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Omitting Pronouns from Picture Books

6/22/2021

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Omitting Pronouns From Picture Books
In the English language, names replace nouns, but they do not replace pronouns. Nevertheless, that does not mean pronouns are necessary. You can omit them entirely.

Variety in Sentence Structure

The biggest concern about omitting pronouns is repetition. Pronouns help to avoid conspicuously repetitive nouns like names or titles.
​
However, K.M. Weiland suggests that writers can vary their sentence structure instead:
“Variety in our narrative is important. Sometimes we might worry that using a character’s name or even a pronoun over and over again will grow repetitious in readers’ minds. But, frankly, this is not a concern. Character names and pronouns are invisible to readers. They’ll never fault you for overusing them. If you’re struggling with monotonous sentences, the problem is not that you’re using Sienna’s name in every sentence. The problem is that you’re not varying your sentence structures.”
I am going to add that I agree with this statement because the same blogger has also written statements that contradict this one.

Value in Repetition

“Off again! On again! In again! Out again!” -Dr. Suess (The Sneetches and Other Stories)
Picture Books love repetition, and so do readers.

Young readers thrive on predictable sequences because they are easier to read and understand.
​

It also helps maintain a rhythm and, if done right, can add interest to the otherwise boring text.
What Riley Wore by Elana K. Arnold

What Riley Wore

LeWhile searching for books to read this month, I ran across an article by Olivia Heinbaugh on Romper that recommended a picture book with no pronouns, What Riley Wore.

It is unique because it substitutes “Riley” for pronouns where you would typically expect them.

Pronouns are not always useful. So, I have tinkered around with the idea of leaving them out altogether. This example gave me the courage to put it to practice.

I did not notice the missing pronouns, at least not in a casual reading.

What Riley Wore succeeded because the author varied sentence structure to avoid monotony and carefully applied repetition where it suited the text.
​
The repetition did not grate on my ears; it did the opposite. It added interest to the text.

Let's Recap:

You can omit pronouns from picture books with:
  • Variety in Sentence Structure
and
  • Value in Repetition

xx Cory
This post was proofread by Grammarly
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Picture Books That Adults Will Enjoy

5/27/2021

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Picture Books That Adults Will Enjoy
Parents, educators, and librarians are a big part of the picture book audience. They are the gatekeepers to children’s bookshelves.

So, picture books must cater to adults in one way or another.

I do not put an age limit on who can enjoy a picture book. I read picture books regularly because I love them. I appreciate their beauty, simplicity, direct storytelling, and the messages they convey.

As an avid picture book reader, these are my favorites.

You can find picture books with aspects that appeal directly to adults exclusively. Let me point out those aspects in my list of Picture Books That Adults Will Enjoy:

Grown-Up Themes

House Held Up By Trees by Ted Kooser
House Held Up By Trees

If you are not familiar, Ted Kooser is a poet, elected poet laureate in the US in 2004. The story is about the passing of time, something adults will relate to better than children. The illustrations and the text are sophisticated, deep, and somewhat melancholy. This is an example of a picture book with a “grown-up” theme.

By Ted Kooser
Illustrated by Jon Klassen



Dark Humor

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
I Want My Hat Back

My opinion is that dark, shocking humor is better spent on adults than on children. Young children simply won’t understand the joke. Nevertheless, I want my hat back will appeal to children because of the graphic art style and simple text. It is also a good example of a story that can be re-read over and over again.

By Jon Klassen


Nostalgia

Are You Scared Darth Vader? by Adam Rex
Are You Scared Darth Vader?

Nostalgia is for adults. On one hand, nostalgia is often used to compensate for bad storytelling. On the other hand, Are You Scared Darth Vader? Is written and illustrated very well. Because Star Wars is a franchise that keeps on coming, the jokes will not fall flat on children either.

​By Adam Rex

Re-Read Power

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
The Pigeon Series

​There is something to be said about books with re-read power. Picture Books are meant to be read a lot, and parents are quick to tire from them. Books like the Pigeon Series are short, funny, and exciting to read out loud.

