Picture Books for Writers

 PICTURE BOOKS FOR WRITERS

Hopkinson, Deborah. The Story of a Story. New York: Holiday House, 2021.
Do you ever get stuck when you are trying to write a story or an essay or even a short paragraph? You might have ideas but how do you find the right words? Should you keep trying or simply give up and walk away? This beautifully designed picture book humorously presents the dilemma and offers a straight-forward solution. At the end, an outline is provided for readers ready to write their own story. Recommended without reservations for writers of all ages.

MORE STORIES TO INSPIRE YOUR OWN WRITING…

PLOT
Apt. 3. Ezra Jack Keats
A Fine, Fine School. Sharon Creech.
The Firekeeper’s Son. Linda Sue Park.
Gleam and Glow. Eve Bunting.
The Hockey Sweater. Roch Carrier.
My Freedom Trip: a Child’s Escape from North Korea. Frances Park.
My Name is Yoon. Helen Recorvits.
The Summer My Father was Ten. Pat Brisson.
That’s Hockey. Paul Bouchard.
The Three Questions. Jon Muth.
Under a Prairie Sky. Anne Laurel Carter.

CHARACTERIZATION
Miss Rumphius. Barbara Cooney.
An Extraordinary Egg. Leo Lionni.
The Firekeeper’s Son. Linda Sue Park.
Grandfather’s Journey. Allen Say.
Roses Sing on New Snow. Paul Yee.
Ruby’s Wish. Shirin Yim Bridges.
The Summer My Father was Ten. Pat Brisson.
Tales of a Gambling Grandma. Dayal Kaur Khalsa.
The Three Questions. Jon Muth.
Under a Prairie Sky. Anne Laurel Carter.

Kerley, Barbara. The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy). New York: Scholastic Press, 2010.
This is a frank biographer and an honest one; she uses no sandpaper on me.” That’s what Mark Twain said about his own daughter, who secretly – when she was thirteen years old – kept a journal about her adored papa. Author Barbara Kerley tells the whole story in this intriguing picture book biography. Varying-sized fonts, humorous full-page illustrations by Edwin Fotheringham, and sample diary entries complete with misspellings help to tell this delightful account of one of the most well-known American writers. A timeline, author’s note, and tips for writing a biography complete this picture book recommended for all who have enjoyed the tales of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. 

SETTING
All the Places to Love. Patricia MacLachlan.
Come On, Rain. Karen Hesse.
Rose Blanche. Roberto Innocenti.
The Summer My Father was Ten. Pat Brisson.
Tsunami! Kimiko Kajikawa.
Under a Prairie Sky. Anne Laurel Carter.
When I was Young in the Mountains. Cynthia Rylant.

MOOD
All the Places to Love. Patrica MacLachlan.
Come On, Rain. Karen Hesse.
Glory. Nancy White Carlstrom.
Grandfather’s Journey. Allen Say.
I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More. Karen Beaumont.
In November. Cynthia Rylant.
Once Upon a Memory. Nina Laden.
Rose Blanche. Roberto Innocenti.
Timmerman Was Here. Colleen Sydor.
When I was Young in the Mountains. Cynthia Rylant.

THEME
The Dot. Peter H. Reynolds.
A Fine, Fine School. Sharon Creech.
Fish is Fish. Leo Lionni.
Gleam and Glow. Eve Bunting.
Glory. Nancy White Carlstrom.
Ish. Peter H. Reynolds.
My People. Langston Hughes. (Photos by Charles R. Smith)
Knots on a Counting Rope. Bill Martin, Jr.
Roses Sing on New Snow. Paul Yee.
Ruby’s Wish. Shirin Yim Bridges.
Some Dogs Do. Jez Alborough.
Stars. Mary Lyn Ray and Marla Frazee.
The Stars will Still Shine. Cynthia Rylant.
The Three Questions. Jon Muth.
You Were Loved Before You Were Born. Eve Bunting.

Cordell, Matthew. Evergreen. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023.
“Deep in the Buckthorn Forest, at the northernmost edge of Burr Valley, high in the tallest red oak tree, behind the closed curtains of a bedroom window, hid a squirrel…” who is afraid of germs and thunderstorms, height, swimming, and meeting anyone new. Oh dear! What will she do when Mama sends her on an errand to take soup to Granny Oak? This new story by a Caldecott Medalist is recommended for anyone who likes picture books, anyone who appreciates pen and watercolour illustrations, and anyone who teaches literature or writing. Definitely a book to buy, not just borrow from a library.

For picture book lovers: notice how much of the story is told by the illustrations rather than the words.

For teachers of literature and writing: notice the use of vowel sounds and alliteration; notice the flow of the sentences; notice how there are a combination of complete and incomplete sentences, a combination of narration and speech; notice how the story is divided into different sections that relate to the stages of a hero’s journey; notice how the book references the Red Riding Hood story, not only by the visit to a sick grandmother but also by the red cape shown only in the illustrations; notice the surprise ending that leads to connections that readers can make to their own lives…

How are our own fears sometimes irrational? What factors give us the courage to act despite our fears? How do we learn to take chances again after people betray our kindness? Who are the people who encourage us? How does facing our fears change us?

STYLE

Listen to Our World

Martin Jr., Bill and Michael Sampson. Listen to Our World. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016.

