If you want the definitive guide to writing children's picture books, this is it. It's like having an MFA course in one slender volume.

Although I liked this book and found it interesting, it just wouldn't sell to our local demographic. I would maybe recommend it and offer to order it in for someone who came looking for it.

An interesting book and would be pretty helpful, written more for someone who has already got a manuscript ready, rather than for someone that is thinking about writing.

Writing pictures can be a little tricky and Ann Whitford Paul's book, Writing Picture Books (Revised and Expanded Edition) really helps you to not only structure your story but to identify your audience as well. This is important because it can directly impact how you write your story - especially in regards to the reading level. The book is organized into six parts. Parts one and two help you to identify your audience before you even start writing, and some early story decisions, such as your outline and characters. Parts three and four focus on the structure of your story and how your story will be written, including word counts and rhyming. Parts five and six talk about wrapping it all together, making a mock-up book, and what to do after your done, such as sharing and publishing.

What I love about this book is that it is full of information that will help you to write, polish, and submit your manuscript for publication. There is a good section on the publishing business, self-publishing, and even what to do when a publisher makes an offer. I also liked how the author helps you to examine whether self-publishing makes more sense for you. This is a great resource for beginners or struggling authors looking for a game changer in publishing more picture books! If you want to write picture books, then you must read this book!

*A DRC was given for an honest review.

“The best characters stay with readers and listeners long after childhood—”

If you’re an aspiring children’s books writer and/or illustrator and want to know more about the craft and about sharing your work; if you’re a sceptic, highbrow reader who thinks picture books are an easy-peasy affair, not worthy of your attention; OR if you’re like me, owning quite a few picture books and having used them for years and years teaching tiny humans English as a second language without ever thinking more critically about this type of creative endeavour, then yeah, this book is for you… and me!

You don’t have to be writing or thinking about writing a picture book to be getting more out of Ann Whitford Paul’s richly informative text, because there’s a lot more to it than “HOWTOs” from the first draft and final submission to an editor. For starters, an impressive list of examples of works depending on the type of book you’re interested in: character-driven stories; funny, serious, or sad stories; rhymey, punny poems; or question and answer type of books. You will learn what makes a picture book great or not-so-great, that there are books children will love and adults will dread reading aloud for the nth time, likewise books grownups will find highly instructive, but a 3-5-yo will want to hear none of it.
“It stands to reason then that children are wise enough to figure out what a story is about without an explicitly stated moral. We’re in the business of writing engaging stories, not teaching lessons. Leave that to educators.”

For every step of the way there are running examples, bits of stories – some of them quite amusing – purposefully written by Ann Whitford Paul to highlight each creative approach and challenges faced when writing picture books.

I particularly loved the way the author stresses the importance of reading poetry:
“The more poets you read, no matter what genre or age they write for, the more poetic your writing will become. Almost all of the picture books listed in the bibliography are there because not only do they tell a good story but the author writes lyrically.”

The idea of becoming a picture-book scholar is a fine excuse to acquire picture books only for yourself!

If you want to write picture books, this is the book for you. Beautiful and engaging, this is a super helpful primer for those looking to write and publish a picture book. An excellent resource!

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Perhaps your interest tends more towards children’s books; in that case, have a look at WRITING PICTURE BOOKS Revised and Expanded Edition by Ann Whitford Paul who taught about writing picture books for ten years through UCLA. I love that her first section is titled "Before You Write Your Story: Becoming a Picture Book Scholar" because there are so many fabulous examples in this genre. And she provides insightful comments such as on the number of words versus readers' ages or on the intended audience which really has two components: parents and children. Of course, Paul's newest edition also includes sections on the details of developing one's own book whether she is discussing building the frame, creating compelling characters, plotting, finding an ending, or choosing a title. The exercises included here assume that the reader has a rough draft to revise. Then, she continues to the world of publishing with suggestions for creating a mock-up of the book, submitting a manuscript, and a review of self-publishing considerations. Overall, WRITING PICTURE BOOKS is a helpful, valuable resource.

Writing picture books revised and expanded edition, by Ann Whitford Paul is a brilliant resource for anyone interested, or in the process of writing a picture book.
This book covers everything you could ask for from the first seeds of thought to publication and beyond.
Excellent book and very well written.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Just in time! I have a couple of my own books in mind and this book was loaded with helpful hints and advice. I wish I had found a book like this ages ago, but as I will soon have time to devote to writing, I am planning on purchasing this book to advise me in the future. Great book for those interested in writing picture book.

A solid, descriptive, and accessible guide to writing picture books. Paul provides ample examples and suggestions for the writing and publication process. The updated content is a valued addition

This book is fantastic! Featuring the most in-depth instructions and examples for aspiring writers. This is more like a workbook with lots of writing exercises, so you can steadily work towards your own goals,
Nothing is left out. We have chapters on writing for different age groups, grammar, story line, dialogue, plotting and structure, submitting your manuscript, marketing and getting published.
This book would be fantastic for all writers, artists and illustrators who thought about writing and publishing their own story.

Thank you so much NetGalley and F+W Media for giving me a copy. All thoughts expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Extremely informative and beautifully presented. An invaluable read for anyone interested in picture books.

Want to write and publish a book for children? This advice manual is a good place to start. It covers everything an aspiring writer needs to know from the conception of the idea to getting an agent and publishing deal. While I wasn't enthralled with the somewhat school-marmish tone of the book, I did appreciate the author's expertise. Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read and review this book.

Since picture books are the first books introduced to young children, it is important that they engage and attract its audience from the first page. The author explains how to accomplish this. She gives detail information on such topics as:the importance of the 6 Ws, testing for a strong opening using highlighters, choosing an attention grabbing title, plotting, word count, choosing a critique group, and finalizing the story for publication.The author fully explains each step using examples from her stories and from other authors. There’s even a written exercise for you to do at the completion of each chapter. This is a great informational and resource book for all those aspiring writers to have on hand.

If you are like me, and did not read the original Writing Picture Books when it was published ten years ago, the Revised and Expanded Edition is brand new. Paul did a wonderful job explaining the process of writing picture books from developing the idea to publication. One aspect of the book that I love was the way Paul included the mistakes they made while learning the process. Many times, writing books come across as preachy and "everything I did was perfect the first time" approach, but not this one. One aspect I did not really care for was the approach to self-publishing. Yes, many people self-publish because they only want a memento for their family, or as Paul also noted, their original publisher folded, but more and more people are self-publishing because they want control over their material, or they do not like the politics that goes into traditional publishing. That small section read like a dig toward self-publishing. Other than that, this will make an excellent reference for anyone interested in writing picture books. Each chapter also has a series of prompts that readers can follow to implement the chapter.

I want to thank NetGalley and F & W Media for the opportunity to review this advance reader copy.

Writing Practice Books Revised and Expanded Edition by Ann Whitford Paul is a great, useful book! Great tips and advice.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of Writing Practice Books in exchange for an honest review.