THE CHILDREN'S BOOK ACADEMY
  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Mastering Great Graphic Novels >
      • 2023 Mastering Graphic Novels Registration
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship

Three Ways to Approach Telling Your Story by Bryan Patrick Avery

5/18/2020

2 Comments

 
As the stay at home orders continue magicians like me are taking stock of their repertoires. The big question is will we ever approach magic the same way again? The general consensus is no. As a result, magicians the world over are looking at new ways advancing the art of magic.
​

This got me thinking about the ways writers and illustrators approach storytelling. There is no one way to tell a story. As artists, we must decide which method is best for our style and our story. This month, we’ll look at three picture books that highlight a few of my favorite styles.

In THE LAST PEACH, written and illustrated by Gus Gordon, two insects come across the last peach of the summer. The decide they want to eat it, but then aren’t so sure of how to proceed. Even a little help from their friends only serves to add to their uncertainty. The question Will they eat the peach? drives the story forward and keeps the reader turning pages until the last page.
Picture
What makes this story unique, thought, is that it’s told entirely through dialogue. Gus uses colors to differentiate who is speaking and keeps the cast of characters simple. This makes the story simple to follow and allows the reader to lose themselves in the story. Dialogue tends to pull the reader in closer. It gives the reader an opportunity to lend their own voicing to the characters. It’s hard to imagine the story being as compelling if it used more of a narrative approach.

If you’re considering using this approach to storytelling remember a few things:
  1. Keep the cast simple. It will make the dialogue easy to follow.
  2. Consider how you well let your reader know who is speaking. Gus uses font colors that correspond to the characters.
  3. This goes without saying, but your story should still have a beginning, middle, and end. Otherwise, it’s 32 pages of chatter.
SATURDAY, written and illustrated by Oge Mora, is a touching story of Ava and her mother. They plan the best Saturday ever. When one thing after a another goes wrong, mother and daughter must find a way to salvage the day. Saturday is a lyrical picture book and Oge uses repetition to pull the reader through the story. The duo’s mantra: “The day would be special. The day would be splendid. The day was Saturday” repeats each time they must overcome a setback. 

Picture
Also repeated throughout is their response to each setback. They each pause, close their eyes, and blow a breath. This repetition is particularly important to the story because it signals Ava and her mother being able to move past an issue. When it doesn’t happen...? Well, you’ll have to read the story to find out.

The last book is one of my new favorites. ONE FOX: A COUNTING BOOK THRILLER was written and illustrated by Kate Read. Counting books and alphabet books and can be tough to write well but Kate does a superb job. ONE FOX tells the story of a fox who stalks a group of chickens. Because it’s a thriller, I won’t give too much away. 
Picture
It starts at one, as many counting books do, with “One famished fox”. With only a few words in each spread, Kate’s illustrations help bring the story to life. As we watch the hungry fox sneak towards the hen house at night, we can’t help but wonder what will happen. The twist at the end brings the story to a surprising, yet satisfying, ending. More than a book of things to count, ONE FOX tells a gripping story that readers won’t be able to put down.
​

If you want to try this approach, whether a counting book or alphabet book, a compelling story could make all the difference.

Well, that’s all for this month. Stay safe and have a magical month.
Picture
Bryan Patrick Avery ​is an award-winning poet and author, and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Mystery Writers of America. He is also a life member of the Society of American Magicians (which was once led by Harry Houdini) and charter member of the International Association of Black Magical Artists. Bryan's greatest joy is making stories appear out of thin air.
2 Comments

Special Guest Post: How Life Influences Fiction in "I Am Here Now" by Barbara Bottner

5/4/2020

2 Comments

 
Hi lovely reader, I wanted to do a quickie intro to Barbara Bottner and why we are honored to have her guest post. If this were Japan, Barbara would be considered a national treasure for both the number of books she's written and the quality of them. Barbara has also mentored many of the writing greats and is also an exquisite person. She and I co-taught a picture book course years ago and it was amazing. Below are just some of Barbara's many books and below that is Barbara's wonderful post. So without further ado, here's Barbara!
Picture
​Hello, I’m Barbara Bottner, author of nearly 50 children’s books for all ages. I often use my own experiences for my stories. After a hiatus of over thirty years from writing YA fiction, concentrating on picture books and work in TV and print, my new free verse novel is coming out May 19th. This novel, I Am Here Now, from Macmillan, is fiction, but it is greatly inspired by my own experiences. I’m going to share about the parallels in my life that helped me write this story.
Picture
I Am Here Now takes place in Parkchester, a planned community in the Bronx, in 1960 as we hurl toward war with Viet Nam.

