- Subgroup of
-
-
FREE: Picture Book Chat – Open to Public
Organizers:
- Organized by
-
-
PB recommendations
-
PB recommendations
Hi fellow picture bookers,
I’m just working out how to navigate this brave new Write Mentor world… Hopefully I’m posting this in the right place (If not, please do let me know @obi-wan-kenobi or @melissawelliver !).
Thought it might be nice to kick off some chat here with any PBs we’ve read and enjoyed recently (new or old)?
I just read ‘Dim Sum Palace’ by X.Fang. It’s a beautifully illustrated reimagining (or at least heavy echo) of Sendak’s ‘In The Night Kitchen’. As well as being a lovely book, I thought it could be a useful one to inspire us writers to think of fresh ways to re-tell familiar stories (beyond the more common Fairy Tale fare).
Would love to hear what you’ve all read and enjoyed recently too. ???? ????
-
9 Replies
-
You’re in the right place – thanks for being a pioneer and posting first!
-
????
-
-
This sounds great, Harriet. Thank you for recommending it! I’ve just read BIG! by Vashti Harrison, which I really enjoyed. It came out last year, I think. It’s about being “big” in a world that often values “small” and body positivity. #BooksThatHelp review coming soon for it! x
-
This reply was modified 2 weeks, 2 days ago by
Clare Helen Welsh.
-
Thanks @clarehelenwelsh I really enjoyed BIG! too. I will look out for the review! Feels like that’s an important topic which isn’t covered very much? (and bold going with a one word title too).
-
This reply was modified 2 weeks, 2 days ago by
-
Hi @HarrietHowe
I’ve not read that one yet, but I looked it up. The illustrations and layout reminds me of Anthony Brown’s stories.
This week, my daughter brought home one of my favourite PBs from the school library. (Usually she picks the stories we already own, or those that are a chore to read, so this was a mighty win for her first week back. Can she continue the trend into week two?) The book she selected was ‘Tadpole’s Promise’ by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross. I think it’s clever how the gutter is used to separate the two characters’ settings. There must be plenty of other ways to give the gutter of a PB a significant role too…????
And @clarehelenwelsh – BIG! It’s a beautiful book.?
-
I love Tadpole’s Promise – it’s always been a favourite of mine. It’s so clever – and funny!
-
-
Ooh, yes @TheFairytaleMum that’s a goodie!
And you’re right – ‘using a gutter’ could be a fun prompt / brainstorming activity.
There’s one where a child’s dog disappears into the gutter which is really funny, but I’m having a total mind blank re title and author/illustrator.
-
Oh yes! I have that one about the dog! I think it’s called ‘This Book Just Ate My Dog!’
Great idea to use the gutter for picture book prompt/ inspiration.
Tadpole’s Promise also makes me think of We Are The Wibbly (Sarah Tagholm, Jane McGuiness). Great voice and funny. Lots of layers too. Well worth a read if you haven’t seen it before 🙂
-
That’s the one! Such a good idea.
-
Agreed! We are the Wibbly is a fab text to showcase voice.
-
I absolutely love We Are The Wibbly. Sarah has a brilliant PB voice and that one was definitely one of my top picks from 2024. I’m compiling a recommended list for the new term for the school I visit regularly and I’ll add BIG so thanks for the recommendation on that one ????
-
This reply was modified 2 weeks, 1 day ago by
Fiona Barker.
-
This reply was modified 2 weeks, 1 day ago by
-
-
My most recent purchase is ‘Doctor Fairytale’ by Catherine Jacob and Hoang Giang. It’s absolutely brilliant – works on all levels.
-
Another brilliant one! What a wonderful things books are!
-
-
I’ve just discovered and started reading Frog and Toad by Arnold Lober. They are pretty old – so old that I could have read them when I was in the intended age range. But I like them – they are similar in a way to the stories I’m writing (not cutting edge myself). But I also find the writing pretty punchy and lean. Hoping to learn from that, as I use a lot of words…
Log in to reply.