​By Mo Willems

Art Book

I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott
I Talk Like a River

I Talk Like a River is illustrated in watercolor. A beautiful display of soft and intellectual art. I would show it off on a coffee table or mount it on a shelf.

By Jordan Scott
Illustrated by Sidney Smith

Irreverence

All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen
All My Friends Are Dead

The irreverent picture book is not my cup of tea, but All My Friends Are Dead defies the genre. You will get a chuckle from this not-so-kid-friendly picture book.

By Avery Monsen
​Illustrated by Jory John

Recap:

  1. Grown-Up Themes
  2. Dark Humor
  3. Nostalgia
  4. Re-Read Power
  5. The Art Book
  6. Irreverence
I hope this helps build your library!

Are there any picture books you think adults will enjoy? Let me know in the comments!

​xx Cory
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How Long Does it Take to Write a Picture Book?

5/25/2021

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How Long Does it Take to Write a Picture Book?
Unfortunately, there is no real answer to this question. It may take days or years for you. No one can tell you how long it will take.

But I understand why you might be asking this question.

You want to have a goal in mind.

That you can do.

When I was younger my dad took me on cycling trips that could last all day. When the destination was familiar, I worked harder and faster to get there, but when the destination was unknown, hill after hill felt like it could go on forever and I tired out quickly.
Setting goals is like creating a road map to your destination.

Your journey is from one end of a picture book to the other.

Set SMART Goals

Setting SMART Goals
In this context, setting SMART goals looks something like below.

Set Your Milestones

Here are mine:
  1. Collect Ideas
  2. Fall in Love With an Idea
  3. Develop the Idea Into a Story
  4. Write Your First Draft
  5. Rewrite Your First Draft From Different Points of View
  6. Evaluate Your Drafts and Narrow Them Down
  7. Revise
  8. Show Your Work to Your Critique Group
  9. Revise
  10. Repeat Steps 8 & 9 Until You Are Satisfied With the Product
  11. If That Fails, Repeat From Step 5
I visualize this process like a funnel. For every 50 ideas, you may fall in love with 20. 10 of those may develop into a story. Of the 10 that are developed enough to write, you may settle into 5. Of those, you may only show 3 to your critique group.

Make each of these goals attainable by preparing the tools you need to complete them before hand. For example, you can use my free Picture Book Writing Cheat Sheet to evaluate your drafts.
Printable Picture Book Writing Cheat Sheet

Set a Schedule for Your Milestones

For example, you may participate in Tara Lazar’s Story Storm. You will set a goal to write down 1 idea for every day in January. There is daily inspiration from a collection of creators and if you choose to check in every day then there is added accountability.

Storystorm is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time based.

Set Up a Backup Plan

For when things don't go the way you’ve planned, which inevitably they don't.

What happens if you can't come up with an idea on January 15th? Maybe you were stressed, busy with work, or home life.

When I am feeling extra hyped or I have spare time, I come up with multiple ideas and put them in the bank. That way I do not feel bad when things happen.

Set Yourself Up For Success

When you accomplish a goal: celebrate! When things don't work out, go back and take a closet look at what happened.

When revising your goals look for micro-adjustments that you can make throughout your day to make a goal more attainable. Often, little changes can make a big difference.

Recap:

  1. Set SMART Goals
  2. Set Your Milestones
  3. Set a Schedule for Your Milestones
  4. Set up a Backup Plan
  5. Set Yourself Up For Success
Keep Going!

​xx Cory
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Picture Books: Story vs Illustration, Which is Most Important?

5/20/2021

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Picture

I came across an interesting question this week: Is a story or illustration more important to a picture book?

For me, the answer is largely semantic.
​
Most creators would agree that story is the most important element to a picture book. However, If we define a story as a series of events with a beginning, a middle, and an end, then perhaps there are board books and some picture books with no story at all. Excluding those cases, the story is paramount.
​
Illustrations and text are the vehicles to tell the story. So it is not fair to compare the story against illustrations or the text.
In Picture Books, the text and illustrations will have varying degrees of responsibility.

Wordless Picture Books rely entirely on the illustrations to carry the story.

Other books, like BJ Novak’s The Book With No Pictures, rely entirely on text.

