31 in 31 preview post!

Are you a picture book writer?
How many picture books are you reading?

As a writer without children (and, come to think of it, no nieces or nephews around either)
I’m frequently at the library getting picture books just for ME to read.
Yes, I get weird looks.
Yes, someone actually thought once that picture books were my actual reading level.
and yes, I frequently read them to my grownup housemates.

Why read picture books if you want to write them anyway?
Here’s some writers and teachers to weigh in on that topic:

“It’s important to study the art in picture books…
study how the words and the pictures work together.” 
Lisa Wheeler, Picture Book Boot Camp, Santa Barbara, 2011

“Read like a wolf eats.
Read when they tell you not to, read what they tell you not to.
Read all the time!”
Gary Paulsen, SCBWI LA 2011

“Spend time reading picture books…but don’t just read them, think about them.
Study them. This is good training before starting to write
and should continue throughout your career.”
Ann Whitford Paul,  in “Writing Picture Books.“

“To understand picture books – to truly understand them – and to know how to write them,
you need to read them.
It’s not enough to remember books from your childhood.
It’s not enough to dig through the attic for the favorite books you stored up there.
You need to read and study picture books today.”
Jan Fields, Institute for Children’s Literature

“DO read recent picture books over and over again.”
Mem Fox, on a list of DOs and DON’Ts of writing picture books.

“Read as many books as possible in the genre in which you wish to write.
Especially when it comes to picture books.”
Marissa Montes

ok, you get the point.

Reading the books that you want to write is IMPORTANT.
And, let’s face it, reading picture books is just plain FUN!

So, here’s my challenge.
Are you up for it?

31 picture books
in 31 days.

You can read one picture book a day for a month, right?
Sure you can!

I got this idea last year during PiBoIdMo
because reading picture books
tends to give me ideas for picture books.
And who doesn’t love a challenge?

So, why not “prime the pump” before the big show?

Everyday in October I’ll be reading a picture book and posting about it on my blog.
Come on over and comment on what book you read that day!
You’ll be glad you did!

There’s some giveaways, including

• signed picture books
• hand-stamped idea notebooks (perfect for PiBoIdMo!)
• nice notebooks PERFECT for creating dummies
• and lino-cut prints with inspirational words to help your writing!

More information is coming Sunday, September 30th,
including an awesome bookshelf page you can download,
so you can fill in your books as you read them!

So, what do you say?
Let’s get reading!

KE