A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
Just imagine how many words it would take to explain everything we see in this solar system diagram: –the names of the planets, –the sizes of the planets,–the colors of the planets,–the distance each planet is from the sun, –the distance each planet is from the other planets. It’s amazing that just one quick glance […]
What a Great Idea!
What a great idea! STEM book tubs. Seeing that Steve Jenkins tub reminds me that I’ve been meaning to share this super-cool slide show describing the process of How to Swallow a Pig by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Enjoy!
Clever Creations
Recently, I worked with second graders at McCarthy-Towne School in Acton, MA, on a visual literacy lesson that involved them re-creating artwork for three of my books. Their goal was to make the words and the pictures match even better than the illustrations that appeared in the printed book. They did an amazing job. Here […]
Behind the Books: Illustrating Feathers
Today I’m featuring a guest post by Sarah S. Brannen, the uber-talented illustrator of Feathers: Not Just for Flying. “Birds and feathers go together, like trees and leaves, like stars and the sky.” It had me at hello. I read the first sentence of the manuscript that would become Feathers: Not Just for Flying, and […]
Behind the Books: Final Thoughts About Structure and Design (For Now)
The best nonfiction books for children begin with an author’s passion for the subject and a clear vision for how to present the material in a fresh, engaging way. Even when two or more authors choose to write about the same topic, each writer will bring his or her own interests, ideas, and imagination to […]
Behind the Books: Art with Heart
Some children’s book creators are writers as well as illustrators. So naturally, they have a lot to say about the type and style of art that appears in their books. But increasingly, writers too are thinking carefully about art choices early in the process. And editors and art directors are eager to hear their ideas. […]
Behind the Books: Playing with Layout
Ever since desktop publishing software became available in the early 1990s, the visual appeal of nonfiction books for young readers has grown by leaps and bounds. These programs make it easy to experiment with a book’s layout. As a result of this new freedom, many books now include multiple illustrations per spread and make clever […]
Behind the Books: Does Your Book’s Format Match Its Message?
In the past, nonfiction writers often left all the design decisions to the editor, art director, and illustrator. But that’s no longer true. In many cases, authors now participate in conversations about a book’s design—format, layout, and art. Why? Because today’s most celebrated titles feature a synergistic relationship between the text and the look of […]
Behind the Books: Focusing a Manuscript
As nonfiction becomes more creative and more visually dynamic, authors are realizing that structuring the ideas they want to share in a unique, engaging way is at the heart of crafting a nonfiction manuscript. Before we write a single word, we think long and hard about structure (focus and organization) and design (format, layout, and […]
Behind the Books: A is for Art
Just as the English alphabet wouldn’t be complete without the letter “a,” picture books just wouldn’t be the same without artwork. Most of the time, art consists of beautiful drawings or painted illustrations. But some great books are illustrated with photos. There are many differences between a picture book and an early reader, but one […]