by Annie Cronin Romano

The holiday season has arrived. When my children were young, one of our favorite activities to do was cuddling on the couch reading holiday picture books. Sometimes there were old favorites; other times they were the latest arrivals at our local library or bookshop. This post is a mix of holiday classics and newer arrivals to the shelves. Hopefully you'll find a few titles to add to your "must read" list (links are included with the cover images). Please share your favorite holiday picture books in the comments!

​SANTA MOUSE, by Michael Brown, illustrated by Edfrieda DeWitt
MR. WILLOWBY'S CHRISTMAS TREE, by Robert E. Barry
PICK A PINE TREE, by Patricia Toht, illustrated by Jarvis
RED AND LULU, by Matt Tavares
CHRISTMAS FARM, by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Barry Root
OSKAR AND THE EIGHT BLESSINGS, by Richard Simon & Tanya Simon, illustrated by Mark Siegel
THE TREE THAT'S MEANT TO BE, by Yuval Zommer
HANUKKAH BEAR, by Eric A Kimmel, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
OLIVE, THE OTHER REINDEER, by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh
SEVEN SPOOLS OF THREAD: A KWANZAA STORY, by Angela Shelf Medearis, illustrated by Daniel Minter
DASHER, by Matt Tavares
THE TREES OF THE DANCING GOATS, by Patricia Polacco

~Guest blog by Angela Burke Kunkel

When you think of a picture book being read, what--- or more precisely, who--- do you see? A child snug on the lap of a beloved parent or grandparent? A teacher, perched on the edge of a tiny classroom chair, reading aloud to a rapt class seated criss-cross-applesauce on the rug? A toddler, alone in their room during quiet time, studiously turning the pages and reciting a favorite book from memory?

Or is the audience . . . you?
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Sometimes, in our journey to become writers, we study so much advice and so many mentor texts and blog posts and craft books that we lose sight of our own voice, our own relationship with books, our own relationship with words.

We write for children, after all, many of us in a particular genre or format. Picture books present their own unique set of challenges, with the industry standard of 32 pages and that ever-fluctuating “sweet spot” for word count. And, of course, you have other considerations: room for the illustrator. The child. The reader. It can be enough to crowd out why you’re doing this in the first place.

And, selfishly, it is okay if that’s you.
 
Allow me to back up for a moment: In my daily professional life, I work as a teacher-librarian in a school that serves grades seven through twelve. My entire career, I’ve only worked with tweens and teens--- never with elementary or preschool-aged children (and, may I just say, bless those early childhood and elementary educators). When social conversations wind their way round to writing, teens and even other adults often express surprise that I don’t write YA. After all, that’s who I interact with on a daily basis. And there is incredible work for young adults out there. I love reading it and talking about it, especially with young people.

But it isn’t what my brain reaches for right now, emotionally or structurally, in terms of my own writing.  As someone who wanted to write novels for a very long time--- and never, ever finished a complete draft--- I found myself circling back to picture books. As I rediscovered them through my own young children, and through using them in classroom instruction with middle and high schoolers, I realized I also enjoyed them for my own aesthetic reasons. I loved how wordless titles felt like a silent movie unfolding. I loved the deceptive simplicity of clever refrains or circular structures. I loved the lyrical language and pacing of others, as metaphorical and gorgeous as any Mary Oliver poem. And yes, I’d read them with a child snuggled on my lap, or to a classroom of students (albeit at tables, not criss-cross-applesauce), but the aesthetic experience was a personal response for me. And eventually, I found myself reading them . . . by myself. When I had the itch to write after many years away from it, I allowed myself to consider the possibility of picture books.

As Ann Whitford Paul notes in Writing Picture Books, picture book form is unique because they are books written for people who cannot yet read, “usually read by an adult reader to a nonreader . . . The pictures are there to entice the nonreader to listen and also help construct meaning from the words.” And she’s right, but I also think as writers we can expand our vision beyond that, while still respecting it. After all, aren’t all good stories, regardless of form, about the experience of constructing meaning?

While it’s important to write with your primary audience in mind, remember that you can also have multiple audiences. I’d encourage aspiring writers to not only focus on how children might experience their book, but teens and adults as well. There are so many books I have used or want to use at the high school level--- from Faith Ringgold’s Tar Beach to Yuyi Morales’s Dreamers. Seeing teens, often stereotyped as cynical or disaffected, engaged in a picture book with the same wide-eyed wonder as a kindergartener reminds me that these stories serve a purpose for everyone. We just need to allow for that possibility.
 
