About viviankirkfield

Writer for children - Reader forever - Mom of 3, educator, author of FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN: AN ANIMAL COUNTING BOOK (PomegranateKids, PIPPA'S PASSOVER PLATE (Holiday House), SWEET DREAMS, SARAH (Creston Books); MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD: THE INSPIRING FRIENDSHIP OF ELLA FITZGERALD AND MARILYN MONROE (Little Bee Books); FROM HERE TO THERE: INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD MOVES (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Jan 19, 2021); PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER: Annie Londonderry, First Woman to Bike Around the World (Calkins Creek/Astra, Feb 20, 2024) picture book junkie, lover of travel, hiking, fly-fishing, cooking, and playing Monopoly with my grandson.

PB 14:14 – Day 6 – Character and a Whole Lot More

Posted on February 19, 2015 by viviankirkfield

Today is Day Six of Christie Wright Wild’s PB 14:14…I’d forgotten how difficult it is to do a blog post every day. But I’m loving that it is giving me an excuse to read a picture book every day. If you click on this link, you’ll be able to see what books everyone else is reading: http://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2015/02/day-6-imogenes-last-stand-by-candace.html

Right before I moved from Colorado, I had the opportunity to attend an indie bookstore event for author/illustrator Peter Brown. Not only did he read his newest book, but he also interacted with the audience as he demonstrated how he drew the main character, Mr. Tiger.

Title: Mr. Tiger Goes Wild

Author and Illustrator: Peter Brown

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Date: 2013

Word Count: 220 estimated

Top Ten Element: Character and Plot and Pacing and Dialogue and Conflict and Theme and Beginnings & Endings and Word Play and Patterns…I think the only element missing is Rhyme Continue reading →

PB 14:14 – Top 10 Elements in Picture Book Stories – Plot and Pacing

Posted on February 18, 2015 by viviankirkfield

Today is Day Five of Christie Wright Wild’s PB 14:14…what an amazing challenge. I hope you are all enjoying this look at the top ten elements in picture books. To see the others that have been posted today, please click on this link: http://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2015/02/day-5-papas-mechanical-fish-by-candace.html.

Fairy tales were always a favorite with me when I was a child. These days, there is a new fairy tale in town – the fractured fairy tale. Some writers are quite gifted at taking an old story and turning it into something new and different. My choice for today’s PB 14:14 is a take-off on Goldilocks and the Three Bears and is very strong in the elements of plot and pacing.

Continue reading →

PB 14:14 – Day 4 – Top 10 Picture Book Story Elements – Word Play

Posted on February 17, 2015 by viviankirkfield

Today is Day Four of Christie Wright Wild’s PB 14:14. Be sure to check out the other books people are using to teach one of the Top 10 Elements for picture books.

Although there are some wordless picture books, most picture books have a balance between words and pictures. EACH WORD COUNTS…that’s what picture book writers hear all the time. Continue reading →