It's been a day or two since we did a Mo Willems book on the podcast (and you can believe I'm counting down the days until one of those Elephant & Piggie books turns 20). What absolutely kills me is that we did today's title in complete ignorance of the fact that it was recently adapted into an incredible looking stage production in D.C. with a Chicago-based theater company.... which just closed. Doggone it. This book is interesting for a number of reasons. First off, Mo Willems had already done a Pigeon book (square) and a Knuffle Bunny book (horizontal), but this marked his first vertical book. We discuss our future picture book Steampunk Monster, how Sam's got sass, baby Wild Things, and more. 

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/04/14/fuse-8-n-kate-leonardo-the-terrible-monster-by-mo-willems/

Episode 359 - Leonardo the Terrible Monster

Does your picture book manuscript feel too long? 📝 Or maybe you're wondering if it's actually an early reader, chapter book, or something in between?

In this episode of the Journey to Kidlit podcast, Brooke Van Sickle tackles: 
* How long is too long for a picture book
* What counts as a complete story with proper pacing
* Why pagination matters more than word count
* What to do when your book doesn’t have a clear problem or conflict
* And how to rework your idea so it’s more marketable (and fun!)

Perfect for writers unsure about age ranges, genres, or how to tighten their manuscript. You’ll also hear tips for writing from the right point of view and when to ditch your main character in favor of the reader! 😉

Tune in now and download your FREE Children’s Book Template to get started 👉 https://journeytokidlit.com/get-the-template

#kidlit #picturebooktips #writingforkids #childrensbookwriting #kidlitpodcast #writingadvice #kidlitcommunity

LINKS FOR EPISODE:
* Join Kidlit Academy: https://journeytokidlit.com/kidlit-academy
* Get the FREE template: https://journeytokidlit.com/get-the-template



Are You Writing a Picture Book or Something Else? How to Know If Your Idea Fits the Market

In this week's podcast, Sally shares some fun books and resources to help you start your own art project:

Drawing Class — Animals: Learn to Draw With Simple Shapes and Online Tutorials 
by Keegyum Kim
https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1899073

Easy Paper Crafts for Kids: 45 Fun and Creative Projects for Children Aged 5 Years+ 
by Catherine Woram
https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S21C1927077

Creativebug
https://www.creativebug.com/lib/fraservalley


Art Projects for Kids

"I want to do something with my life, but with minimal effort." "He's the hero our children need today." Today, there is a mystery at work. For the past two years this 1983 beginner book publication has hit #1 on the Publishers Weekly list of top selling picture books around Easter time. But why? What caused this particular P.J. Funnybunny book to become quite so popular again? We endeavor to find out as we tackle today's title. It's not very Easter-y, but I guess bunnies will be bunnies. Along the way, we talk about the potentially damaging narrative at work here and how this book is, in its way, the complete opposite of a title like Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn. 

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/04/21/fuse-8-n-kate-its-not-easy-being-a-bunny-by-marilyn-sadler-ill-robert-bollen/

Episode 360 - It's Not Easy Being a Bunny

Let’s create the star of your story! Today in Day 2 of the Kidlit Story Kickoff, we’re developing our characters into 3-dimensional people who feel real and authentic to the reader.

🎯 You’ll discover: 
 • What every strong character needs (besides a name!)
 • How to choose the right point of view
 • What to do if you don’t have a character

📘 Don’t forget your Workbook to complete your character card after the episode. Get the workbook Here: https://journeytokidlit.com/storykickoff-workbook

 ✨ Hit subscribe to keep going with this 5-day challenge and make real progress on your children’s book!

TIMELINE:
0:01 - Welcome to Day 2 of Kidlit Story Kickoff
0:17 - What to Expect in Today's Lesson
1:20 - How to "Gather" the Story Assets all Books Must Include
2:05 - Choosing Who will be the Star of Your Story
2:35 - A Breakdown of Point of View (POV) that you can choose from
3:35 - A Trick to Help You Stay in Your Character's POV
4:22 - The Items you need to make Your Character feel 3-Dimensional
5:10 - What to do if You Don't Have a Traditional Character
6:19 - The Next Steps to Take Today


LINKS FOR EPISODE:
* Get the workbook Here: https://journeytokidlit.com/storykickoff-workbook

Day 2: How to Create Your Main Character (Kidlit Story Kickoff)

Today is all about plot and your story’s structure! 📚 In Day 4 of the Kidlit Story Kickoff, we’ll outline your plot from start to finish using proven frameworks that work for all kinds of children’s books.

📌 Inside this lesson: 
• How to pick the right plot type (Classic, Midpoint, or List)
 • What your main character wants and what’s in their way
 • A simple formula to map your story’s beginning, middle, and end

📝 Grab the $9 Companion Workbook and fill in your plot map as you go: https://journeytokidlit.com/storykickoff-workbook

 🔔 And make sure you’re subscribed — the next video will help you bring your draft to life!

