We are so excited to have Kelly Conroy join us today to share information about Movement Picture Books!
Picture book writer and poet Kelly Conroy is a 50% silly, fun-loving, never-grow-up big kid and a 50% hard-working, focused, analytical former actuary. She loves all things magical, whimsical, and numerical, and her goal in life is to make people smile.
She was initially inspired to write by her cousins, Stan and Jan Berenstain, creators of the Berenstain Bears, and continues to be inspired by her two rambunctious sons and mini goldendoodle, Chewy.
Hello. It’s me again! Avid readers of this blog may remember that I was here in November to discuss all the fun celebrations occurring between Halloween and New Year’s Day. Well, now it is February. The parties are over, and the decorations have been packed away. And if you are anything like me, you are currently wearing your favorite sweats while drinking something warm under a cozy blanket.
Completely… utterly… sedentary.
But what your body REALLY wants you to do is… MOVE. Imagine how much better you would feel after a short walk. Now, imagine you are five years old and haven’t been to a playground without risking hypothermia for weeks. What do you need to do? MOVE!
This month, I’m excited to dive into Movement picture books with you, which will hopefully spark some new manuscript ideas as well as a little break from the couch.
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A few months ago, I attended Story time with Mimi at Station No. 5, a fantastic local store. Mimi started by reading the book CLAP YOUR HANDS by Lorinda Bryan Cauley. GENIUS. Did I take my teenagers with me? No. Did I sit on the floor with the rest of the kiddos? Yes. Did I join in to, “Clap your hands, stomp your feet. Shake your arms, then take a seat?” Don’t judge.
My FAVORITE read-aloud book of all is CLICK, CLACK MOO: COWS THAT TYPE by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin. So, it is no surprise that I love WIGGLE by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Scott Menchin. If the word “wiggle” doesn’t make you smile, the hula-hooping dog on the cover ought to do the trick. The fun and lively text and illustrations continue throughout with a very satisfying ending. WIGGLE is also now one of my favorite read-alouds.
DANCING FEET! By Lindsey Craig and illustrated by Marc Brown, is all about moving your feet. This book features a simple rhythmic repetition that is very fun and effective.
Ducks are dancing
on slappity feet.
Slappity! Slappity!
Happy feet.
This book reminds me that we do not need a ton going on text-wise to have a fabulous book. However, do not be deceived. The sparest texts can be the hardest to write, but lots of fun to try!
STOMP, WIGGLE, CLAP, AND TAP by Rachelle Burk and illustrated by Alyssa De Asis, goes through a variety of different types of motion and imaginative play, like marching in a band, prancing on ponies, and doing the chicken dance. This book could certainly conjure up an active afternoon stuck indoors.
Let’s not forget about gentler movement. GOOD MORNING YOGA by Mariam Gates and illustrated by Sarah Jane Hinder, is wonderful. It covers several common yoga poses and ties them to illustrations and activities kids will latch on to and remember. For example, the pose I know as “chair pose” is called Lightning Pose and shows a girl stretching under an electric sky.
Finally, HOW TO BE A ROCK STAR by Lisa Tolin and illustrated by Daniel Duncan, is an excellent book to get kids pumped up! They’ll play the air guitar. They’ll play the air drums. They’ll pick a band name, strike a pop star pose, and moonwalk! And by the time they take their final bow, they might just have worked up a sweat.
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So, think about what you’d want to do if you were a kid cooped up inside. Or a way to get all the sillies out before having to sit still. Or a fun way to burn energy on a car trip. Or alternatives to going to the gym. Or…
Happy writing!
Kelly
