Transcript: 2/3/11

TOPIC: Who needs a plot? From "One,Two,Three" to "Goodnight Moon"

Full transcript below:

#kidlitart 2-3-11

Writing wrap-up

We've talked about some of the "rules" for creating a picture book, heard from a debut picture book author on her path to publication, and shared examples of favorite picture books. So far, we’ve concentrated on story text, but there are other categories of picture books which accommodate text in a different way--or not at all:

1) Nonfiction
Biography, how-to, clever investigations of topical or offbeat subjects—parents, teachers and librarians are always looking for fresh ways to deliver information. These books often expand the traditional picture-book age range and may be used in classrooms well into the middle grades.

Examples: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, by Mordicai Gerstein; Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum, by Meghan McCarthy.

2) Concept books
Actually a subset of nonfiction, these books introduce children to the alphabet, numbers, colors, seasons, daily routines, etc.

Examples: Mouse Paint, by Ellen Stoll Walsh; The Racecar Alphabet, by Brian Floca.

3) Minimalist word-pictures
These books contain spare, lyrical text describing a scene or action.

Examples: Rain Rain Rivers, by Uri Shulevitz; Freight Train, by Donald Crews.

4) Wordless picture books
These contain true stories, told without text.

Examples: Chalk, by Bill Thomson; Flotsam, by David Wiesner

Here’s a fun exercise: take the story you’ve been working on and imagine how you might expand your idea into a different picture book treatment: did you do research about vintage tractors to get the details right about your barnyard setting? That could be the basis for a nonfiction book about farm equipment, or the invention of the tractor. Maybe you could use some of your secondary characters for a counting book—how many chicks hatched today? Or you could focus on the cozy sounds of the animals settling in for the night. If you had no words at all, how would you structure each scene to clearly show your original plot?

Join us on Thursday, February 3, to discuss how exploring different picture book treatments may help you discover that unique perspective only you can deliver to your dummy project.

Time: 9 pm Eastern

Topic: Who needs a plot? From “One, Two, Three” to “Goodnight, Moon”

Transcript: 1/27/11

TOPIC: What are your favorite recent picture books, and why?

Here are the books mentioned during the chat (not all "recent," not all traditional picture books, but all deserving of notice)--in (pretty much) the order mentioned:

Calvin Can't Fly: The Story of a Bookworm Birdie, by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Keith Bendis

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, by Marla Frazee

The Boss Baby, by Marla Frazee

[or "anything by Marla Frazee"]

The Chicken Thief, by Beatrice Rodriguez

Tales from Outer Suburbia, by Shaun Tan

[or "anything by Shaun Tan"]

Art and Max, by David Wiesner

Bink and Gollie, by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile

Dotty, by Erica S. Perl, illustrated by Julia Denos

Chicken Bedtime is Really Early, by Erica S. Perl, illustrated by George Bates

Big Red Lollipop, by Rukhsana Khan, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Granny Gomez & Jigsaw, by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Scott Magoon

Lost and Found, by Oliver Jeffers

[or "anything by Oliver Jeffers"]

[anything by Lane Smith]

[anything by Alison Jay]

Tiny Little Fly, by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Kevin Waldron

Little Owl Lost, by Chris Haughton

Ish, by Peter Reynolds

The Dot, by Peter Reynolds

[or "anything by Peter Reynolds"]

Birdie's Big-Girl Shoes, by Sujean Rim

Jim, Who Ran Away from His Nurse, and Was Eaten by a Lion, by Mini Grey, illustrated by Hilaire Belloc

The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon, by Mini Grey

Bats at the Library, by Brian Lies

Interrupting Chicken, by David Ezra Stein

Leaves, by David Ezra Stein

Pouch, by David Ezra Stein

Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd

Children Make Terrible Pets, by Peter Brown

Millions of Cats, by Wanda Gag

The Quiet Book, by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Renata Liwska

Farmer Brown Goes Round and Round, by Teri Sloat, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott

The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, original edition illustrated by William Nicholson

Chicks Run Wild, by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, illustrated by Ward Jenkins

Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson

Oscar and the Mooncats, by Lynda Gene Rymond, illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli

Frog and Toad Are Friends, et al., by Arnold Lobel

Owl at Home, by Arnold Lobel

Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox, by Susan Blackaby, illustrated by Carmen Segovia

Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months, by Maurice Sendak

[and the entire Nutshell Library collection]

In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak

Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak

Splat the Cat, by Rob Scotton

Love, Splat, by Rob Scotton

Russell the Sheep, by Rob Scotton

Ocean's Child, by Christine Ford and Trish Holland, illustrated by David Diaz

Moo Baa La La La, by Sandra Boynton

But Not the Hippopotamus, by Sandra Boynton

Blue Hat, Green Hat, by Sandra Boynton

Belly Button Book, by Sandra Boynton

[or "anything by Sandra Boynton"]

[anything illustrated by Christopher Denise]

[anything by Dr. Seuss]

Toot & Puddle, et al., by Holly Hobbie

The Monster at the End of This Book, by Jon Stone, illustrated by Michael Smollin

[anything by Shel Silverstein]

Little Red: A Fizzingly Good Yarn, by Lynn Roberts, illustrated by David Roberts

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

CDB, by William Steig

Pete's a Pizza, by William Steig

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by William Steig

Bad Kitty, by Nick Bruel

Mostly Monsterly, by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Scott Magoon

Mr. Duck Means Business, by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Jeff Mack

Jeremy Draws a Monster, by Peter Mccarty

Hondo and Fabian, by Peter McCarty

[or "anything by Peter McCarty"]

Morgan Morning, by Stephen Cosgrove, illustrated by Robin James

[anything by Richard Scarry]

[anything by Mercer Mayer]

Otto Grows Down, by Michael Sussman, illustrated by Scott Magoon

Spoon, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Scott Magoon

The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson

Tony Baloney, by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham

Mermaid Queen: The Spectacular True Story of Annette Kellerman, Who Swam Her Way to Fame, Fortune & Swimsuit History!, by Shana Corey, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham

Granfa' Grig Had a Pig and Other Rhymes Without Reason, ed. by Wallace Tripp

A House in the Night, by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes

The Halloween Kid, by Rhode Montijo


Reference books mentioned:

The Comic Worlds of Peter Arno, William Steig, Charles Addams, and Saul Steinberg, by Iain Topliss

A Caldecott Celebration: Seven Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal, by Leonard S. Marcus


Full transcript below:

#kidlitart 1-27-11