TIMELINE:
0:01 - Welcome to Day 4 of the Kidlit Story Kickoff
0:14 - What to Expect in Today's Plotting Lesson
1:27 - The Definition of a Plot
2:15 - The #1 Things You Need (Because it's what Drives Your Plot)
2:45 - The 3 Plot Types to Choose From
3:20 - A Breakdown of Each Plot Type
5:54 - The Question Your Plot Must Answer
6:17 - Examples of Plot in Picture Books
12:02 - What to do Next


LINKS FOR EPISODE:
https://journeytokidlit.com/storykickoff-workbook

Day 4: How to Build the Perfect Plot for Your Children's Book (Kidlit Story Kickoff)

Finished your manuscript and wondering if it’s time to hire an illustrator? Not so fast. 

In this episode of The Journey to Kidlit Podcast, Brooke Van Sickle shares the biggest industry secret that most new writers don’t know—and how jumping into illustrations too soon could actually hurt your chances of getting published. 

You’ll learn:
✅ When (and if) you need an illustrator
✅ Why traditional publishers don’t expect finished artwork
✅ How your manuscript alone should carry your story

Plus, Brooke has a free Illustration Guide to walk you through your next steps with confidence. If you're serious about publishing your children's book, this episode is a must-listen.

🎁 Grab the free guide here: https://journeytokidlit.com/free-illustrations-guide
🔁 Share with a fellow writer & don’t forget to subscribe!

Do I Need an Illustrator? The #1 Mistake New Children's Book Writers Make

Carson Ellis is the author and illustrator of the bestselling picture books “Home” and “Du Iz Tak?”. She joins to talk about her life living on a farm in Oregon and her remarkable career illustrating numerous award-winning books for children.

Best of Design Matters: Carson Ellis

With Kate newly mommified, we try out recording our podcast with baby in tow to see how it goes. So if the episode is a little burbly this time around, you'll understand why. Along the way we also decide to do our VERY FIRST Emily Gravett title. Her debut no less! In reading it, Kate has to deal with this unexpected Kate Greenaway Medal winner and all that that entails. Now we know that a lot of you have been asking us to do Orange, Pear, Apple, Bear for some time. Be patient, my lovelies. We can't touch that one until 2027. 

For the Show Notes for this episode please go here: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/05/27/fuse-8-n-kate-wolves-by-emily-gravett/

Episode 364 - Wolves

Back we return to the words of Doreen Cronin! We'd done her Click, Clack, Moo in the past (and Duck for President too), but not her other massively successful picture book series. This is also our first Harry Bliss book to boot.  We go through all 18 different journal entries of this title and discuss its finer aspects. Along the way we speculate about dated elements like playing marbles and hats with fake arrows going through them. We discuss the history of this specific series. Finally we learn how long worms live and think about how this book would be different if it was published today (*hint* there would be backmatter). 

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/06/01/fuse-8-n-kate-diary-of-a-worm-by-doreen-cronin-ill-harry-bliss/

Episode 365 - Diary of a Worm

Are you looking for something good to read? Or watch? Or listen to? Tune in to Fraser Valley Regional Library’s ReadRadio podcast for some great recommendations. In each episode we will highlight some of the library’s books, movies and TV shows that you might not know about. All reviewed materials are available for loan in the FVRL catalogue. 

Fraser Valley Regional Library is the largest public library system in British Columbia, with 25 community libraries serving nearly 680,000 people in its service area.

Two sisters, one in L.A. and one in NYC, both move to the Chicago area and start a podcast. The premise? Picture books and are they really that great?  Join Kate and Fuse 8 (Betsy Bird) as they track down a picture book "classic" each episode and try to determine if it deserves to remain in the canon of children's literature.

Profile image by Andrea Tsurumi

Design Matters by Debbie Millman features interviews with designers, artists and cultural leaders, including Lawrence Weiner, Barbara Kruger, Malcolm Gladwell, Eric Kandel, Stefan Sagmeister, John Maeda, Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones, Michael Arad, Milton Glaser, Massimo Vignelli, Paula Scher, Steven Heller, Jonah Lehrer, among others.

In 2011, Design Matters received the People’s Design Award from the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards.

Subscribe to Design Matters for free on iTunes, where new episodes are uploaded weekly: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/design-matters-debbie-millman/id328074695

Brooke Van Sickle is the best-selling author of Picture Book Perfection: How to Write a Children’s Book that Sells and the founder of Journey to Kidlit, a global online resource that helps aspiring children's book writers learn how to craft and publish their own stories.

New tracks tagged #kids books