What is the appeal of dark picture books? Do kids want to read (and re-read) books about tougher topics? How do you make these books kid-friendly? 

Julie Hedlund leads our Roundtable discussion about dark picture books, what place they have in children's lives, and why they can be so important. 

Books mentioned in this episode:

• The Rough Patch by Brian Lies
• The Longest Letsgoboy by Derick Wilder and Catia Chien
• Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson and Hudson Talbott
• Kamau & ZuZu Find a Way by Aracelis Girmay and Diana Ejaita
• Finding Papa by Angela Pham Krans and Thi Bui
• Lubna and Pebble by Wendy Meddour and Daniel Egnéus
• The House Before Falling into the Sea by Ann Suk Wan and Hanna Cha
• The Skull by Jon Klassen
• The Cat Man of Aleppo by Karim Shamsi-Basha, Irene Latham, Yuko Shimizu
• The Circus Comes to the Village by Yutaka Kobayashi

Let this episode linger and check out a few of these picks as you discover the world of dark picture books.

Picture book authors are closer in their craft to screenwriters and playwrights than any other kind of author.

Why?

Because picture book writers direct their readers on how to read the book. It's your job as a writer to make your (often adult reader) look like a rockstar. Emma Walton Hamilton shares how to make your manuscript reader-proof.

It seems nothing is more fun to read aloud than lyrical or rhyming picture books. A common misconception is that it's easy to write rhyme: just count the syllables and make the end words sound alike, right?

Wrong. Good thing you came across this episode, where Julie Hedlund—rhymer extraordinaire—gives examples of what good rhyme and lyrical writing actually is, what makes it work, and how to write it yourself. 

Picture books are a truly unique genre of literature. Other books CAN be read aloud, but picture books are ENGINEERED exactly for that precise purpose.  In this episode, Emma Walton Hamilton defines the importance of "Read-aloud-ability" (HINT: it can sway the submission process), while Katie Davis illustrates one impactful way to factor that secret sauce into your writing. 

Stay tuned! This is the first of a three-part series.

Editor and agent assistants: the rarely-talked-about demi gods of the publishing industry.  They are the gatekeepers, and if they don't think your manuscript is up to snuff, it won't be leaving the slush pile. So what can you do about that?

In this episode, Emma Walton Hamilton asks editor and agent assistants AZ Hackett, Claire Tattersfield, and Gaby Caballero all the burning questions. 

Author/Illustrator and Agent Shadra Strickland reveals how to get at the heart of your story by sharing ideas and exercises to get your creativity flowing—in your brain and on the page. This is a fun one. Happy listening!

In this episode, Eric and Terry Fan, also known as writing-illustrating duo The Fan Brothers, are taking us to new worlds in To Imagination and Beyond.

They reveal their unique path into picture books after originally pursuing other careers and talk about some of the unconventional sources for their story ideas. They are proof that stories can hop from one place to another: from a t-shirt design that eventually became The Night Gardener, or a careless doodle from thirty years ago that grew into Lizzy and the Cloud. Eric and Terry reveal how your next story may be waiting in the most unlikely place.

We adore The Fan Brothers and after this episode we think you will too!

Today’s episode features a practically perfect pair of presenters.

You’ve seen presentations about great picture book beginnings. You’ve seen them about effective endings. But a truly great picture book relies on the connection between the two. Today, Emma Walton Hamilton & Julie Hedlund are here to show how to launch topflight stories and navigate them to stellar endings.

One of the best ways to navigate your course as a writer is through critiques.  In this episode of the podcast, we share a snippet of Founder Katie Davis’ presentation Houston, Your Manuscript Has a Problem. Katie discusses why critiques are important and things to consider as you seek feedback from critique groups and freelance editors.

Get ready to take your work to a whole new stratosphere!

A few years ago, we had the privilege of hosting former National Ambassador of Young People's Literature and bestselling author Kate DiCamillo as one of our Superstar Speakers. Her presentation was nothing short of magical. She shares how she went from wanting to write and thinking about writing to actually writing. We hope this snippet of her talk inspires you to get started (or restarted) too. 

Savor this episode.

Be part of the magic of Picture Book Summit LIVE! join us at this year's online event on October 5th - Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold. 

Join us for Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold! Superstar Speakers include: 

• Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott Honoree Grace Lin
• National Ambassador of Young People's Literature Meg Medina
• New York Times bestselling duo Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett

Early Bird pricing ends this week! Get $100 off when you get your ticket by August 31, 2024. Register here!