Picture Book Summit Podcast

In today's podcast, Katie Davis dives into rhyming picture books, how listening to Julie Hedlund's workshop Verse Curse changed the way she views rhyme, and what she wants you to know if you're writing in rhyme! Including tons of tips you can use today!   Books Mentioned in this episode:  Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman   Resources mentioned in this episode:  Julie's Verse Curse Workshop- Use code PODCAST for 30% off!  Fuse 8 by Betsy Bird at School Library Journal  Betsy Bird's PBSummit Workshop: Performance on the Page - Use code PODCAST for 30% off!  Tara Lazar   What will we learn at this year's Picture Book Summit? Come find out! Join us for a one-of-a-kind, online writing conference designed for picture book writers and illustrators!  Save $100 with Early Bird Registration through 8/27/26. Grab your ticket today!

Ready for some motivation? Katie Davis interviews 2026 Superstar Speaker Brian Lies!  Katie and Brian Lies (pronounced Lees) have a delightful conversation about the importance of continuing to write (no matter what), enjoying the process, and knowing that every writer has a different path to publication.  Brian will be presenting at Picture Book Summit 2026, where he'll share how to use your writing tools (even ones you may not know you have) to connect with your audience in Reel Them In: Using All the Lures in Your Tackle Box to Engage Readers. Here's what you can expect: NY Times bestselling author/illustrator and Caldecott Honoree Brian Lies discusses things he's learned over 30 years in the kidlit world. He'll share how to hone YOUR individual style, the power of adding unique details into your stories, all while not getting beached on ever-shifting career sands and not getting sucked in by shiny whirlpools. Get your ticket to hear Brian Lies at Picture Book Summit 2026 – Oceans of Possibility: A Deep Dive Into Picture Book Craft. Early Bird Registration for Picture Book Summit 2026 is open through 8/27/26. Grab your ticket today!

Another great episode for you today! Julie Hedlund interviews 2026 Superstar Speaker Deborah Underwood!  Julie and Deborah discuss the common elements in her books, from quiet to humorous to lyrical. Plus, they take a deep dive into Deborah's books TINY GARDEN and WALTER HAD A BEST FRIEND, their unexpected endings, and the importance of being honest with children. Deborah will be presenting at Picture Book Summit 2026, where she'll share more of her process and how you can explore your picture book ideas in Free Diving: Following Your Ideas Below the Surface. Here's what you can expect: A picture book writer descends deep into sometimes-murky water, then, with luck, brings back a pearl: something that will resonate strongly with kids (and often with adults, too). New York Times Bestselling author Deborah Underwood will talk about using curiosity and emotion to dive for ideas and to figure out what form those ideas want to take. Plus, she'll share tips for polishing your story to give it the best chance of connecting with readers. Get your ticket to hear Deborah Underwood at Picture Book Summit 2026 - Oceans of Possibility: A Deep Dive Into Picture Book Craft. Early Bird Registration for Picture Book Summit 2026 is open through 8/27/26. Grab your ticket today!

We're excited for this one! Today, Emma Walton Hamilton interviews 2026 Superstar Speaker Derrick Barnes!  Before the New York Times Bestsellers and all the awards, Derrick Barnes almost quit writing picture books altogether. In this interview, he shares what kept him going and his advice for writers who feel like giving up. From writing greeting cards to substitute teaching, he reveals how each step of the journey prepared him for his prolific writing career. Get your ticket to hear Derrick at Picture Book Summit 2026 - Oceans of Possibility: A Deep Dive Into Picture Book Craft. Early Bird Registration for Picture Book Summit 2026 is open through 8/27/26. Grab your ticket today!

We have some amazing workshops coming to Picture Book Summit 2026. How do we know they will be so great? Our Founders are our Workshop presenters this year!  Listen in to find out more about these workshops:  Hook, Line, or... Stinker? Discover the Hooks in Your Book with Julie Hedlund Ebb and Flow: The Pull of the Page Turn with Emma Walton Hamilton and Katie Davis We're thinking deeply about hooks and pages so we can inspire you to improve these moments in your own manuscripts. Discover what inspires the PBSummit Team to develop these workshops. In fact, they are learning from each other in this episode! Get your ticket to Picture Book Summit 2026 - Oceans of Possibility: A Deep Dive Into Picture Book Craft. Early Bird Registration for Picture Book Summit 2026 is open through 8/27/26. Check the website and grab your ticket today!

The team comes together to announce the Superstar Speakers for Picture Book Summit 2026! It's an exciting lineup and we can't wait to share it with YOU. Discover what they'll be teaching at this year's Summit and why we're just so excited to bring these keynotes to the Picture Book Summit stage. Get your ticket to Picture Book Summit 2026 - Oceans of Possibility: A Deep Dive Into Picture Book Craft. Registration for Picture Book Summit 2026 is open now. Check the website and grab your ticket today!

It's Episode 100!! We're celebrating with a trip down memory lane, including a few of our favorite presentations, behind-the-scenes moments, and what we've learned along the way!  Books mentioned in this episode:  On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall Big Red Lollipop by Ruhksana Khan and Sophie Blackall   Past Presentations mentioned in this episode: Peter Brown: Picture Books for Breakfast Tomie DePaola: Tapping the Truth Andrea Davis Pinkney: Nonfiction with a Twist Sophie Blackall: Your Writing Voice LeUyen Pham: Storytelling vs. Storyshowing Jon Klassen: Using Your Fear Adam Rex: Dissecting the Fron: We're Going to Try to Analyze Humor, God Help Us The Fan Brothers: To Imagination and Beyond Vashti Harrison: Be Bold, Be Brave: Charting Your Creative Journey with Purpose Peter H. Reynolds: The World Needs Your Voice Paul O. Zelinsky: Behind the Scenes with an Author-Illustrator Matthew Cordell: How to Build the Bridge Between Pictures and Story Philip and Erin Stead: Picture Book Harmony Rukhsana Khan: Cultural Connections Nikki Grimes: The Music of Language   Be part of this year's Summit fun! Registration for Picture Book Summit 2026 is now open! Get Early Bird pricing through 8/27/26 at https://picturebooksummit.com!

The Founders of Picture Book Summit reveal their varied writing routines and what keeps them motivated and putting pen to paper. Are they morning writers, evening writers, or something in between? Who's a pantser? Who's a plotter? How do they keep themselves accountable to get their writing done? How important is a critique group? (Spoiler alert: VERY!) Does our resident author-illustrator start with words or pictures? How many manuscripts work on at the same time?  How many revisions does it take for their stories to feel ready to go out on submission? The answers may surprise you, but we hope you'll find some inspiration and validation for your own process! Books mentioned in this episode:  Who Hops? by Katie Davis Kindergarten Rocks! by Katie Davis Mabel the Tooth Fairy and How She Got Her Job by Katie Davis The Great American Mousical by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Tony Walton Toys Meet Snow by Emily Jenkins and Paul O. Zelinsky   Find out more about this year's Picture Book Summit writing conference here: https://picturebooksummit.com/

Join the Picture Book Summit Team as we celebrate this year's crop of Caldecott Winners and Honorees. This is part 2 of our conversation. If you missed part 1, you can listen to it here: https://picturebooksummit.com/podcast-2026-caldecotts-part-1/ In this episode, we get to discuss this year's winner and two Honor Books. Get ready for insight into these books as well as the numerous things they have in common. Get your hands on these books and enjoy studying these remarkable books of art! Books mentioned in this episode: WINNER: FIREWORKS illustrated by Catia Chien and written by Matthew Burgess SUNDUST written and illustrated by Zeke Peña STALACTITE AND STALAGMITE by Drew Beckmeyer Find all of this year's Caldecott books in the Picture Book Summit Bookshop! How are Caldecott books chosen each year? Check out Emma's video explanation here. We talked about Katie's awesome Summit presentation on picture book endings. Podcast listeners can get 25% off! Use code PODCAST at this link: https://picturebooksummit.freshlearn.com/endings.

Our own wordplay warrior, Julie Hedlund, gave a stupendous workshop encouraging us to have fun with our writing by turning it into play. Today, we share a snippet of that presentation where Julie reveals what wordplay is, where it can be used effectively, and how to use it to make your audience feel smart. Remember, you can purchase lifetime access to any past Summit Superstar Presentation or Workshop, including this one, at picturebooksummit.freshlearn.com.

Join the Picture Book Summit Team as we celebrate this year's crop of Caldecott Winners and Honorees. We have so much to say that it can't be contained in one episode! Today, we analyze OUR LAKE, written and illustrated by Angie Kang, and EVERY MONDAY MABEL, written and illustrated by Jashar Awan. Plus, we discuss commonalities in all of this year's Caldecott books, what we loved and observed about these books, and while picture books look easy, these are particular ones are so layered and full of nuance. From thoughtful and beautiful to funny and relatable, we hope this conversation inspires you to do some creating of your own.  Books mentioned in this episode: OUR LAKE written and illustrated by Angie Kang EVERY MONDAY MABEL by Jashar Awan Find all of this year's Caldecott books in the Picture Book Summit Bookshop! How are Caldecott books chosen each year? Check out Emma's video explanation here. We talked about Katie's awesome Summit presentation on picture book endings. Podcast listeners can get 25% off! Use code PODCAST at this link: https://picturebooksummit.freshlearn.com/endings.

To celebrate our 10th Anniversary Picture Book Summit, we hosted returning Superstar Speakers Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett to talk about how they construct picture books together. You will be fascinated by the details behind one of their seemingly simple stories. (You might also leave with a greater appreciation of 8-bit video games.)  Enjoy this insight into their partnership, how they think, and how they play off one another's work.  Remember, you can purchase lifetime access to any past Summit Superstar Presentation or Workshop, including this one at picturebooksummit.freshlearn.com.

Who needs feedback on their picture book manuscripts? You do! (Don't worry. We do too!) In fact, every writer needs good critiques of their work before it's ready for publication.  So, what kind of feedback are you looking for and where can you get it? Emma Walton Hamilton, Julie Hedlund, Katie Davis, and Kelli Panique share their best advice on getting feedback that will actually make your writing stronger.

What does it mean to be a part of the writing community? How can you be a good literary citizen within the writing community?  In this episode, Emma Walton Hamilton, Julie Hedlund, Katie Davis, and Kelli Panique share easy ways you can support your fellow writers and illustrators, as well as booksellers and libraries. (Guess what? Many of these suggestions are free things you can do help get the word out about books and support the reading, writing, and literacy communities.)  What will you do to be a good literary citizen in your neighborhood and online?

When National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Meg Medina joined the Picture Book Summit, she discussed the three Rs of picture book writing: Readers, Relationship, and Revision. Today, Meg shares about what it means to write for young readers and what matters to them by exploring the genesis of her own books. She even provides a fun writing exercise to get us started on our own stories.  Book mentioned in this episode:  Tia Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina and Claudia Munoz Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina and Angela Dominguez  Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away by Meg Medina and Sonia Sánchez   At no additional cost to you, Picture Book Summit may earn a small commission on books purchased through the links above.

Julie Hedlund and Angela Dalton are both authors of picture book biographies about well-known celebrities. Julie wrote SONG AFTER SONG: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews and Angela authored TO BOLDY GO: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights. Before their books were acquired, they did everything wrong. In this snippet from a past Picture Book Summit workshop, Julie and Angela reveal a couple of mistakes they made so you don't have to.

Can a car company executive help you find your picture book writing why? Grace Lin thinks so! In a past Summit, Grace divulged an insightful (and relatively easy) way to find your why. She challenged us to look at our picture book manuscripts and ask if those stories really want to be picture books or if they are served better in a different kidlit genre. If you've been fighting with a work-in-progress, Grace Lin is here to help!

What makes a great picture book? Artistic duo The Steads share their approach to picture books and how something seemingly so simple actually takes a lot of work, nuance, and collaboration. Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead are the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Medal Book A Sick Day for Amos McGee. They have collaborated on many books together, including Bear Has a Story to Tell, Lenny & Lucy, Music for Mister Moon, and The Sun Is Late and So Is the Farmer. Philip and Erin create their books in the hayloft of an old barn at the edge of the world. Time is running out! Get your ticket to Saturday's online Picture Book Summit today!  www.picturebooksummit.com

What in the world is going on in picture book publishing? Is it slow for everyone or is it just you? Are global events affecting the industry? Surely, COVID-19 isn't still impacting our market. In this episode, Emma, Julie, and Kelli explore what publishing looks like currently for picture book creators, what we hope it looks like in the future, and what we can do about it right now. With the current state of picture book publishing, every submission opportunity counts. Lucky for you, there's still time to get a Summit + Submissions Ticket to Picture Book Summit 2025 and take advantage of our SEVEN manuscript submission opportunities. Go to www.picturebooksummit.com.

One of the big advantages of attending a conference—online or in-person—is the opportunity to submit to Featured Agents and Editors. Many agents and editors are open to submissions from conference attendees, even when they aren't open to general submissions. Simply by making the effort to attend a conference, you demonstrate to agents and editors that you are committed to refining your craft.  This episode also includes:  Tips for making a good first impression. What to include in your query letters. How to research agents and editors to target your submissions. Why you should have 3-4 polished manuscripts ready to go. What to put in your bio paragraph if you don't have any published work. Why you need comp titles and how to choose them. Bonus: A Fun Writing Exercise! There's still time to get a Summit + Submissions Ticket to Picture Book Summit 2025 and take advantage of our SEVEN manuscript submission opportunities. Go to www.picturebooksummit.com.

Every year, we host what we like to call a "mini" Summit. It's a short webinar to give writers a taste of what we offer at our full-day event. In this episode, we share a past Mini Summit all about creating Game Changing ideas. Our goal is to spark your imagination and creativity by showing just a few ways other picture book creators have turned ideas on their heads. Get ready to be inspired by the Picture Book Summit Founders and be sure to find out about our latest event by going to picturebooksummit.com.  Books mentioned in this episode: Follow That Frog by Philip Stead and Matthew Cordell There Are No Ants in This Book by Rosemary Mosco and Anna Pirolli  Who Hops? by Katie Davis One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller by Kate Read  Waiting in the Wings by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and E.G. Keller Tumblebaby by Adam Rex The Story of the Saxophone by Lesa Cline Ransome and James E. Ransome School's First Day of School by Adam Rex XO, Exoplanet by Deborah Underwood and Jorge Lacera A River of Dust by Jilane Hoffman and Eugenia Mello Vlad the Fabulous Vampire by Flavia Z. Drago The Bees of Notre Dame by Meghan P. Browne and E.B. Goodale Mole is Not Alone by Maya Tatsukawa Snail in Space by Rachel Bright and Nadia Shireen There was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds and the Pumphrey Brothers Mel Fell by Corey Tabor Ursula Upside Down by Corey R. Tabor Big by Vashti Harrison Days Like This by Oriane Smith and Alice Gravier Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo Spencer's New Pet by Jessie Sima    

More and more picture books include backmatter these days—including fiction picture books. In today's Roundtable discussion, Julie Hedlund and the team share many different ways to include backmatter with your manuscript, including dos and don'ts of creating additional content. Books mentioned in this episode: The First Notes by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Chiara Fedele Tricky Chopsticks by Sylvia Chen and Fanny Liem Reindeer Remainders by Katey Howes and Marie Hermansson Over, Bear! Under, Where? by Julie Hedlund and Michael Slack Grand Canyon by Jason Chin Hurricane by Jason Chin If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights by Angela Dalton and Lauren Semmer Wood, Wire, Wings:  Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane by Kirsten W. Larson and  Tracy Subisak Shell Song by Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson Springtime Storks by Carol Munro and Chelsea O'Byrne Unspeakable by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper The Bees of Notre Dame by Meghan P. Browne and E. B. Goodale Waiting in the Wings by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and EG Keller The Very Fairy Princess by  Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Christine Davenier Webinars on Backmatter: Backmatter: Form and Function with M.O. Yuksel Backmatter Matters with Heidi E.Y. Stemple      

The amazing and talented Caldecott Medal Winner Vashti Harrison is one of our Superstar Speakers for 2025. Vashti won the Caldecott Medal in 2024 for her beautiful picture book BIG. Shortly after that win, the PBSummit Team discussed the brilliance of this book in our Caldecott video series. We bring that discussion to our podcast today to help you get to know Vashti Harrison and her wonderful book. Be sure to grab your ticket to our online Picture Book Summit 2025 on October 4, 2025, at picturebooksummit.com. Get Early Bird pricing through August 28, 2025. So go get your ticket now. Enjoy this insightful discussion of BIG, written and illustrated by Vashti Harrison. Emma Walton Hamilton leads our discussion with insight from Julie Hedlund and Katie Davis.  Grab your ticket to hear Vashti Harrison at Picture Book Summit 2025 today: www.picturebooksummit.com. Get $100 off with Early Bird pricing available through August 28, 2025.    

"Oh my" is right! If you don't know the difference between homage, parody, and plagiarism, and your story references another work in some way, your book might be dead in the water before it even gets out of your inbox. In this PBSummit Roundtable, Emma, Julie, Katie, and Kelli define homage, parody, and plagiarism and what you, as a picture book writer, need to know about these important topics, including how we've navigated these obstacles in our own work. Mentioned in this episode: The First Notes: The Story of DO, RE, MI by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Chiara Federle This Old Van by Kim Norman and Carolyn Digby Conahan Mary Had a Little Glam by Tammi Sauer and Vanessa Brantley-Newton Journey Trilogy by Aaron Becker Wicked by Gregory Maguire 7 Ate 9 by Tara Lazar and Ross MacDonald The Creative Act by Rick Rubin   Join the conversation LIVE at Picture Book Summit 2025. Early Bird tickets available through August 28, 2025. Go to www.picturebooksummit.com to get your ticket today!

It's that time of year! Early Bird tickets for Picture Book Summit 2025 are now available and in this episode, we share all about our 2025 Superstar Speakers! It's quite a lineup for this year's conference: Big, Bold, and Brave: Supercharge Your Picture Books! This year's online conference takes place on October 4, 2025. Everything happens in our Zoom webinar room, so you can attend from anywhere in the world with a decent Internet connection. We are thrilled to welcome true picture book superheroes NYT Bestselling author Susan Verde, Caldecott Winner Jason Chin, and Caldecott Winner Vashti Harrison! Listen to the episode to learn more about our speakers and their presentations. Then go to www.picturebooksummit.com to get your ticket today!

In this episode, we're thrilled to bring you an excerpt from Nikki Grimes' presentation The Music of Language. Nikki's accolades include the Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the ALAN Award for outstanding contributions to young adult literature, the Children's Literature Legacy Award, the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, a Sibert and a Printz Honor as well as the Coretta Scott King Book Award among others. Nikki is here today to share how lyrical picture books can help children learn to love language and how you can be a part of building that appreciation for reading (and daydreaming). We think Nikki's poetry will inspire you too! Check out the next Picture Book Summit at www.picturebooksummit.com!

We are especially excited about today's episode because we get to bring you a snippet of a past Summit presentation with the one and only Julie Andrews along with her daughter and our friend Emma Walton Hamilton! This duo has written over 30 books for children, including 9 New York Times Bestsellers.  Their picture books include The Very Fairy Princess, Dumpy the Dump Truck, The First Notes: The Story of Do-Re-Mi, The Enchanted Symphony, and Waiting in the Wings. So, what started this fruitful partnership? Where do they get their ideas? What strengths do they each bring to their projects? Julie Hedlund is here to ask those questions and more. Don't miss this delightful look behind-the-scenes with a true creative icon!

You might know about refrains in music, but they're also in picture books! The Picture Book Summit Founders get together to discuss what refrains are, define the different types of refrain, and share how to use them strategically in your own picture book writing! Spoiler alert! There are some excellent mentor texts in this episode. *Books mentioned in this episode: Finding Papa by Angela Pham Krans and Thi Bui Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School! by Carrie Finison and Erin Kraan I Hate to Go to Bed! by Katie Davis The Very Fairy Princess by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Christine Davenier The Yellow Handkerchief by Donna Barba Higuera and Cynthia Alonso Choosing Brave by Angela Joy and Janelle Washington Bug on the Rug by Sophia Gholz and Susan Bartori Curve & Flow: The Elegant Vision of L.A. Architect Paul R. Williams by Andrea J. Loney and Keith Mallett Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews by Julie Hedlund and Ilaria Urbanati.       *Picture Book Summit may receive a small commission at no cost to you when books are purchased through the link above.

In this episode, Julie Hedlund interviews Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple. With over 400 children's books to her name, Jane shares how she chooses the words and what influences her choices. The pair touch on the impact of banned books and how their writing partnership has evolved over the years. So, what's one key to being prolific? Always be learning and growing as a writer.  Books mentioned in this episode: Janie Writes a Play: Jane Yolen's First Great Story written by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight Check out our previous episode with Jane Yolen here: 008 - Jane Yolen  

It's time for How to Analyze a Picture Book - Part 2. In this episode, we talk about how to analyze a picture book's illustrations and other things to look for when analyzing a mentor text. First up, illustrations: What's the job of the illustrations? What do they add to the story? How does color make a difference? If you're an author-only creator, how can you leave room for the illustrator and still get your story across? Is it okay to use art notes? Then we jump into a variety odds and ends to consider and pay attention to as you continue to analyze and study picture books, including "is this book for kids" or "what makes this story uniquely kid-centric"? Download the How to Analyze a Picture Book Handout HERE and use it with your next haul of library books! Books mentioned in this episode: Me...Jane written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell No More Señora Mimí written by Meg Medina and illustrated by Spencer's New Pet written and illustrated by Jessie Sima Hot Dog written and illustrated Doug Salati Where the Wild Things Are written and illustrated Maurice Sendak Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews written by Julie Hedlund and illustrated by Ilaria Urbanati Waiting in the Wings written by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton and illustrated by EG Keller The Enchanted Symphony written by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton and illustrated by Elly McKay Press Here written and illustrated by Hervé Tullet The Pink Hat written and illustrated by Andrew Joyner Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America's Doctor written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Alexandra Bye River of Dust written by Jilanne Hoffmann and illustrated by Eugenia Mello   If you didn't catch part 1 of How to Analyze a Picture Book, listen HERE.

Today we share how to analyze a picture book. In many of our discussions and presentations, the Picture Book Summit Team and our guest speakers analyze picture books and use that analysis to illustrate the point we're teaching. When you as a picture book creator learn how to analyze a picture book, you can turn reading picture books into your own writing class. As you look for and identify the key elements of a picture book we discuss today (and in our next episode!), you'll be able to more easily spot revision opportunities in your own work—getting you that much closer to a publishable picture book. Download the How to Analyze a Picture Book Handout HERE and use it with your next haul of library books! Books mentioned in this episode: The Very Fairy Princess written by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton and illustrated by Christine Davenier Over, Bear! Under, Where? written by Julie Hedlund and illustrated by Michael Slack Springtime Storks: A Migration Love Story written by Carol Joy Munro and illustration Chelsea O'Byrne Party Animals written and illustrated by Katie Davis Kitty and Cat Bent Out of Shape written and illustrated by Mirka Hokkanen B is for Bananas written by Carrie Tillotson and illustrated by Estrela Lourenço Look for Part 2 in two weeks!  

Today in our Picture Book Summit Roundtable discussion, we tackle the touchy topic of celebrity picture books. So, what's the truth about celebrity picture books? Do celebrities get to cut the line when it comes to publishing? Are they held to a lower standard than lesser-known writers? Do they help or hurt the industry? We have the opportunity to hear what it's like to be and/or work with a celebrity author as Emma Walton Hamilton shares her experience of writing with her mother, actress Julie Andrews. You might be surprised what it's like on the flip side of the celebrity book coin. Then we discuss the frustrations that come when picture book authors see another debut celebrity picture book author. There's lots to say on both sides of the great celebrity picture book debate. Let's jump right in!

What is the appeal of dark picture books? Do kids want to read (and re-read) books about tougher topics? How do you make these books kid-friendly?  Julie Hedlund leads our Roundtable discussion about dark picture books, what place they have in children's lives, and why they can be so important.  Books mentioned in this episode: The Rough Patch by Brian Lies The Longest Letsgoboy by Derick Wilder and Catia Chien Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson and Hudson Talbott Kamau & ZuZu Find a Way by Aracelis Girmay and Diana Ejaita Finding Papa by Angela Pham Krans and Thi Bui Lubna and Pebble by Wendy Meddour and Daniel Egnéus The House Before Falling into the Sea by Ann Suk Wan and Hanna Cha The Skull by Jon Klassen The Cat Man of Aleppo by Karim Shamsi-Basha, Irene Latham, Yuko Shimizu The Circus Comes to the Village by Yutaka Kobayashi Let this episode linger and check out a few of these picks as you discover the world of dark picture books.

Picture book authors are closer in their craft to screenwriters and playwrights than any other kind of author. Why? Because picture book writers direct their readers on how to read the book. It's your job as a writer to make your (often adult reader) look like a rockstar. Emma Walton Hamilton shares how to make your manuscript reader-proof.

It seems nothing is more fun to read aloud than lyrical or rhyming picture books. A common misconception is that it's easy to write rhyme: just count the syllables and make the end words sound alike, right? Wrong. Good thing you came across this episode, where Julie Hedlund—rhymer extraordinaire—gives examples of what good rhyme and lyrical writing actually is, what makes it work, and how to write it yourself. 

Picture books are a truly unique genre of literature. Other books CAN be read aloud, but picture books are ENGINEERED exactly for that precise purpose.  In this episode, Emma Walton Hamilton defines the importance of "Read-aloud-ability" (HINT: it can sway the submission process), while Katie Davis illustrates one impactful way to factor that secret sauce into your writing.  Stay tuned! This is the first of a three-part series.

Editor and agent assistants: the rarely-talked-about demi gods of the publishing industry.  They are the gatekeepers, and if they don't think your manuscript is up to snuff, it won't be leaving the slush pile. So what can you do about that? In this episode, Emma Walton Hamilton asks editor and agent assistants AZ Hackett, Claire Tattersfield, and Gaby Caballero all the burning questions. 

Author/Illustrator and Agent Shadra Strickland reveals how to get at the heart of your story by sharing ideas and exercises to get your creativity flowing—in your brain and on the page. This is a fun one. Happy listening!    

In this episode, Eric and Terry Fan, also known as writing-illustrating duo The Fan Brothers, are taking us to new worlds in To Imagination and Beyond. They reveal their unique path into picture books after originally pursuing other careers and talk about some of the unconventional sources for their story ideas. They are proof that stories can hop from one place to another: from a t-shirt design that eventually became The Night Gardener, or a careless doodle from thirty years ago that grew into Lizzy and the Cloud. Eric and Terry reveal how your next story may be waiting in the most unlikely place. We adore The Fan Brothers and after this episode we think you will too!

Today's episode features a practically perfect pair of presenters. You've seen presentations about great picture book beginnings. You've seen them about effective endings. But a truly great picture book relies on the connection between the two. Today, Emma Walton Hamilton & Julie Hedlund are here to show how to launch topflight stories and navigate them to stellar endings.  

One of the best ways to navigate your course as a writer is through critiques.  In this episode of the podcast, we share a snippet of Founder Katie Davis' presentation Houston, Your Manuscript Has a Problem. Katie discusses why critiques are important and things to consider as you seek feedback from critique groups and freelance editors. Get ready to take your work to a whole new stratosphere!  

A few years ago, we had the privilege of hosting former National Ambassador of Young People's Literature and bestselling author Kate DiCamillo as one of our Superstar Speakers. Her presentation was nothing short of magical. She shares how she went from wanting to write and thinking about writing to actually writing. We hope this snippet of her talk inspires you to get started (or restarted) too.  Savor this episode. Be part of the magic of Picture Book Summit LIVE! join us at this year's online event on October 5th - Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold.  Join us for Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold! Superstar Speakers include:  Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott Honoree Grace Lin National Ambassador of Young People's Literature Meg Medina New York Times bestselling duo Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett Early Bird pricing ends this week! Get $100 off when you get your ticket by August 31, 2024. Register here!

Attending a writing conference can be a transformational experience, filled with opportunities to hone your craft, connect with your peers, and move closer to your publishing dreams. Online writing conferences offer unique opportunities compared to their in-person counterparts. In addition to saving money on travel and accommodations, you can maximize your learning by engaging from the safety, comfort, and familiarity of home. Whether you're attending your first conference or your fiftieth, here are nine tailored tips on how to get the most out of an online writing conference. We invite YOU to celebrating our 10th year of Picture Book Summit this year on October 5th! Go to picturebooksummit.com/maximize for our free download and learn more about this year's one-of-a-kind conference for picture book creators. Join us for Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold! Superstar Speakers include:  Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott Honoree Grace Lin National Ambassador of Young People's Literature Meg Medina New York Times bestselling duo Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett Get $100 off with an Early Bird ticket through August 31, 2024. Register here!

You've just received another email for an online writers' conference. How do you know if it's right for you? Will it really advance your writing career? Is there such a thing as a free conference?  We're celebrating 10 years of hosting the Picture Book Summit online writing conference. So much has grown and changed in the online conference space in that time. So, today, we pull the curtain back and give you some insight into what goes into putting on a conference so you can pick the best online writing conferences for you and your writing goals. Listen up! We have 5 questions to ask yourself before choosing your next online writing conference. (Don't worry! Some of these will apply to in-person conferences too.)  We invite YOU to celebrating our 10th year of Picture Book Summit this year on October 5th! Go to picturebooksummit.com/conference for our free download and learn more about this year's one-of-a-kind conference for picture book creators. Join us for Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold! Superstar Speakers include:  Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott Honoree Grace Lin National Ambassador of Young People's Literature Meg Medina New York Times bestselling duo Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett Get $100 off with an Early Bird ticket through August 31, 2024. Register here!

Publishers and agents alike say they want humorous, quirky, or funny books, but it seems more and more difficult to get a response on those humorous, quirky, or funny submissions. We're here to dig into it in today's episode of PBSummit Roundtable. Julie Hedlund shares her personal experience and overall observations about what is going on in the industry with silly stories and how YOU can break through! Books talked about in today's episode: I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen Butt or Face by Kari Lavelle Simon and the Better Bone by Corey R. Tabor Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor How This Book Get Red by Margaret Chiu Greanias and Melissa Iwai Poodunit! A Forest Floor Mystery by Katelyn Aronson and Steph Laberis Wombats are Pretty Weird by Abi Cushman Too Many Pigs and One Big Bad Wolf by Davide Cali and Marianna Balducci   If you enjoy the Picture Book Summit Podcast, you'll LOVE our next live online Picture Book Summit writing conference! Join us October 5, 2024, for Perfect 10: Going for Picture Book Gold! Superstar Speakers include:  Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott Honoree Grace Lin National Ambassador of Young People's Literature Meg Medina New York Times bestselling duo Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett Get $100 off with an Early Bird ticket through August 31, 2024. Register here!

Agents and publishers are always saying they're looking for stories that are "fresh and unique", but what does that mean? In this episode, the PBSummit Roundtable takes a look at some stories which perfectly exemplify what fresh takes on classic picture book topics can look like, and the common thread between them.  Books talked about in today's episode: How This Book Got Read written by Margaret Chiu Greanias and illustrated by Melissa Iwai The World's Best Class Plant written by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick and illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao  Time is a Flower written and illustrated by Julie Morstad Having a fresh take is a great way to get the attention of an agent or editor! How else can you avoid being rejected? Grab our free download with questions to ask yourself to avoid the 3 Biggest Reasons Manuscripts Get Rejected. Click here.   *Picture Book Summit may receive a small commission at no cost to you when books are purchased through the link above.

You've written and refined your manuscript, you've sent the query to your agent or to a publisher....and now to wait for months and months. During the pandemic, everything slowed to a halt. But now that it's over and the picture book industry is back up and running, what's the hold up?  The answers are in this episode, and it's actually good news!  One way to avoid getting rejections (or no responses at all) is to ensure your manuscript and query letter are 100% submission-ready. Grab our free download with the 3 Biggest Reasons Your Manuscripts today! Click here.

It's our final dive (for now!) into Picture Books with Great Voice! If you're just joining us, be sure to catch up with this series at the links below: Episode 56 - Julie Hedlund defined the types of voice found in picture books and Katie Davis introduced books with humorous voice. Episode 57 - Founder Emeritus Laura Backes shared book examples of using a lyrical voice Episode 58 - Emma Walton Hamilton dug into character voice. Today in part 4, Julie gets chatty while talking about conversational voice in picture books. Let's get to it. Books mentioned in this episode: THE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT MARGARET WISE BROWN written by Mac Barnett and illustrated Sarah Jacoby A POEM FOR PETER written by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated Steve Johnson  

Let's continue to dig into voice in picture books! We started this series in episode 56, where Julie Hedlund defined the types of voice found in picture books and Katie Davis gave us hilarious examples of the funny style of voice. In episode 57, Founder Emeritus Laura Backes shared examples of using a lyrical voice in picture books to reinforce certain types of stories. In part 3 of our series, author and Picture Book Summit Founder Emma Walton Hamilton discusses character voice: how to recognize it, distinguish it from other types of writing voice, and how to utilize it in your own work!  Let's get to it. Books mentioned in this episode: THE PANDA PROBLEM written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated Hannah Marks CROWN: AN ODE TO THE FRESH CUT written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James  

In this episode, we continue to discuss voice in picture books. We started this series in the last episode, where Julie Hedlund defined the types of voice found in picture books and Katie Davis gave us hilarious examples of the funny style of voice. If you haven't already, be sure to go back and listen to episode 56 for help pinning down the elusive meaning of "voice." Today, we bring you Founder Emeritus Laura Backes and examples of using a lyrical voice in picture books to reinforce certain types of stories. Let's jump in. Books mentioned in this episode: GIANT SQUID written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Eric Rohman WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE written by Pat Zeitlow Miller and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler