How to Write a Children's Picture Book

Book excerpt: WRITING FOR CHILDREN **UPDATED New Chapter: How to write a metafiction picture book** Kids and books—they just go together. Children’s picture books are an addictive passion! You love reading to kids and wish that you could read one of your own. Now, you can make that dream a reality. Writing illustrated picture books for children can seem deceptively simple. You must tell a complete story in less than 1000 words, and less than 350 words is best. Characters grow and change and keep the reader emotionally invested, while also giving the illustrator great possibilities for the art. It’s a balancing act all the way around. Writing teacher and author of over a dozen children’s books Darcy Pattison explains the craft of writing children’s picture books. You’ll learn why format matters, how to appeal to kids and parents, how to write a read-aloud friendly book, and much more. Pattison provides tips on writing, editing, and marketing your manuscript to publishers. If you like detailed writing guides, plenty of contemporary examples, and practical worksheets, then you’ll love Darcy Pattison’s guidance on creating your own masterpiece that will fascinate generations of young readers.