Creating Expository Nonfiction Picture Books that Sing with Melissa Stewart

We are so excited to have Melissa Stewart join us today to share information about Expository Nonfiction Picture Books!

Melissa Stewart has written more than 200 science-themed nonfiction books for children, including the Sibert Medal Honoree Summertime Sleepers: Animals that Estivate, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen, and her upcoming title Whale Fall:Exploring an Ocean-floor Ecosystem. She maintains the award-winning blog Celebrate Nonfiction , and her highly-regarded website features a rich array of nonfiction reading and writing resources.

Most children’s book agents and editors chose to careers in publishing because they’re naturally drawn to stories and storytelling. And because they receive many, many more submissions than they can possibly accept, they’re taught to select manuscripts they fall in love with. So it’s no surprise that, when it comes to nonfiction, they’ve traditionally tended to favor submissions with a narrative writing style.

But many children think differently. These budding scientists, engineers, computer programmers, accountants, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and more are drawn to expository nonfiction —text that explains, describes, or informs in a clear, accessible way. This is also the kind of nonfiction teachers focus on during informational writing units, so increasingly, publishers are looking for engaging, innovative manuscripts with an expository writing style. As a result, editors and agents are becoming interested in expository nonfiction picture books and, in the last few years, there’s been a uptick in the number being acquired and published.

For many writers, the most challenging thing about writing expository nonfiction is text structure. While nearly all fiction and narrative nonfiction has a chronological sequence structure, as I explain in this series of articles published in School Library Journal, expository nonfiction can have just about any text structure you can think of.

If I’m lucky, I know the text structure of a book before I start writing, but often it takes years of experimenting. This interactive timeline describes my 4-year journey in search of the perfect text structure for my book Can an Aardvark Bark?

As Lydia Lukidis explains superbly in this Storystorm blog post , another important element of an expository nonfiction picture book is “the hook.” The information has to be presented in a way that makes kids care. It’s all about fueling their natural curiosity.

Beyond that, elements like strong voice and rich language make editors and agents sit up and pay attention. You can find informative video mini-lessons on these topics here. While they’re intended for teachers, they’re just the kind of information children’s book creators can benefit from, too.

And finally, I’d like to recommend the anthology Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep: 50 Award-winning Authors Share the Secret of Engaging Writing, which I edited. It includes inspiring and informative essays from all your favorite nonfiction authors talking about their creative process.

Good luck with your expository nonfiction picture book manuscript!

Thanks so much for joining us, Melissa!

To see more of Melissa’s work, you can visit her website at www.melissa-stewart.com or visit her on instagram @melissastewartscience.

Epistolary Picture Books with Julie Falatko

We are so excited to have Julie Falatko join us today to share information about Epistolary Picture Books!

credit: Photo by Elle Darcy

Julie Falatko writes books for children. She is the author of many books, including Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book), which was named one of the ABA’s best books for young readers for 2016, was featured in People magazine, and was read online by David Harbour of “Stranger Things,” and the Two Dogs in a Trench Coat chapter book series, illustrated by Colin Jack (Scholastic), for which she received the Denise McCoy Literacy Award.

I wrote Yours in Books as a challenge to myself. Could I tell a whole story only in letters? I loved the idea of characters getting to know each other through correspondence. 

First I had to ask myself some questions, and these are questions anyone writing an epistolary book should consider.

  1. Why is it in letters (or emails, or sticky notes, or airplanes with banners flying behind)? Epistolary books are fun, but there has to be a reason that the story only makes sense told via correspondence. In Yours in Books, Owl doesn’t want to leave his treetop home to visit Bessie Squirrel’s bookstore, so he orders books by mail.

  2. How do your characters treat the correspondence? Is it strictly professional? What are they trying to convey? What do they want? Does their motivation change as the story goes on? The correspondence between Owl and Bessie in Yours in Books is formal at first but gets increasingly casual as they get to know each other.

  3. Is what they write in the letters the truth? There is an opportunity to have the words of the correspondence contrast with the reality shown in the illustrations – often in hilarious ways. This is a huge advantage to writing an epistolary picture book, because you know some of the story will be told in the illustrations.

One of my favorite things to look for in junk shops is the box of postcards. I love blank postcards to send to people, but I really love postcards that have already been sent. There are so many stories in these small spaces – you know, just like picture books.

Here are some of my favorites. Each of them has layers of story and character hiding behind the words on the card. Your epistolary books should be just as full of juicy unwritten story as these are.

Dear Marian, I felt so sorry, this afternoon, when I realized that I forgot to thank you for your Thanksgiving postal, it was thoughtfully kind of you to send it. Yours sincerely, A.L. Brittain

Ok. So this person is writing a thank you to Marian for her Thanksgiving letter, and is feeling terrible because of neglecting to reply to her. But. It’s posted November 28. I looked it up – Thanksgiving in 1910 was November 24. Unless this is about her letter from 1909, there’s something more here. Does she always demand an immediate reply? Did she send a Thanksgiving postcard weeks early? Does she send postcards all the time and A.L. Brittain is trying to get rid of her? Is this some form of flirtation? 