Most picture books marry the two extremes and use both vehicles to appeal to all the senses of the adult and child audiences.
​
Often, a writer creates a story with text and then publishers find an illustrator who can tell the same story with pictures.
“I don't think of myself as an illustrator. I think of myself as a cartoonist. I write the story with pictures - I don't illustrate the story with the pictures.” -Chris Ware
But the role of the illustrator is not simply to elaborate.
“When you make illustrations, you're supposed to have a subtext; you're not just communicating words - you're actually adding another story altogether.” -Peggy Rachmaninov
Storytelling is multidisciplinary.
​
Illustration and text are only two vehicles used to tell a story. There is also:
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Video
  • Photography
  • And Oral Storytelling
Exploring different vehicles to tell your story may help you flesh it out completely, or you may land on a vehicle that suits the story you are trying to tell better than others.

Happy creating!


xx Cory
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What Makes a Good Wordless Picture Book?

5/18/2021

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What Makes a Good Wordless Picture Book?
"Before they read words, children are reading pictures." -David Wiesner
David Wiesner is the illustrator of the infamous wordless picture book, ​​Flotsam, and the recipient of three Caldecott Medals.

Tuesday, my favorite of his wordless picture books, is about a surreal adventure that takes place over a Tuesday night.
​
The illustrations are cinematic, and though the story takes place across a single scene, it feels rich and deep.

Books like Tuesday provide insight into what makes a good wordless picture book. I have rounded up what makes a good wordless picture book below, as well as examples.

A Universal Message

For example:
Wolf in the Snow Matthew Cordell
Wolf in the Snow

​This book is about a child who leaves home, following the cries of a young wolf. The child helps the wolf get back to its family. When the child also struggles to get home, the wolves reciprocate in kind.
​

The value of Wolf in the Snow is in the emotions that the images evoke. Fear. Loneliness. Kindness. Universal messages that readers won't miss.

By Matthew Cordell
​

Clarity

For example:
Chalk Bill Thomson
Chalk

​When a group of kids finds magical chalk on the playground, they discover that their illustrations come to life.

Chalk is worth mentioning because the art is so realistic and detailed. There is no ambiguity about what is going on. Most children would love to tell this story and they would feel confident doing so.

By Bill Thomson

Sequential Illustrations

For example:
Flotsam David Wiesner
Flotsam

A child discovers a camera on the beach, and opens up an underwater world full of secrets and mysteries.

The illustrations are very very tight, even more so than Tuesday. They are laid out across the pages like a comic book. In addition to building clarity, sequential images help move the story along when you don't use words.

By David Wiesner

Freedom to Tell the Story in Different Ways

For example:
Journey Aaron Becker
Journey Trilogy

This is an epic tale across three books following a boy and girl with magic colored markers that allow them to make their imaginations a reality.

Journey is fun to read out loud because it is full of little details and discoveries hidden within the illustrations. There are many opportunities to read it in different ways and talk about the things you see.

​By Aaron Becker

Slow Pacing

For example:
Another Christian Robinson
Another
​

Another is about a child who follows their cat into a wacky dream world, with portals everywhere and mirror universes.

Another is very simple and so it leaves a lot of room for elaboration. You can take your time looking at all the children playing. The story is tight in parts, almost like a flipbook. But with fewer images than Flotsam, it is very slow, giving you the chance to dig into each image.

By Christian Robinson

All Other Storytelling Guidelines Apply

Float Daniel Miyares
Float

Float follows a child on a rainy day when he loses his paper boat and goes searching for it.

Wordless picture books are like any other picture book in many ways: They have a clearly defined audience, a consistent tone throughout the book, an internal and an external plot.

Float, like many other books on this list, calls back to the beginning of the book at the end. This gives the story depth outside of the short moment that the author chose to illustrate. It establishes an external plot.

