How to Write a Children's Picture Book, Vol. 1: Structure

Recommended by writing instructors and award-winning authors.

This volume emphasizes an aspect of children's picture books that has not yet been thoroughly investigated: structure.

Both concept books and picture storybooks employ very distinctive structures that, once mastered, can be applied to any picture book you wish to write.

When so many of the best picture books employ the same structures, it is important to analyze these structures, understand why they work, and learn how to incorporate them into your own writing. This volume helps you do all that.

You will see that no matter how carefully you labor over the tone, word choice, plot, character, setting, theme and style of your picture book, you must have a thorough grasp of its structure if you wish your book to succeed. Indeed, you will find that an expert command of structure is the key to writing a successful children's picture book.

Growing up, whenever Eve Heidi Bine-Stock asked her mom what a word meant, the answer was always, "Look it up." That was the start of Eve's love of words and books. For her 13th birthday, Eve's older brother Neil gave the budding writer a huge dictionary of her own with the inscription, "May your blessings be as numerous as the words in this book." And they have been. At age 13, Eve Heidi Bine-Stock began her publishing career by creating a girls' magazine. In her 20s, Eve received a Master's Degree in Library Science (books!), and worked toward a PhD in Visual Literacy (picture books!). Fast-forward to 2001. Eve became publisher of a boutique press specializing in children's books and books for adults on how to write them. A number of books she ushered to light won awards, attesting to her skills as an editor and graphic designer. In 2012, the owner of the publishing house passed away and the press closed. But that didn't stop Eve! She continued publishing on her own, winning the Mom's Choice Awards and the International Book Awards for her children's book on dog breeds. Eve is also the author of the three-volume series, "How to Write a Children's Picture Book," the stand-alone title, "How to Self-Publish a Children's Picture Book," and has written pseudonymously numerous children's books. Eve views her books as progeny and is grateful they have touched the lives of her readers.