The Three Rs

By Sharon Giltrow

Refrain, Rhyme and Relatability the three Rs.

Refrain – In picture books every word counts, so try and make those words even more powerful through the use of a refrain. “What I really want the most, is some yummy cheese on toast.” For an added bonus the catchy refrain in our featured book rhymes.
 
Rhyme – As writers we are often told to steer away from rhyme. But if that is your writing style and you can make it work and sound great then write away.
 
Relatability - Choose a relatable theme. Children love to read stories that reflect their lives. What is more relatable for children than not wanting to eat their dinner. Or wanting to eat the same thing over and over again.

All of the three R's are used in the fabulous book CHEESE ON TOAST by Kelly Louise Jarris and Baginda Adr.

Cheese On Toast
Written by: Kelly Louise Jarris
 Illustrated by: Baginda Adr
Published by: Kelly Louise Jarris ,   1st November 2022
"I don't want this yucky roast.
I just want some cheese on toast."
Mum has prepared a delicious roast for dinner full of healthy vegetables like green beans, peas, and carrots, but her son is not pleased.
Will mum be able to convince him to give it a try?

Here are Kelly's favourite spreads and what she loves about them.

K - This one is a classic face all my boys have made at one time or another during dinner time.  Baginda captured it perfectly with his illustration.  It’s why I used it for the front cover. It tells the story with just his expression. I love it.'

Sh- Yes Kelly I agree, the reader doesn’t even need to read the text to know what is happening. But of course, there wouldn’t be an illustration without the text. Which makes me ask, what comes first the text or the illustration 😊?

K - Here the boy is in bed pretending, he is unwell gets kids into giggles. Children love ‘Crunchy’ the carrot. It’s been named recently by my friend's daughter. It's a perfect name for a carrot. (Additional info: Crunchy is hiding on each page in silly places. I tried to make it a fun book, repetitive and a bit interactive for this age group to read aloud together.')

Sh-. The magic of this spread and the book CHEESE ON TOAST is how relatable the story and the illustrations are to children. Also, the added bonus of looking for “Crunchy the Carrot” is a perfect addition to the book.

So, when you’re writing your next picture book try and remember the three Rs. Or if you can’t rhyme (like me) at least try and remember the two Rs – refrain and relatability.
 
See you in December for a re-cap (another great R) of all the great Aussie books I’ve featured in 2022.
 
Remember (another R) share a laugh, and connect with someone today.

BIO:
Sharon Giltrow grew up in South Australia, the youngest of eight children, surrounded by pet sheep and fields of barley. She now lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband, two children and a tiny dog. Sharon has taught for all of her career. Previously a teacher of children who are hearing impaired and Deaf-Blind, she now teaches young children with Developmental Language Disorder. Her humorous debut PB, BEDTIME DADDY! released May 2020 - EK books. Sharon’s humorous follow up PB, GET READY, MAMA! released in April, 2022 - EK Books. Her third and fourth PB, LET’S GO SHOPPING, GRANDMA! And LET’S GO TO THE BEACH, GRANDPA! are due to be released in 2023 and 2024 - Dixi Books. SAMARA RUBIN AND THE UTILITY BELT, book one in Sharon’s early MG series – THE UTILITY BELT, will be released in 2023 - Clear Fork Publishing.  With book two TOBY KING AND THE UTILITY BELT to follow.
 
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