https://amzn.to/47A3tOj Squirrels, Porcupines, and Bears--oh my! Mentor texts with animal characters and how the rules, as well as my upcoming book Squirrel Draws Big Feelings evolved… No animals allowed! Twenty years ago, when I wrote Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox (Atheneum/S&S –illus. Hanako Wakiyama), people said anthropomorphic animal characters were a no-no. As you may have guessed, I got around that issue initially by writing parodies of nursery rhymes. More recently

Simply stated, the value of strong verbs is movement. They define action that serves to move the story forward and give it spark. Strong verbs paint pictures that give the illustrator more to work with. Most importantly, it keeps readers engaged and eager to turn pages. [Insert JPG For March On] Following is a list of strong verbs from my forthcoming book Turkey on the Run! (9/29/26 Flamingo Books and illustrated by the fabulous Neha Rawat) . Trotted, zoomed, jogged, s

MOWMT: The Secret to Writing Page-Turning Nonfiction By Mary Boone Facts matter. Accuracy matters. Research matters. But here’s the truth: Kids don’t fall in love with books because of footnotes, bolded vocabulary words or timelines. They turn pages because they care. I was reminded of this when I recently shared one of my picture books at an elementary school. During the question-and-answer session, a second grader asked: “Wait. You mean that really happened?” At first I was

The Magic in Books That Make Us Feel By Danielle Render Turmaud, PhD Have you ever opened a book and found yourself taken on an emotional journey that you never expected? The transformation can be instantaneous! One moment you’re focused on your own life, and the next you find yourself captivated and transported right into the pages. This feeling is magical. And the world responds delightfully. These books tend to be popular with readers, win awards, and even become bestselle

Climate Fiction for Young Readers: Teaching BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/4bqE4Ij Big Ideas Through Small, Powerful Moments By Blair Northen Williamson “Climate change” is a big phrase for little ears. It carries rising seas, warming waters, coral bleaching, and plastic pollution all at once. But when we write for young readers, our goal is not to convey the full weight of a global crisis. We should focus on entry points small enough for a child to step into. When I speak with ot

BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/4r4kjMp Children have a natural curiosity about the world. How and why were Band-Aids invented? Who created the giant balloons for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? How did Winnie the Pooh and Teddy Bears get their names? In looking for mentor texts about inventions and creations, you will find two distinct tracks: books about the lives of the inventors which culminate in the invention or books about the invention that only include enough of the invent

BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/40cJp0u If you’ve read any blog posts I’ve written for Storystorm or Picture Book Builders, you probably know that I tend to brainstorm the titles of my picture books before I draft. When I came up with the title Duck, Duck, Taco Truck , I knew that I had to write it—and that it had to be written in rhyme. The title simply begs for it. My previously published picture books, as well as many unpublished manuscripts I’ve written over the years, were al

Since today is St. Patrick’s Day, it’s the perfect opportunity to discuss the topic of luck. The popular phrase, “Luck of the Irish”, was originally coined in the 19th-century during the American Gold and Silver Rushes. It was used to describe successful, mining, Irish immigrants, suggesting that their good fortune was due to luck, rather than skill. Now, when we use that phrase, it is meant as a positive wish for good fortune that is tied to Irish heritage. “You’re lucky

BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/3ONAtw2 When I transitioned from writing picture books to writing board books, I was struck by their unique challenge. Instead of a focus on plot and story, the focus is on rhythm and participation. One of the first board books I studied was Anne Wynter’s Hands On!, illustrated by Alea Marley . It traces a baby’s journey from crawling to walking. It begins: Hands in light, waking, waking Hands on dog, shaking, shaking The text continues in this f

BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/47aMeTz Writing for Children from a Fresh Perspective by Leah Schanke Have you ever found a historical figure you would love to write about, only to discover there are already multiple biographies about them on the shelf? This is exactly what happened to me, and I put the manuscript aside for years until I decided to explore a different perspective. Perspective should not be confused with point-of-view (POV). The perspective or angle of a story can o

BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/4b5LYGF Conjuring magic in picture books isn’t as easy as it may seem. First, the magic must be seeded in the ordinary world. It can’t just come out of nowhere, magically or not. Since essentially everything a picture book should be seeded in the beginning – this just makes sense. With my rhyming picture book BroomMates (co-authored in rhyme by Brenda Reeves Sturgis and illustrated by Nico Ecenarro), it was easy – the main characters I created were

Lauren H. Kerstein Boosts Bold Backmatter That Grabs the Reader as Much as the Text Everything I’ve ever learned, I learned from a picture book! The beauty of writing nonfiction picture books is that you have the opportunity to dive down deep rabbit holes and dig up diamonds to share with readers. The challenge of writing nonfiction picture books is that you may end up with so many diamonds, they won’t all fit into a 32-page, 40-page, or even a 48-page picture book. W

Using Metafiction To Turn Reading Into A Game Greetings, March on Mentor Text readers! When I was inspired to attempt to write a story based on a childhood game after being dazzled by THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS (more on that later), I brainstormed a few ideas. Jinx was the clear winner due to its simplicity and the fun I had playing it as a child. Mining our childhood for ideas really is stellar advice. So, when I found myself wondering how to take a universally w

Buy Here: https://amzn.to/4aKHrdX As a teacher librarian, many of the resources I share with my students feature important history. Dry nonfiction isn’t enough to hook readers--these stories need to have heart. I want my students to walk in others’ shoes. I hope they’ll learn from the past so we don’t keep repeating it. I need them to feel something. I center these goals as both a teacher and as a writer. A book that hooked my readers by getting them to not just walk in s

Writing the Unexpected: Crafting Unique Picture Book Biographies About Famous People By Selene Castrovilla Buy Here: https://amzn.to/4smjfob Growing up, I always knew I was a writer. But if you’d told me I would one day write about George Washington, I would have laughed. “He’s boring,” I would’ve said. That changed when a friend casually mentioned that Washington had been a spymaster. A spymaster? That single detail cracked open my assumptions. I began researching and quickl

First of all, we'd like to wish everyone a Happy National Meatball Day! Celebrate with Jeanette's book, Meatballs for Grandpa ! Inviting Engagement in Character- Driven Stories by Jeanette Fazzari Jones Again! Again! Again! If you’ve ever read a great picture book to a child, you’ve absolutely heard that exclamation. But what makes a child ask over and over to hear the same book? And how can we create that level of enthusiasm in a character-driven text? Narratives give you

THE POWER OF THE PAGE TURN By Danna Smith There’s a subtle, yet incredibly powerful, moment in every children’s book that often goes unnoticed by adults but is keenly felt by young readers: the page turn . It’s more than just flipping a piece of paper; it’s a carefully orchestrated pause, a build-up of anticipation, and a reveal that can make or break the magic of a story. As authors and illustrators, understanding the power of the page turn is essential. It allows us to c

https://amzn.to/4lbe7AL Humor is often treated as light or silly—but in picture books, humor is powerful. It can open emotional doors, soften hard conversations, and create instant connection. As author-illustrator Eliza Kinkz puts it: “Humor is a superpower as it can make you connect with someone instantly! We don't agree on so much these days, BUT we all react the same when we hear a fart. As laughter is healing, and can make hard conversations easier to swallow, having th

https://amzn.to/46zy12m I love picture book stories that practically force you to turn the page right from the very start. The recipe is not rocket science. Start with something mysterious. Something unexpected, something strange, incongruous. Or just get the story going on the very first spread. Starting early in a picture book makes a lot of sense. After all, kids have lots of books to choose from and limited attention spans. So do the folks reading them to the kids. A

The Engine of a Strong Cultural Picture Book – by Namrata Agarwal A cultural story often focuses on a small, relatable moment rather than trying to represent an entire culture. It might center on cooking with a grandparent, getting dressed for a festival, or opening a food box. These stories don’t explain culture outright; they reveal it through everyday actions. Sensory details, smells, textures, sounds, ground the story and make it feel authentic. At the heart of the narr