So my challenge to you is this--- when you’re writing, and especially during those free writes and first drafts--- allow yourself to let go of that image of the lapsit reader or the elementary classroom. Disregard that editor voice in your brain that questions things like appropriateness and marketability and Lexile level. And, just for a little while, allow yourself to play. Swim around in words that make you feel like you’re engaging in a beautiful piece of language that isn’t cataloged “E” because it’s Easy. It’s “E” because it’s for everyone. And maybe, in that space of openness and play, you just might surprise yourself (and ultimately, your reader) with something beautiful.
           
Bio: 
Angela Burke Kunkel's debut picture book, DIGGING FOR WORDS: JOSÉ ALBERTO GUTIÉRREZ AND THE LIBRARY HE BUILT (illustrated by Paola Escobar and published by Random House/Schwartz & Wade) releases in Fall 2020. In addition to being an author, Angela works full time as a school librarian. She is a graduate of Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. Angela is represented by Liza Fleissig at the Liza Royce Agency. You can contact her here. You can also connect on Twitter and Instagram.

Final thoughts
Thank you for letting me share my process of bringing Night Train to life with you, and thank you to 24 Carrot Writing for inviting me to do so. I hope it was helpful and am looking forward to reading all the different approaches/processes other illustrators have here in the future.

About the Illustrator
Ileana Soon is an illustrator/vis dev artist who grew up in a small seaside town in Borneo, before making her way to Los Angeles where she currently lives and works. Her clients include The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Oprah Magazine. She has also won multiple awards, including a Silver Medal from 3x3, as well as recognition from American Illustration and The World Illustration Awards. Learn more about Ileana and see more of her work at http://ileanasoon.com/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ileanadraws/, and on Behance at https://www.behance.net/ileanasoon.

~by Amanda Smith

I have been following Miranda Paul's career for many years and celebrate along with her as her fifteenth book will be released this year. Her picture books inspire young readers to take care of the earth and one another. She invests generously in the kidlit community as founder of RATE YOUR STORY  and co-founder of WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS. Her generosity also spills over in other walks of life in local and international communities, where she invites others to come alongside her and spark change. I am honored to welcome Miranda to 24 Carrot Writing to tell us about her newest book-baby.
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NINE MONTHS: Before a Baby is Born (illustrated by Jason Chin) released on April 23, 2019.  You have said of this book, “My heart is full to have this very special book received with love. It's been in development for ten years, and I may cry upon its ‘birth.’” Please share with our readers the journey of NINE MONTHS and why it is so close to your heart.
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Nine Months is the book I wanted when I was pregnant with my second child. Sometimes that’s why you write a book—the one you want doesn’t exist yet. While every day I was getting access to weekly updates on the status of my baby, where was the scientifically-accurate yet age-appropriate book for my two-year-old daughter who was as curious as I was about each stage of her new sibling’s development? And while there were plenty of great picture books about where babies come from or emotional picture books about how much love a new baby gets, I struggled to find one that struck the right balance between the two. It only took ten years, but Nine Months is exactly the book I wanted. The science of human life is as miraculous as the love families have for each other. This book compromises neither one, and it’s also a reflection of the diversity of our world’s families.

Bio:
Miranda Paul is the award-winning author of One Plastic Bag, Water is Water, and I Am Farmer, all Junior Library Guild selections. Whose Hands Are These? was named a 2017 ILA Teacher's Choice and Are We Pears Yet? won the 2018 Award of Excellence in Children and Young Adults Literature from the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries. Her most recent release, Nine Months: Before a Baby is Born, received three starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and Publisher’s Weekly. Miranda Paul is an annual faculty member at the Highlights Foundation and a co-founding member of the nonprofit organization We Need Diverse Books, for which she currently serves as Mentorship Chair. Visit her at mirandapaul.com.
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NINE MONTHS: Before a Baby is Born,  as well as Miranda's other book are available at these retailers:
Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780823441617
Barnes and Noble:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nine-months-miranda-paul/1129200776?ean=9780823441617#/
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Nine-Months-Before-Baby-Born/dp/082344161X/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Nine+Months&qid=1556288387&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Two of your nonfiction picture books involve jazz music: THE LITTLE PIANO GIRL: THE STORY OF MARY LOU WILLIAMS, JAZZ LEGEND and J IS FOR JAZZ (such a fun read)! Can you share what sparked these stories? Are you a musician yourself?  

I can play the sticks if pressed into it. I do love music and still love to dance even though I’m a bit arthritic these days. I got the idea for both books on a day I subbed for my music teacher friend who had an ongoing unit on jazz. I wondered if a jazz alphabet book had ever been written. As I pondered who or what to use for the letter W, my jazz historian friend reminded me of Mary Lou Williams, the First Lady of Jazz. As I began to read about her, I was totally hooked. My sister, Maryann Macdonald, paired with me in the writing of that book. It sold first and about 3 years later, J is for Jazz sold.
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FAIRY FLOSS: THE SWEET STORY OF COTTON CANDY is another of your nonfiction picture books. What lead you to write this delicious story? 

​Sonal Fry at Little Bee asked me to write this book. She gave me lots of freedom in deciding what to write. When I learned that the Electric Candy Making Machine was first introduced at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, I was hooked. I did quite a bit of the research at the UMKC Dental School Library since one of the inventors was a dentist. He also wrote books for children. How cool is that?
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​We’d love to know what you’re working on now. Any projects coming up?

I have some wonderful projects coming up. In 2020, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will release another picture book biography that will be illustrated by the talented Chloe Bristol. Because its publication date is still a year out, mums the word about the subject for now. But I’m especially looking forward to sharing this individual’s unique and curious story. I’m also excited about the recent sale of a new fiction picture book. I’ll be able to share more details in the coming months once the illustrator has been selected. 

What advice would you give to writers out there in the query/submission trenches?

Read the genre of stories you want to write. Study story structure, beginnings, middles, and endings. Study character and voice. Then, keep trying. Be persistent. Persistence is key. As you keep writing, your manuscripts will get better. Don’t be in a rush to submit. Rather, focus on making each manuscript the best that it can be. When it’s irresistible, success is only a submission away.

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with 24 Carrot Writing, Lori!

Lori Mortensen is an award-winning children’s book author of more than 100 books and over 500 stories and articles. Her upcoming picture book biography, Away with Words, the Daring Story of Isabella Bird (Peachtree), is about a Victorian traveler who defied society’s boundaries for women and became the first woman inducted into the Royal Geographical Society. Recent picture book releases include If Wendell Had a Walrus (Henry Holt), Chicken Lily (Henry Holt), Mousequerade Ball (Bloomsbury) illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator Betsy Lewin, and Cowpoke Clyde Rides the Range (Clarion, 2016) a sequel to Cowpoke Clyde & Dirty Dawg, one of Amazon’s best picture books of 2013. When she’s not letting her cat in, or out, or in, she’s tapping away at her computer, conjuring, coaxing, and prodding her latest stories to life. For more information about her books, events, critique service, and upcoming releases, visit her website at www.lorimortensen.com. ​

​What are a few of your favorite books as an adult?
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

We’d love to know what you’re working on now. Any projects coming up?
I’m pleased to share that my next book, a nonfiction picture book biography about Mister Rogers will be published in Fall 2019 by Atheneum. It is called Fred’s Big Feelings: The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers, illustrated by Brigette Barrager.

I always have multiple manuscripts in progress. Some of the ones I’m working on now involve robots, rabbits, and puppets.

What advice would you give to writers out there in the query/submission trenches?
If you are serious about getting published, do everything you can to improve your craft, build your personal kidlit community (i.e. critique group), and, importantly, cheer others on. Once your stories are the best they can be, submit, submit, submit! Compile a list of agents and editors you’d love to work with. Track your submissions. Celebrate your rejections. (It means you’re getting responses!) For most people, it takes years to connect with the right agent or editor for your work. Be determined. Be persistent. Be in it for the long haul.

Where can people learn more about you and your book?
You can find me on the web at laurarenauld.com and on social media:
Twitter - @laura_renauld
Facebook – @kidlitlaura
Instagram - @laurarenauld 

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with 24 Carrot Writing, Laura!

By Kelly Carey

Often, when a family member, friend, or acquaintance learns that you are a children’s writer they comment back, “I’ve always wanted to be a children’s writer,” or “I’ve written a children’s book too”. As a seasoned member of the KidLit community you will want to be helpful and encouraging while still providing realistic and practical advice and information.​

The following blog is a post that you can share with folks you meet who want to become children’s book writers. Share it as a way to kick-start their writing journey and provide them with the first step information every writer needs to move from thinking about being a children’s writer to becoming a children’s writer. 

​The dream of becoming a children’s author is a wonderful bubble that floats into the heads and hearts of many creative people. The trick is to take that dream and make it a reality.

But how?
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There are three key first steps that every dreamer needs to take in order to kick start their writing journey and move it from a thinking about phase to a doing phase. 

​Step One: Write

The first step to becoming a children’s author is to write.

This may seem like common sense, but this is the point where many writing dreams sit stagnant. Aspiring writers may think about a story, and have a desire to be a writer, but often they will not take the time to sit down and put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.
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To become a published writer you have to sit down and write. It can’t be on a whim or as a hobby. It has to be a real endeavor. Until you decide to make writing a priority, everything and anything - kids, family, chores, appointments, friends -  can and will derail your efforts and interrupt your progress. Think of writing as a job that requires your undivided time and attention.