The Grand Canyon is a wonderful sight to see. Maybe you will see it someday. Dad.

I love this one. On the one hand, he may very well be truly wishing his daughters will see the Grand Canyon some day. On the other hand, there is some fatherly pressure here. Get out! See the world! Maybe visit Arizona every once in a while!

Labor Day. Dear Ann, This has been a very strange vacation. My 4 yr. old niece has had the week off and we’ve been escorting her to her swimming lessons. We’re now staying at a resort for the long weekend and the day’s structured around her pool time – naptime. Her little (6 mo. old) sister is getting short shrift. Even my photo taking ops are defined by my sister. Although it’s beautiful here, it has gotten too hot. I’m all set for NY fall. Hope you are recovering still & less tired. Your friend, Meg

I love the story of this one, the idea of going on a family trip, traveling across the country, only to have everyone revolving around the 4-year-old’s schedule. Even her photo ops are regulated. So good.

Dear E- Where the will is not strong and the flesh is quite weak, the mere mention of food makes the tummy go tweek. Your nice invitation I can hardly refuse. You’ve so little to gain – and I’ve nothing to lose. And so I will close – wishing most truly – “The Top of the Mornin’ to All”—Mr. Dooley

WHO IS THIS GUY? Can you imagine receiving a response to your dinner invitation entirely in rhyme? What do you think Eugenia’s response was? Because it could very well be either delight or wishing she has not, in fact, invited Mr. Dooley to dinner.

The challenge of writing an epistolary book is in stripping away everything but the correspondence. There’s no room for describing the scene or the characters. But we’re lucky as picture book authors, because we know the illustrators can tell that part of the story. Writing entirely in correspondence is like dialog that has taken one step back – it’s not what your characters are saying, but what they think they should be saying, how they think they should sound. An epistolary book is a challenge to create one story in the words themselves, and to have those words hint at layers of story that aren’t being told (just like in all those postcards from the junk shop).  

Thanks so much for joining us, Julie!

To see more of Julie’s work, visit her website: juliefalatko.com, Twitter: @Julie Falatko, Instagram: @julie_falatko, and Substack: Do the Work.

Board Books with Jill McDonald

We are so excited to have Jill McDonald join us today to share information about Board Books!

Jill McDonald is a Midwest based illustrator and designer whose cheery and colorful art can be found on clothing, fabric, bedding, stationery, puzzles, games, and books.

When I was younger, I never imagined I’d be an author one day. I’ll tell you a secret, it still feels strange to me today! In first grade I learned I had dyslexia. While my classmates began to read with ease I was frustrated and confused. Being in grade school in the early 80’s meant I would need to be part of the L. D. (learning disabled) department for a portion of my day. This was a good thing as it offered me extra help, it also helped build my determined spirit that I’m not sure I’d have if I wasn’t dyslexic. This also meant that I stood out and made me feel less capable than my classmates. So, I dove into ART, something that came naturally to me. I knew you could be an artist as my father was one, he had a busy graphic design agency throughout my childhood.

I went to art school at R.I.S.D. and continued to develop my art skills.  When I started my own illustration studio a couple years after graduating, I focused on brightly colored collections to present at shows or to specific clients.  My art had always included words with punchy adjectives here and there but, I was always afraid to add too many words as I didn’t feel like me and words meshed well.

I illustrated books for publishers but never volunteered my own writing.  In 2014 I was contacted by an editor at Doubleday Books (a division of Random House Kids) she saw a solar system wall art piece I made and wanted to discuss some non- fiction science/ nature inspired books.  I was excited but then terrified… when she asked, “would you consider writing them as they will be simple board books”?

Something inside me told me to say YES!  Having my own business and being an artist in general is one opportunity after another to bet on yourself.  So, I did!  My editor wanted to begin with four books- Solar System, Weather, Backyard Bugs, and Birds.  This is how the Hello, World! series began.

My approach was to learn as much as I could about the subject and then distil it down into something more bite sized for the one to four age range. I start by adding a sentence that explains the subject simply on each page slowly figuring out how it needs to flow.  I think of it as a conversation with the reader.  Science and nature are about observing and asking questions, so it was important that I engaged with the reader this way.  There are places in each book where questions are directly asked. 

For older readers I wanted to include fun facts on each spread that a parent, or older sibling might find interesting as well as something the younger reader might grow into as their familiarity with the subject developed.  This is signaled with an asterisk before the text.

My nerves begin at the start of each new book but learning so many cool new things and remembering I have an audience to share it with pushes me through the process.  I don’t have a diverse background in science, but I am very curious and excited about the subjects we get to explore.  My editor is a wonderful help with keeping the range of facts covered fresh, diverse & dialing me back if it starts to get out of age range.  She’s also a pro with cutting out the unnecessary.  By now you can probably see I can get wordy!

