Jane Yolen’s 10 Words Every Picture Book Author Must Know

Last week at the SCBWI Winter Conference, the award-winning author Jane Yolen talked about ten words that every picture book author should know: Lyricism, compression, child centeredness, focus, hook, words, ‘illustratability’, motion, emotion and resolution. I found this list particularly inspiring, and thought I would try my hand at riffing on each word, and why [...]

A Question of Style

A major question to consider when developing an idea for a children’s book is what the style of the book will be. Will it be lean and simple, or rich in imagery and ideas? Will it be matter-of-fact, lyrical, or tongue in cheek? What about narration – what voice will the story be told in? [...]