PB 14:14 – Day 14 – Rhyme – PLUS…PPBF – Cowpoke

Posted on February 27, 2015 by viviankirkfield

Woot! Woot!

And how about a Hip Hip Hooray!

It’s Day 14 of Christie Wild’s PB 14:14 Challenge. http://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2015/02/day-14-how-big-is-million-patterns.html

And, it’s also Perfect Picture Book Friday. http://susannahill.blogspot.com/2015/02/perfect-picture-book-friday-finding.html

Life can’t get much better!

I’ve been trying to polish a particular picture book manuscript…it’s about a boy who wants to be a cowboy…and it’s in rhyme. Complicated rhyme. Which is hard to do. I’m so reluctant to change it up – into prose or free verse – because, as you know if you are a writer, it’s difficult to ‘kill our darlings’… that is, get rid of something we love or have gotten attached to.

And then I found this book in a library discard pile – a totally fun romp of simple rhyme and active verbs and awesome illustrations – all about a little cowpoke who joins a cattle drive.

So I will be rethinking my own manuscript – and offering this charming picture book as an example of the top ten element of rhyme.

Continue reading →

PB 14:14 – Day 13 – Top Ten Elements in Picture Books – Patterns

Posted on February 26, 2015 by viviankirkfield

My selection today for Day 13 of Christie Wild’s PB 14:14 is another classic picture book…just can’t help myself!

This one is from 1928… Wanda Gag won the 1929 Newbery Honor Book Award. Ms. Gag pioneered the double page spread in this book, using both pages to move the story forward, putting them together with art that swept across the entire page spread.

Millions of Cats is the oldest American picture book still in print!

And if you are looking for a picture book that showcases patterns, you can stop right here!

Title: Millions of Cats

Author and Illustrator: Wanda Gag

Publisher: Coward McCann (recent editions are Penguin)

Date: 1928

Top Ten Element: Patterns

Opening Lines:

“Once upon a time there was a very old man and a very old woman. They lived in a nice clean house which had flowers all around it, except where the door was. But they couldn’t be happy because they were so very lonely.” Continue reading →

PB 14:14 – Top Ten Elements of Picture Book Stories – Word Play

Posted on February 25, 2015 by viviankirkfield

Almost two years ago, I was privileged to travel to Singapore to speak at the 2013 Asian Festival of Children’s Content. I met authors and illustrators from all over the Pacific Rim countries and beyond.

For Day 12 of Christie Wild’s PB 14:14 Challenge, I’m offering one of the books by author/illustrator Christopher Cheng. Not only is he an amazing creator of children’s content, he’s also a stellar speaker at events all over the world – he’ll be presenting at the NESCBWI Conference in Chicago this April…wish I could go!