When I submit my first draft, I write two different options.  I’m sure this is due to my own insecurities with my writing.  Telling myself that with offering options some of it would work.  And it did in most cases.  My editor then crafts the two together creating what she calls a “frankindocument”. This is how we continue to work today.  With over twenty titles now in the Hello, World! series I think our writing relationship has worked wonderfully! 

Once the manuscript has been approved, I move onto the art, a part of the process I feel much more at home with.  The first couple books I wrote for Hello, World! took longer than the twelve spreads of art that accompanied it.  I’ve gotten quicker and more confident over the past seven years of writing.  Although I’m still not sure I’d call myself an author perhaps a sometimes-reluctant author!  One who is thrilled to have this opportunity to surprise myself and share almost two million books with the growing Hello, World audience!

photo by Suzanne Corum-Rich

*A little side note:  The Hello, World! board book series has expanded into Hello, World! Kids’ Guides picture books for kids who are ready for the next step. (Ages 3- 7 years)  Available now at your favorite place to buy books.

Thanks so much for joining us, Jill!

To see more of Jill’s work visit jillmcdonalddesign.com or follow here @missjillmcdonald on Instagram.

Poetry with Allan Wolf

We are so excited to have Allan Wolf join us today to share information about his poetry collections!

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Allan Wolf is the author of picture books, poetry, and young adult novels. A skilled and seasoned performer for the past 30 years, Allan Wolf’s dynamic author talks and poetry presentations for all ages are meaningful, educational, and unforgettable. Florida Reading Quarterly calls Wolf “the gold standard of performing poetry.” Wolf believes in the healing powers of poetry recitation and has committed to memory nearly a thousand poems. Wolf has an MA in English from Virginia Tech, where he also taught. He moved to North Carolina to become the artistic and educational director of the touring group Poetry Alive!. Wolf is considered the Godfather of the Poetry Slam in the Southeast, hosting the National Poetry Slam in 1994, forming the National Championship Team in 1995, and founding the Southern Fried Poetry Slam (now in it’s 27th year). He has won many awards, including Bankstreet College’s prestigious Claudia Lewis Award for Poetry. His latest book of poems for kids, The Day the Universe Exploded My Head: Poems To Take You Into Space and Back Again, is now in bookstores!

Welcome, Allan!

So You Wanna Write a Poetry Collection? by Allan Wolf

Okay, let’s cut to the chase. Poetry is a “hard sell” in ANY economy, so keep that in mind. Even if you are the best of the best, your best may not make you a household name in the world of children’s book publishing. That, of course, never stopped me. Nor does it stop the very dedicated, talented, and prolific group of poets writing for kids today. Just check out any of the titles from WordSong Press (a press devoted solely to children’s poetry). The first thing you’ll notice is that 99.9% of the poetry collections published today are “thematic.” Poems about the seasons, poems about the weather, poems about bugs, poems about sports, etc, etc. That’s because it is the theme, and not your unknown name, that will be THE main marketing hook to sell your book. Sorry folks, unless you are Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky, you’ll need to get thematic. 

At first this may seem limiting—(Q: How many poems about penguins can a poet write? A: Check out Antarctic Antics by Judy Sierra!)—but in the end, you will find that it will make each individual poem more focused, and it will give the overall collection cohesiveness and continuity. I have written poetry collections about anatomy (The Blood-Hungry Spleen), about the solar system (The Day the Universe Exploded My Head: Poems to Take You Into Space and Back Again), and about a school garden (Welcome to Our Magic Garden—due out in 2023). See what I mean? So, find a topic that has some potential, see what other books are already out there, and then go to it. 

The Day the Universe Exploded My Head almost wrote itself. Automatically I knew I had to write a poem for each planet, and so I had to figure out what made each one special. You can see, already, how the ideas might begin to just spring from the research. Did I say research? Yep. Research is your bestest friend. All fancy springs from facts. Consult other nonfiction books on the topic and you’ll see how other authors have divided up the content. You can write all your poems in the same format or vary the format to fit each poem’s subject. I usually do the latter. Longer poems are better suited for older elementary. Shorter for younger elementary and pre-K. I LOVE to rhyme cause that’s how I’m wired, but rhyme is dangerous if you have to force it. Rhyme without rhythm is a clunky train wreck. When in doubt, try free verse. Free verse can be beautiful, lyrical, and even contain musical internal rhymes that turn your poetry into flow-etry. Finally, remember that kids are not stupid, so don’t write stupid poems. 

Good luck with this month’s PB writing challenge. Keep it simple. Have fun. And metaphors be with you!

You can find Allan on his website, on twitter @AllanWolf100, or instagram @allanwolf100.

Thank you for joining us, Allan!