Denise,

Thank you so much for your kind words,

J. W.

Good to know, Debbie. Thanks for sharing!

J.W.,

Thank you so much for a kind and informative reply. I will indeed check out your website.

I never imagined children's book to be of interest, but I said the same thing about Sci-Fi not too long ago.

I guess my creative crone may be working better than I thought. 🙂

Cheers!
Jennifer

Thanks, Jenny. It made sense to me. 🙂

Lisa,

Thank you, thank you for your kind words,

J. W. 🙂

Greetings Jennifer,

Thank you so much for your kind words.

I've drafted an eight-part blog series on writing a picture book based on referencing a perfect picture book manuscript template to follow, which includes what appears on the cover page, required and optional front and back matter, dedication/testimony page, how information appears at the top of your scene (i.e. Spread # | Page Numbers | Word Count, Illustrator Notes), and more.

Before I wrote my first picture book, I found picture book courses, webinars and workshops that all provided solid information on how to write picture books, but all this did was help me write a picture book manuscript that sat for two years before I attempted to revisit and revise it.

However, it wasn't until I wrote my sixth picture book and the editor stopped correcting formatting, did writing future picture books become easier, and allowed me to write the eight-part blog.

The best recommendations I can share with you:

Use a Picture Book Editor
Always-always-always have your content reviewed by a picture book editor because they have a natural knack for presenting information best suited for children who'll read your books and the adults that'll buy them.

Words or No Words
Picture books don't necessarily need or require words. However, when using words, less-is-more is the rule to follow, so make every word shown on your pages count.

One-Hundred Word Constraint
You can fit one-hundred words or less on a picture book page. However, anything beyond this number makes the page look and feel cluttered.
- When to break this rule: When your intent is to show a cluttered page or content or use words to create images.

Illustrator Notes
Authors don't tell illustrators how to draw, because the text and dialogue you've written in your picture book manuscript should be enough for the illustrator to create a scene that captures what's written perfectly.

However, when you have a vision or direction you'd like the scene to show or capture, you can take advantage of using illustrator notes at the top of your scene.

For awareness, whereas your text and dialogue shall be black, illustrator notes are shown in a different color, most commonly dark grey or blue, and enclosed in brackets.

Illustrator Note Example

Excerpt from Bella Brown--Pip's Purple Perfect Present:

[Illustrator's Note: Late afternoon in Papa Pip's magical tool shed. Golden sunbeams filter through dusty windows, highlighting a dozen dancing dust bunnies. The shed is filled with enchanted implements, with focus on a special paint roller brush that glows with a royal purple light. The shed's wood tones should be warm browns and honey-golds, creating contrast with the magical items that sparkle in jewel tones.]

This should be enough food for thought and a direction for you to frame your picture book stories.

Contact me at my website if you have additional questions, and thank you again for your kind words, Jennifer

A companion book for children sounds like an inspired idea, Jennifer!