By Daniel Miyares

Recap:

What Makes a Good Wordless Picture Book?
  1. A Universal Message
  2. Clarity
  3. Sequential Illustrations
  4. Freedom to Tell the Story in Different Ways
  5. Slow Pacing
  6. All Other Storytelling Guidelines Apply​
Collect my Picture Book Writing Cheat Sheet for more tips.
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Interview With Shawna J. C. Tenney

4/14/2021

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Shawna J C Tenney Portrait
Shawna J. C. Tenney is an author and illustrator with a passion for picture books. Shawna graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Illustration from Brigham Young University and loves telling stories through color, composition, and whimsical characters. She is the author and illustrator of Brunhilda's Backwards Day.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I loved drawing from the time I was little. As a child, whenever someone asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always say, "An Artist." When I got to be an older child and a teenager, I wanted to be a ballerina or a ballet teacher, but as I neared the end of college, I decided that being an artist would be a more practical and enjoyable career for me.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Ever since I was little, I have enjoyed fairy tales and folktales, so I am often inspired by those, whether it be from books or movies. I am also inspired by stories from my own childhood.
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Do you have any influences?

When I was young, I poured over the art of Mercer Mayer in his fairy tale books such as Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast. When I first started in college, I was influenced by Mary Grandpré and Brett Helquist. As my style has evolved, I have realized I am really drawn to children's illustration done by European artists such as Benji Davies and Genevieve Godbout. I am also inspired by retro artwork, such as Mary Blair's work.

Can you describe your process?

My process has evolved a lot over the years. I started my career using pencil sketches and Acrylic paints. Now I sketch everything on my ipad pro, and paint my illustrations on Photoshop and Procreate- I kind of jump back and forth between the two, depending on when I need more mobility or want to use certain features. I like to use textured digital brushes to create a feeling of traditional paint in my paintings.
Picture

Who is your favorite artist / illustrator?

I have always loved the artwork of Carter Goodrich. I was delighted by his work in his book of The Nutcracker as a child. I am constantly fascinated by his amazing work as a character designer.

Do you keep a sketchbook or a writing journal?

Honestly, I am not very good at keeping a sketchbook currently. I have been better at it in the past, and I want to get back into using a traditional sketchbook again. I currently use my ipad as my sketchbook, and notebook for my ideas. I also use the app Evernote to keep ideas for future stories I want to write and illustrate.

Is there any story that you wish you could retell or illustrate?

I think it would be tons of fun to Illustrate Harry Potter books in my own way!
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What do you do when you are not writing or illustrating?

I'm busy being a Mom and taking care of my family! I also love to be in nature, hike, boat, etc. I play the piano and the violin occasionally, and I love to scrapbook all my family memories.

What do you think makes a good story?

A great character, humor or something that pulls at your heartstrings, fun twists, and maybe something out of the ordinary.

What makes a good author or illustrator?

Someone who is patient and persistent. Someone who can keep believing in a dream even when obstacles and disappointments get in the way. Someone who is adaptable and open to learning from critiques.
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What is one thing that others don’t know about you?

My favorite animal is sea lions. I find them to be incredibly cute and hilarious, and I could watch them for hours!

Are you working on any projects that you can talk about right now?

Yes! I am illustrating a book called Blood- Not Just a Vampire Drink, written by author Stacy McAnulty, to be published by MacMillan in Spring 2022. It's a non-fiction book about the cardiovascular system as explained by a kid vampire to Count Dracula. It is informative and hilarious all the same time.
 You can find Shawna online!
www.shawnajctenney.com
​On Instagram @shawnajctenney
​On Twitter @shawnajctenney
On Facebook @shawnajctenney
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Tips For Reading Out Loud

4/13/2021

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Tips Reading Out Loud
​“We have an obligation to read aloud to our children. To read them things they enjoy. To read to them stories we are already tired of. To do the voices, to make it interesting, and not to stop reading to them just because they learn to read to themselves. Use reading-aloud time as bonding time…” -Neil Gaiman
​One of the best ways to teach a child to read well is to teach them to read expressively. And the best way to teach them is to read expressively is to lead by example.

And it does not stop there.
The added benefit is that you will learn how to write stories that are "meant to read out loud."

Tips For Reading Out Loud

  1. Look at the book flaps or read about the author. Ask Predictive Questions such as: What do you think the story will be? What other books have you read by the same author?
  2. Take moments during the story to ask Attention Questions. These are usually specific to the book but could include counting objects, clarifying pictures, asking your child what might happen, or what has happened.
  3. Answer questions. Undoubtedly your child will have questions throughout the story too. Pause and answer. Questions should be encouraged!
  4. Enunciate each word and speak clearly.
  5. Don't read too quickly. Pause slightly for commas, periods and to add emphasis.
  6. Read expressively. You can find an outstanding, detailed article on expressive reading and the importance of prosody here.
  7. Show enthusiasm and exaggerate emotions. People, especially children, respond best to exaggeration.
  8. Display emotions through facial expressions, actions, and tone; be a good actor/actress.
  9. Read together. Even if your child can't read, they can usually pick up on patterns and remember parts of stories that you read frequently. They can contribute as little as one word, supplying animal noises or names.
  10. Follow up with discussion. Talk about what happened, what might happen next, and what stories are similar that you've read together.

Let's Recap:

  1. Ask Predictive Questions.
  2. Ask Attention Questions.
  3. Answer Questions.
  4. Enunciate.
  5. Don't Read too Quickly.
  6. Read Expressively.
  7. Show Enthusiasm and Exaggerate.
  8. Display Emotion.
  9. Read Together.
  10. Follow Up With Discussion.
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Picture Book Design - Composition

3/31/2021

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Picture Book Composition Wide
"Even in front of nature, one must compose." -Edgar Degas
Marco Bucci expressed a similar sentiment in a talk earlier this week. He said that even when you set out to paint what is in front of you, you must make compositional decisions. Plein Air painting is not simply painting what you see.
Good composition is merely the strongest way of seeing. -Edward Weston
Good composition always has a purpose. That is the definition of composition, essentially to guide the audience towards what you want them to see.

I can think of no better example of composition with a purpose than Lubnaand Pebble by Wendy Meddour, Illustrated by Daniel Egneus. It is truly one of the richest picture books out there. The story is endearing, well-written, and unique.

The illustrations are soft, simple, and engaging. The perspectives, in particular, are diverse and daring. The picture below has had more pins on my Pinterest feed than any other; I think primarily due to composition.
Lubna And Pebble Composition I
I call these perspectives brave because they are difficult to pull off. Daniel does it masterfully.

The composition in this scene contrasts Lubna’s small world, where a pebble is her friend, and the large world around her that is filled with adult concerns.
Lubna And Pebble Composition II
In Lubna and Pebble, the composition also helps deliver the ending.

I hope you’ll check out Lubna and Pebble if you haven't already. See if you can spot how Daniel uses color to tell a story.
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Praise for Large Animal Companions

3/3/2021

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Bear And Boy
Chris Winkle compiled a list of successful companions and their common traits. He said,
“If the animal is small, they can easily tag along and participate in fights without solving the hero’s problems for them. As long as they help out, it’s okay if they cause trouble or need rescuing occasionally. A good animal companion has a distinctive personality that plays well with the hero and creates fun or touching scenes for the audience to enjoy.”
Small likely means that the companion can be utilized more frequently. They can sit on the main character's shoulder like Pikachu (Pokemon) or on their head like Pascal (Disney's Rapunzel). They can even be tucked away like Navi (Zelda: Ocarina of Time), or Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian) in his hover pram. 
There is always a risk that writers will underutilize large companions, which means they won't get as many opportunities to fulfill the rest of Chris Winkle's criteria for successful companions. Lion (Steven Universe) is used infrequently despite a lot of effort to give him a distinctive personality and meaning in the series. In an Our Opinions Are Correct Podcast, Lion is mentioned in passing. They argue that Lion is a metaphor for Steven and serves as a connection to his dead mother. Lion also foreshadows the big reveal at the end of the series. The Stark Direwolves (A Game of Thrones) are underutilized particularly in the tv series likely because they are easier to manipulate on paper than on screen. ​
To get around this, many stories where large companions are used successfully, center the plot around the size or use it for comedic effect. The plot may even feature difficulties hiding the companion. Prominent examples are Baymax (Big Hero 6), the Iron Giant, or Charlie (Sweep: A Girl and Her Monster.) 
Other times, large companions are given special properties to make them appear and reappear or exist as a voice when the body can't be present. Some examples are TARS (Interstellar) who communicates with Cooper over intercoms, My Board (Silver Surfer: Anywhere and Everywhere) who is part of the Silver Surfer and has a mind of its own, and the Stark Direwolves (A Game of Thrones), who can act as surrogate bodies for the Stark children.
​

Small companions are also "underpowered." There is room for small things to grow, to succeed despite terrible odds, and also to fail.
"Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of."
​-Kurt Vonnegut 
Large companions need additional flaws that hold them back. Lion (Steven Universe) is quite powerful at face value, but he has one feature that gives Steven some wiggle room to solve problems in his way. Lion is lazy. Baymax (Big Hero Six) is programmed as a Healthcare Companion; not a superhero. The Iron Giant is unaware of his power and acts as a curious child. 
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Elements Of A Great Opening Line

3/1/2021

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Writing Tips
"The only purpose of the first line, is to get the reader to the second line."
That sounds right, but what does it mean? One of my favorite writing instructors from college said, ​
"A writer needs to lead the reader by the hand."
That is because our writing is never as clear as we imagine it is and our “Aha!” moments are never as clever. The opening line is the writer’s opportunity to reach out and offer to take the reader on a journey. Or, in other words, the opening line sets the tone and introduces the destination so that the last line has the desired impact.
In her blog, Rachelle Gardner demystifies the opening line by listing some real ways that they can capture attention without appearing forced or false. She says she discovered these ways by reading her favorite opening lines and thinking about why she liked them. ​
"[The opening line] might have:
been clever
been thought-provoking
brought an immediate smile (or stab) of recognition
struck me as poignant
painted a really cool word picture
set up an intriguing mystery
introduced a character I want to know better
made me laugh
drawn me into an unfamiliar world
​used words in a beautiful way"
That is all there is to crafting an attractive opening line, and any one of these examples offered by Rachelle will get your reader through the door. But only a few of these examples will help drive your ending home.
​

Let's take a look at some examples that I pulled from my favorite picture books at random (Spoilers Ahead).

Ten Ways to Hear Snow

Written by Cathy Camper
The Opening Line:
"When Lena woke up, everything was quiet."
The Closing Line:
“Quiet is the tenth way to hear snow.”
The opening line raises questions and questions make good page turns. Cathy hits the page turn by isolating the opening line to the first spread. In this case, I want you to notice that it also foreshadows the ending.

Lubna and Pebble

Written by Wendy Meddour
The Opening Line:
"Lubna's best friend was a pebble. It was shiny smooth and gray."
This example introduces compelling characters. The page turn stems from the reader’s interest to find out why the pebble is so special to Lubna. The rest of the story is dedicated to answering the reader’s curiosity. In this case, the text alone does not do the story justice. With the assistance of beautiful illustrations by Daniel Engeus, the book ends exactly the way it began, only this time, the reader feels that the pebble is special just as Lubna does.

The Wolf, The Duck and The Mouse

Written by Mac Barnett
The Opening Line:
"Early one morning, a mouse met a wolf, and he was quickly gobbled up." - The Wolf, The Duck, and The Mouse, written by Mac Barnett ​
This short sentence is spread across three pages, like this: "Early one morning, a mouse | met a wolf, | and he was quickly gobbled up." The first separation causes a short pause in reading, which sets the pace and introduces a problem: a mouse and a wolf don't mix. This is the perfect time for a page turn because Mac has already worked up the suspense. Oddly, the second page concludes the problem introduced on the first page and turns our attention to a new one: the mouse is eaten. Normally this would signal the end of a story, but for Mac, it is the beginning. The fact that the story continues at all is a surprise. Mac manages to do a lot in the opening line because it gets right to the point. Of course, the end turns the opening line on its head. Who knew being eaten could be a good thing? As it goes, the mouse finds a home in the wolf's belly and must fight to keep it.
Without introducing the destination, any one of these stories could fall flat. The reader cares about the end only because the opening line asked them to care. Let’s revise the statement above:
 "The purpose of the opening line is to get readers to the end." 
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    Hi, my name is Cory Shaw. I am an author and illustrator of books and book covers for children.

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