Writing Children’s Picture Books

Course Summary

Learn practical steps to writing a picture book with author and illustrator Sue deGennaro. Consider the concept, story, characters, structure, audience, language, and pictures. Picture books have become an art form where story telling is an integration of the text and the pictures. They appeal to all ages and range from the very simple to sophisticated and complex works of art. Covers all aspects of writing a children’s picture book. Explore concept, story, character, structure, audience, language and pictures and discover what publishers are looking for.

Fun, inspirational activities and techniques designed to get the writerly brain cells firing.

During this class you will cover the following content:

Identify your audience. 0 – teenage?

Focus on your theme.
– What point are you making?
– Is it of interest to your audience?
– Consider the proposed format of your finished work.
– How many pages and words does it have?
– How are the text and pictures related?

Develop your plot with attention to the turning pages.

Develop your characters with a limited number of words.
– What do they want?
– How do they relate to each other?

Develop your writing style with reference to concepts and language accessible to your audience.
– Is the book to be read aloud to children?
– Is it a read alone book?

Work with a supportive group of sympathetic new writers.

The class will involve workshop writing, discussion and development of individual projects, and the sharing of information about the children’s book industry. You can expect to complete the text for one picture book.

Bring note-taking materials. Bring a favourite picture book that has been published in the last 10 years (not a media tie-in like ‘The Lion King’).

Your teacher is Sue deGennaro, a children’s picture book author and illustrator based in Melbourne. Sue has illustrated 30 picture books, and is the author and illustrator of We’re Stuck CBCA Shortlist 2020 and The Pros and Cons of Being A Frog CBCA Shortlist 2013. Her picture book Missing Marvin received the Children’s Peace Literature Prize for 2019. Sue’s books have been published in Australia by Hardie Grant Children’s Publishers, Penguin, Scholastic, HarperCollins, Allen and Unwin, Walker Books and ABC Books. Her books have published in the USA, Canada, France, Korea, Germany, China and Taiwan.