Ask a Picture Book Editor

So, you’ve found your UNIVERSAL theme, and you’ve created your 
child-centred characters, now:

Think about the tone and pitch of your writing

One of the key criticisms about texts that cross our desks is that the pitch and tone is too adult and too sophisticated. It’s important that any theme, setting, and interactions between characters are couched in a framework that is appropriate for your readership. There’s no point using grand similes or high-falutin’ imagery that will not resonate or strike a chord with the child. The tone and pitch of picture books needs to be child-centred.

Let’s take writing on the theme of ‘love’ as an example. The love between a parent and child, grandparent and child, between siblings or maybe between friends are the sorts of emotional interactions with which a pre-school child will have had direct contact. Consequently, they will understand these sorts of relationships. So, if your UNIVERSAL theme is love then how do you make it CHILD-CENTERED?

-  choose a type of love that will resonate – i.e. between a parent and a child

-  think of a setting and context that a child will comprehend – the playroom, the woods, the mountains

-  use simple imagery, language and concepts that are tangible

A few fantastic examples are:

 
All the allusions in these texts are easy for a child to grasp because they are centred in the child's world, and they are written with a simplicity of style that makes them perfect for the age group.

Remember that pre-schoolers are not yet self-aware

Pre-schoolers don’t yet have the self-awareness to identify and verbalize how they are feeling. They can’t reflect on their experiences objectively like older children and adults. So don’t make the mistake of having your character say they are ‘lost’ or ‘nervous’ or say ‘I wonder what would happen if . . .’

Pre-schoolers don’t reflect on what’s happening in their world, rather they launch into the action right away. They are much more likely to comment on their immediate experiences in the context of concrete happenings.

Third person narratives work best for picture books as they are aimed at young readers who lack the self-awareness that comes with first person point of view.

Hone and refine your unique author style and voice

So, what is voice?

When you read a book by a particular author, you might be able to tell that it’s written in that author’s voice by the unique style of the writing (how the author writes as opposed to what s/he writes about), the choice of theme, and the way the author puts a unique spin on the story. Voice is your personality and every word must to count!  

When you look at a famous artist's work, say a Van Gogh or a Matisse, it is the use of colour, pattern, textures, brush stroke – the style and themes – that help you to identify the painting as originating from one or the other. 

In a similar way, a strong voice is what identifies your work as yours. It is the link between you and the reader. Plus you need to find the story that only you can tell and tell it in a way that is singular to you!

There are so many wonderful examples of strong author voice in the picture book market – each one speaks to the reader in a distinctive way. 

As you look at the following examples, think about how each one is different and distinctive. What makes it particularly memorable?

The challenge is to find your ownvoice, to pinpoint and refine what it is about your writing that makes your stories feel special and unique. This flair and style is often the icing on the cake that will really make publishers and the reading public sit up and take notice of your work.

The best advice is to: 

- read your texts aloud

- join a SCBWI or other critique group

- work on your craft! Seek out opportunities to get advice your craft through SCBWI, a literary consultant or a professional development conference, workshop or course

- practise, practise, practise!

READ OUR OTHER "ASK A PICTURE BOOK EDITOR" CRAFT BLOGS:

Click'Ask a Picture Book Editor'
 in the list on the left.

---

Natascha Biebow is editor, mentor and coach at www.blueelephantstoryshaping.com

 

Ellie Farmer is Senior Editor at Little Tiger Presswww.littletigerpress.com

Ask a Picture Book Editor

Ellie and Natascha are delighted to join our Ask a Picture Book Editor column, where you can ask them anything you’d like about picture books. 

Tell us a little bit about your experience editing picture books: 

I always have, and always will love picture books! I knew I wanted to be an editor from quite a young age when I used to cut up my mum’s old magazines and use them to make my own scrapbook stories. I finally found my way into children’s books via a stint at a technical publisher and then as a writer for a children’s magazine. I’ve been editing picture books for the last seven years and am currently Senior Editor at Little Tiger Press. I consider myself very lucky to have such a fun and fantastic job. Each stage has its own exciting elements; from finding a text that you love (and that you know will strike a chord with children), to seeing the first sketches from an illustrator, to holding the finished book in your hands, opening the cover and, finally, starting the story! 

I have always loved books and have an affinity with small children. I love the way they look at the world with fresh eyes, with an incredible honesty and sense of wonder! I am passionate about picture books and love editing. I relish the process of ‘cooking’ stories with authors, illustrators and designers to help a picture book evolve from an initial germ of an idea into something that has wings, where the words and pictures are seamless – though a heck of a lot of behind-the-scenes deliberation and fine-tuning has made them seem so. For 17 years, I worked in-house at major publishers. But, when I had my son, I decided I wanted to get back to editing and help authors and illustrators shape their stories. So, I started Blue Elephant Storyshaping, an editing, coaching and mentoring service to help authors and illustrators fine-tune their work pre-submission. I love what I do! 

What is a picture book? 

It’s a harmony of words and pictures working
seamlessly together to tell a tale and 
inspire a mind. 

A picture book is the most perfect way 
of communicating a story 
to a very young child. 




What’s your favourite classic picture book? 

This is so hard! It really depends on my mood. 
If I’m feeling like a chuckle then I always turn 
to The Elephant and the Bad Baby 
by Elfrida Vipont and Raymond Briggs. 

I love the striking illustrations and cumulative nature of the text. The escalating chaos and drama is so well handled and the voice and character of the long-suffering elephant and the bad baby are so well observed. It never fails to make me smile.

from The Elephant and the Bad Baby

Choosing just one book is such a challenge! 
I like to think there are books for all
 stages of life and all moods. 
I love Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. The writing and the drawing in it are exquisite and the story still works for children today.

I love the humour of the ducks’ names and the imagery of them waddling right through the middle of Boston traffic – it’s a classic example of taking an unusual ‘everyday’ occurrence and turning it into a great children’s story. 

from Make Way for Ducklings

 
What’s your favourite contemporary picture book?  

I adore My Big Shouting Day by Rebecca Patterson. It’s a modern classic for me. It so perfectly encapsulates toddler tantrums and that inexplicable rage that can occur at the smallest of things. It’s a wonderful way of exploring emotions and why we feel the way we do, and it’s handled with the right balance of humour and warmth that never makes it feel worthy. 

from My Big Shouting Day!

 My current favourite, laugh-out-loud is Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems. 



What’s not to like? It has Goldilocks gorging herself with chocolate pudding, three gormless dinosaurs (!) and a moral without being too moral. Genius.

from Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs

What is the most common mistake made in picture book submissions? 


I think many people think that because a picture book is short that there isn’t enough space for plot or narrative development – this is not true! A lot of the submissions that fall onto my desk (whilst they may have a wonderful voice, lots of humour, great characters etc) often lack strength of story – not enough happens. The phrase I often find myself thinking is ‘not enough meat on its bones’. It’s vital to give a text enough narrative to engage a reader and ensconce them in your world. 

Frequently, authors don’t think through the characters’ motivation enough. The result is that the story comes out flat and the editor thinks, “So what?” and sends it right back. It is essential to know why a character is acting the way they are and what they want (what’s at stake?) so that the story doesn’t fall flat. 

Tell us about a childhood memory:

 Ellie

Finding a perfectly shaped shell on the beach on a family holiday – then promptly losing it! It was very upsetting! 

Natascha

I used to climb up into a bougainvillea tree in the garden of our weekend house in Teresopolis (in the mountainous region outside Rio de Janeiro where I grew up) and read the books my grandmother sent from England. 

What’s your favourite ice-cream flavour: 

 
Ellie: Strawberry! With an extra helping of fresh strawberries, please! 

Natascha: Vanilla with hot chocolate sauce (of course!). 

Great, so now you know a bit about us – now, it’s your turn to ask some questions!

For each month’s post, we will set readers a challenge so we can cover key picture book topics. For our next post on 7 April, we would like to ask:

“What makes a good picture book topic?”

To send us your answers and other questions about picture books, you can add a comment below or email your questions to writers@britishscbwi.org

Natascha Biebow is editor, mentor and
coach at www.blueelephantstoryshaping.com

Ellie Farmeris Senior Editor
at Little Tiger Press www.littletiger.co.uk