“Youngsters awaken in the morning with the belief that they are the greatest little ones in the world, whether they are children in their mothers’ arms, eagles soaring above mountains, whales swimming in the ocean, or other animals in their domains.” – CIP. Illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet. A wonderful read-aloud for teaching the use of powerful language!

1. Parallel Structure:
All the Places to Love. Patricia MacLachlan.
Apt. 3. Ezra Jack Keats.
Bear’s Picture. Daniel Pinkwater.
Grandfather’s Journey. Allen Say.
If You Find a Rock. Peggy Christian.
Imagine a Day. Sarah L. Thomson.
In November. Cynthia Rylant.
Mister Seahorse. Eric Carle.
Once Upon a Memory. Nina Laden.
The Stars Will Still Shine. Cynthia Rylant.
The Three Questions. Jon Muth.
When I was Young in the Mountains. Cynthia Rylant.

2. Sensory Details:
All the Places to Love. Patrica MacLachlan.
Come On, Rain. Karen Hesse.
Glory. Nancy White Carlstrom.
If You Find a Rock. Peggy Christian.
In November. Cynthia Rylant.
Tales of Gambling Grandma. Dayal Kaur Khalsa.
When I was Young in the Mountains. Cynthia Rylant.

Pendziwol, Jean E. Me and You and the Red Canoe. Toronto: Groundwood, 2017.
Early in the morning, two siblings make a fire and sit together, sipping hot chocolate. Leaving everyone else still asleep, they gather their fishing gear and set off in a red canoe. Told in free verse and illustrated in acrylic on panel, this picture book is recommended for readers 7 to 14 years old. Teachers might enjoy using it to show students how to turn their own experiences into stories. 

Scott, Jordan. My Baba’s  Garden. New York: Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2023.
How does the love of nature begin? For the little boy in this story, it begins with seeing his grandmother’s house filled with food from her garden: carrots, apples, garlic, beets, jars of pickles. It begins with walking to school with his grandmother and watching her rescue worms on rainy days. It begins with planting tiny tomato seeds in a small pot on a window sill. It begins with paying attention. A wonderfully evocative picture book based on the author’s childhood in Port Moody, British Columbia and illustrated by Sydney Smith. Highly recommended for children 5 to 10 years old. Highly recommended for readers learning how illustrations and words work together to tell a story. Highly recommended for readers of any age who want to learn how to include descriptive details in their writing.

3. Strong Verbs:
Cinderella. Barbara McClintock.
The Firekeeper’s Son. Linda Sue Park.
Glory. Nancy White Carlstrom.
Ish. Peter H. Reynolds.
Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix.  Gary Golio.
Jonah’s Whale. Eileen Spinelli.
That’s Hockey. Dave Bouchard.

4. Alliteration:
The Firekeeper’s Son. Linda Sue Park.

Two Little Birds

Two Little Birds.  Mary Newell. DePalma (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2014).

5. Similes and Metaphors:
Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix.  Gary Golio.
My Garden. Kevin Henkes.
Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum. Robert Andrew Parker.

6. Rhythm:
All the Places to Love. Patricia MacLachlan.
Frog Girl. Paul Owen Lewis.
The Ghost-Eye Tree. Bill Martin, Jr.
I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More. Karen Beaumont.
Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein. Don Brown.
One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin. Kathryn Lasky
Stars will Still Shine. Cynthia Rylant.
Zen Shorts. Jon Muth.

7. Rhyme:
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain. Verna Aadema.
The Cat in the Hat. Dr. Seuss.
Chicken Soup with Rice. Maurice Sendak.
A House is a House for Me. Mary Ann Hoberman.
Jazz. Walter Dean Myers.
Oh the Places You’ll Go! Dr. Seuss.
Some Dogs Do. Jez Alborough.

Casey, Dawn. Apple Cake: a Gratitude. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, an imprint of The Quarto Group, 2019.
A lovely lyrical rhyming story for autumn giving thanks for hedges, flowers, rain and earth. For friends and family, gifts and food. And at the end, there’s a gluten-free recipe for apple cake. Gently illustrated with soft pastels and coloured pencils, this picture book is highly recommended as a read-aloud for children 4 to 7 years old.

8. Conversation in stories:
Apt. 3. Ezra Jack Keats.
Come On, Rain. Karen Hesse.
A Fine, Fine School. Cynthia Rylant.
The Ghost-Eye Tree. Bill Martin, Jr.
Knots on a Counting Rope. Bill Martin, Jr.
Mister Seahorse. Eric Carle.
Ruby’s Wish. Shirin Yim Bridges.

9. Personification:

Archer, Micha. Wonder Walkers. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021.
Gorgeous double-page illustrations help tell this story of two children who go on a nature walk. Minimal text – in the form of imaginative questions – will inspire students to see the world with fresh eyes. Artists will be reminded of all the colours used by picture book author Brian Wildsmith. Teachers will want to use this picture book to introduce the literary technique of personification. A 2022 Caldecott Honor Book. Highly recommended!

10. Onomatopoeia:

The Rain Train. Elena de Roo. (Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2010).

The Rain Train

Wild Berries = Pikaci-Minisa. Julie Flett. (Vancouver: Simply Read Books, 2013).

Wild Berries

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *