Today I have Alison Reynolds visiting at Spinning Pearls as part of her tour with her amazing picture book A Year With Marmalade.
Hi Sally! Thank you for inviting me to the lovely Spinning Pearls.
I was wondering why picture books are such a popular genre to write. My publisher asked me to write a picture book with a background of the seasons and A Year with Marmalade emerged. But could I have written it as a chapter book? I don’t think it would have worked half as well. The juxtaposition between the words and illustrations is half the music.
5 Reasons to write picture books
- They’re short. BUT this does not mean they are easy to write. Mem Fox took 2 years to write the 487 words of Koala Lou.
- You can achieve a clarity and simplicity that is hard to maintain over a longer piece of work.
- They can look and feel fabulous. I love the textured trunk on the cover of A Year with Marmalade. Many picture books are actual works of art.
- It’s fascinating to have an illustrator interpret/add to your story.
- Both small and big children love them. For many of us, picture books are our first exposure to literature. Picture books are fun!
Do any other writers out there like to write picture books? Why?
Thanks for hosting the A Year with Marmalade tour, Sally.
Looking forward to seeing your new work Bushland Lullaby soon!
Thanks, Alison... Now, see below for a competition and the other stops in the blog tour.
CONTEST
Marmalade’s personality really shines through in Alison Reynolds and Heath McKenzie's newest picture book A Year with Marmalade. Share your favourite picture showing your cat's personality to win.
The winner will receive a signed copy of A Year with Marmaladeand a copy of the picture book Lighty Faust the Lion, a book about a much bigger cat.
Share your favourite picture of your cat by uploading it to author Alison Reynolds’ Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/alison.reynolds.524or email it to Alison as a low res jpeg file at [email protected]and she’ll upload it on her website www.alisonreynolds.com.au
Entries close on the 1st of September
Follow the tour!
Blog Tour
7th August Dee White
9th August Karen Tyrrell
11th August Tania McCartney
13th August Pass It On
14th August Kathryn Apel
17th August Dale Harcombe
20th August Peter Taylor
22nd August Susan Stephenson
23rd August Robyn Opie Parnell
27th August Sally Odgers
29th August Angela Sunde
31st August Chris Bell
2 Comments on A Year With Marmalade, last added: 9/8/2012
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Hi Alison and Sally, I also love to write picture books. It seems there are stories hiding behind every simple life experience. But translating these stories into a manuscript readers will love and relate to is the hardest part; so far I haven't been perfectly happy with my efforts. Congratulations on the release of A Year with Marmalade.
Thanks, Angela:-) I'm glad you were able to comment. I know several people tried and couldn't.