Friday Fun: Picture Books

I’ve finally gotten everything on my blog sorted out in terms of organization, and I’ve been back and blogging more regularly. Because in all honesty, I kind of miss the blog when I don’t post regularly. Anyways, today is Friday which means, for the first time in a while, a Friday Fun Post. And today I’ve chosen picture books. This decision is only slightly influenced by the fact that I had to go buy a picture book today to bring to my Children’s Literature class on Monday. And really, I like picture books.

It’s no secret on this blog that I love reading and books and stories. I feel like it’s something I’ve said a lot. It’s also not a secret that I love young adult literature. It’s fabulous. It’s probably my favorite thing to read. But I also really love children’s books, which basically means picture books. Reading them is like stepping back into childhood and all that innocence. And the stories are a lot of fun.

Today I bought “The Day the Crayons Quit” which, if you haven’t read, you should. It’s this really cute original idea about the crayons getting mad and wanting to be able to do something different. I really don’t want to spoil the story, but go read it. It’s worth it.

I’m also a huge fan of Mo Willems. He writes some of the best books out there right now, like the Knuffle Bunny books and the Pigeon books. I never fail to smile when I read one of his books which are always refreshing and original.

What is truly remarkable to me about children’s books is that they tell these great stories but they aren’t too complicated. Little kids understand them but grownups can appreciate them. And personally I think that takes a special skill.

So what are some of your favorite children’s books?

BrittanyM

Original Ideas

I heard somewhere once, and I might be remembering this wrong, but I heard that there are only about a dozen original story ideas in the world, and that everything else stems from those original twelve. It might seem a little crazy, but I think that it’s also true. Everything we read stems from an idea we have already read. There are love stories, adventure stories, horror stories. There are fantasy tales. Those are some of the major categories, and I think everything I read somehow falls into one of them.

The thing is, if all the ideas have already been taken, how is anyone supposed to come up with something new? How do we as authors write something that someone will want to read? It’s not easy. I can say that much. Sometimes it seems that every good idea has already been done and whatever I write won’t measure up. And maybe it won’t. What I know is that all I can do is write the best stories I can write and try not to make my story too much like anything that has already been done. I have to hope that if I ever get published there will be an audience who wants to read what I’ve written.

BrittanyM