To put true intention into your writing ambition, layer measurable goals into your dream:  

• Commit to Writing a Set Number of Hours per Week or Day
• Set Aside an Entire Day(s) A Week for Writing
• Commit to Writing a Set Number of Words or Chapters per Week or Day

Jane Yolen is a prolific and respected children’s author and is credited with the phrase “butt in chair”. Yolen’s advice emphasizes the need to actually sit down and do the work of writing in order to become an author. As Yolen says, “Write, write and write some more. Think of writing as a muscle that needs lots of exercise.”
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For help setting your writing goals check out the posts under the Writing Goals section of the 24 Carrot blog archives. 

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Step 2: Find Your Tribe

Writing can be a very solitary business. You’re not working for a company. There is no boss or co-worker. It is you alone with a laptop or a notebook. BUT you cannot work in a vacuum. You will need a group of fellow writers on your journey for the following reasons:
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• Constructive & Qualified Feedback: Although you can share your writing with a spouse, parents, kids or friends, your writing will need honest, qualified, and constructive feedback. This is the type of feedback you can only get from other writers. Finding a trusted group of fellow writers and building a critique group will be essential to your writing journey.
• Support and Encouragement: This is a tough business. Most manuscripts will be rejected multiple times before they find publishing success and many authors will tell you that their first manuscripts were never published, but rather it was their eighth picture book, or second or third novel that found publishing success. You will need support from other folks in the trenches during this time.

There are some practical ways to find your writing tribe. For example: 

• Join a Professional Writing Organization
  • ​​The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI): An international professional organization for authors and illustrators of children’s books. https://www.scbwi.org/
• Seek Out Local Writing Groups
  • The Writers’ Loft: A community space in Sherborn, MA for writer’s to connect and take classes.  https://www.thewritersloft.org/
  • Grub Street: A creative writing center in Boston. https://grubstreet.org/
• Follow Writer Created Blogs and Facebook Groups
  • 24 Carrot Writing: A weekly blog and Facebook group designed to help writer’s set goals and explore the craft of writing. http://www.24carrotwriting.com/
  • KidLit411: An online site that organizes articles, blog posts, interviews and information about writing and illustrating for children in one spot. http://www.kidlit411.com/
  • Writers’ Rumpus: A site that shares ideas, tips, news, and information of interest to children’s writers and with the wider children’s publishing community. https://writersrumpus.com/
• Participate in Online Writing Challenges
  • Storystorm: Annual challenge in January that encourages picture book writers to create a picture book idea every day in the month of January. The challenge provides online support from industry professionals. https://taralazar.com/storystorm/
  • Julie Hedlund’s 12x12 Challenge: Annual challenge with registration in December and January that challenges picture book writers to draft 12 manuscripts in 12 months. The challenge provides an online community, webinars, and support from industry professionals. http://12x12challenge.com/
  • National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo): Challenge takes place in November and offers online support and local writing events. https://nanowrimo.org/

 
Engage in the community of writers in order to find valuable critique partners and a support system. For more help finding a writing tribe, check out the posts under the Writing Community section of the 24 Carrot blog archives. 

Step 3: Read

There is a difference between reading a book as a reader for enjoyment and entertainment and reading a book as writer. Readers will enjoy a book, while writers will study why a book was enjoyable. In order to become a published writer, you need to read like a writer.

There are three primary reasons why writers read in their genre:

• To Study the Writing & Find Mentor Texts: Books that are examples of strong writing will become your guides as you hone your writing skills and work through your own manuscripts.
• To Understand the Market: It is important to understand what books are currently on the shelves so that you can understand what editors and booksellers are looking for, and also to be sure your manuscript is original. You will want to be able to identify where your own writing will fit and also how it is offering something fresh and new. To do this you will need to read currently published books in your genre.
• To Find Comp Titles: When it comes time to present your work to an agent or editor, they will ask you to name a few recently published titles that can guide them in understanding how your manuscript fits with the current market. In order to be able to name comparable titles, you will need to be well read on current books in the market.  

Read as a way to study books and understand the craft and techniques that authors employ to create their stories and to understand the current market. A wonderful way to have a guide as you sharpen your ability to read as a writer is to participate in Reading For Research Month (ReFoReMo).  ReFoReMo is an annual online event during the month of March where industry professionals recommend books to study as mentor texts. http://www.reforemo.com/p/reforemo-mission.html​

For more help becoming a writer who reads, check out the posts under the Read section of the 24 Carrot blog archives. 

​If you have been thinking about becoming a children’s writer take these first steps.

Write, Find a Tribe, and Read.
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Good Luck on your journey!