounts and amenities. You can experience a different culture. You can explore the ruins of Pompeii and go on a Gondola ride in Venice or taste delicious Italian sweets in Florence. Most Western European families enjoy vacations to countries like Italy. This gives them an opportunity to explore their ancestors.
The Caribbean is the next best holiday spot with children. Basking in the sun, playing in the sand and swimming in the deep blue water are the local indulgences that also form the basic reason for a number of families visiting this place. The holiday spot is blessed with plenty of sun, sand and water. Jamaica is full of fascinating natural beauty that is breathtaking. With white sandy beaches, black volcanic mountains and deep red sunsets, the island has evolved into a tourist?s paradise.
Hawaii as a holiday destination is also very popular with a number of children visiting the place every year. It also offers sun, sand and water in abundance, along with all kinds of summer and water sport activities ranging scuba diving to swimming with the dolphins. You can also go whale watching. Besides having fun with your family, you can also acquaint yourself more closely with the volcanic geology of Hawaii.
No matter where you plan to go for your next family vacation, do not limit yourself. Always try to explore the place to its fullest and get as foot loose and fancy free as possible. Select a destination that will be stimulating and fulfilling for your entire family. But, do not forget to plan your trip properly, as a trip to the most fascinating destination too can be very stressful without proper planning.
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Jack Blacksmith often writes short articles on areas relating with Torrevieja and Benidorm. His abstracts on Alicante can be discovered on his webpage in addition to other web publications. |
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Taking Children On The Ferry
By richpat1 | January 16, 2010
Children are naturally adventurous and will love the excitement of going on a giant boat. If you have anxieties about the journey do not let your children see as this will make them nervous too.
Most children will be fine on the ferry so you have no need to worry about them being ill. If the worst happens contact the customer service desk as soon as possible and they’ll do all they can to help. You might want to take some seasickness tablets with you suitable for children.
Some ferries have areas for younger children to play. This is a good idea as it’ll help tire your toddlers out and help them sleep better. Never leave your children unattended on the ferry journey as it will be a strange and potentially dangerous place if they’re left to roam on their own. Some longer trip ferries have swimming pools and these can be great fun to spend time in with the kids. Remember to take your swimming things.
Most restaurants on board have a children’s menu, high chairs will also be available and if you need help during the meal do not hesitate to ask the staff. They are well experienced with helping passengers have a pleasant journey, and will do all they can to assist.
Some ferries allow children into the bar areas, although some might have a strictly over 18s area. If you’re not sure then ask crew members for advice. A walk in deck as the ship sets sail or docks is always exciting for children as there’s lots of things to watch.
When booking your ferry crossing you will find lots of useful information about the facilities available on board. It can be handy to print this out and let the children read about the ferry in advance.
Most children will find the ferry an amazing experience that they’ll remember for a long time, they’ll enjoy all the new things they see and do!
Some basic things to remember- make sure you have bottled water and juice to drink in the cabin at night and some snacks. Pack seasickness tablets but don’t make a big issue of it as most children will be absolutely fine on board. Take a few familiar toys for them, plus plenty of baby wipes - they’re invaluable for all forms of travel.
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