There are four teen characters. There’s Rachel, Maisie’s best friend; and Rachel’s heart throb boyfriend, Gino. And finally, Richie, who Maisie relies on for friendship and a possible romance. Richie shares with Maisie his dismay about living with his father’s Viet Nam war trauma.
“Tomorrow or the next day, Richie and I will sit together and mumble our sad stories.”

The story is set in the Bronx. I was born there and lived there until the age of seven. Like my home, the Bronx was in decline and experiencing increased turbulence.

For Maisie, the tense uptown streets create a growing, urgent need to escape, as mirrored by her impossible situation with her very disturbed mother.

Like Maisie, I was always an art girl. Art spoke to me as no human could. It allowed me to see other worlds and to feel deeply connected to them. It showed me there was a way to express the pulsing, intense, uncontainable feelings I had and to turn them into something useful and lasting and even beautiful. Art sustained me and still does. Maisie is an aspiring artist and her love of painting is an important thread. It’s healing, self-realizing, and ultimately offers her a way forward.
As in the novel, I had a best friend whose mom was, for her, a challenge, but for me, a lifesaver. I always thought that was an interesting dynamic in and of itself. Kiki, Rachel’s mother, is a painter and a mentor to Maisie. This leads to trouble with Rachel who becomes jealous (and has reason to).
​
 Also, this is a sibling story. Maisie has to find a way to cherish her younger, more compliant and more lovable brother Davy, who’s secretive and dealing with his sexual orientation before being gay was even remotely acceptable. This comes out of my life as well. My brother grabbled with his orientation at a time where homosexuality was illegal and considered a curse.
​

Maisie is a troubled, desperate girl, especially when her father disappears in the middle of the night. Later on, Richie flees his situation as well. As a result, Maisie becomes a thief of sorts; first she steals into Rachel’s family. Then, finding Gino irresistible, she steals her best friend’s boyfriend.
Refusing to reach out to her father because of his abandonment, she faces off with her mother until her fate as well as Davy’s hangs in the balance.   
Picture
I offer this somewhat biographical but mostly fictional story in the tradition of the “wounded healer.” In this work, I’m speaking heart to heart to anyone who relates. We never know who or what will rescue us, or how we will rescue ourselves . . .

So I throw out a question to you, no matter what you are writing. What stories or important moments can you rebirth into new stories to create authenticity, meaning, and/or humor?

Find Barbara here: 
http://barbarabottnerbooks.com/
Or on Twitter Here: @BarbaraBottner​
If you'd like to help support this glorious kidlit matriarch, buy her books here: 
https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9781250207692  Books N Books, Miami Florida or here:
https://www.amazon.com/Am-Here-Now-Barbara-Bottner/dp/125020769X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=I+Am+Here+Now+bottner&qid=1588539512&sr=8-1  ​
2 Comments
    We are so excited to be mixing things up at CBA, beginning with some delicious additions to the Blogfish. Meet our  awesome bloggers!!

    Here's our lineup:
    1st Mondays begin with awesome multi-published former student Shirin Shamsi who will be focusing on Muslim and cultural kidlit.

    2nd Mondays will feature super smart Melissa Stoller whose career is taking off with several new books.
     

    3rd Mondays will feature
    Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer, man of mystery, and professional magician among other things.

    4th Mondays will feature STEM, STEAM & SEL obsessed author Kourtney LaFavre sharing delightfully dorky, quirky, and fun info.

    And 5th Mondays we'll be taking a break

    Enter your email address to follow this blog:

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Picture
Discover
Why Us?
Courses
Blogfish
Book Shoppe
About Us
Meet the Academy Faculty
Community
Contact Us

Privacy Policy
Join Us
Social Media
Join our Community and receive a fabulous free gift, yummy newsletters, scholarship info, contests, and more!

Like us on Facebook 
Join our interactive FB Group  
Find us on Twitter 
Follow us on ​Instagram  
Look for us on Pinterest
​
Watch us on YouTube
© 2012-2021  All content on this website is copyrighted. Sorry, all courses are non-refundable.
  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Mastering Great Graphic Novels >
      • 2023 Mastering Graphic Novels Registration
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship