Mysterious Galaxy Books hosted a reading/signing of my creative nonfiction picture book, I AM SMOKE.
Acclaimed middle grade author Chris Baron graciously “interviewed” me about my book. My faithful hound Iroh also showed great interest in the book. A good time was had by all.
Inspired by some wooden robot photos posted online by author/illustrator Steve Light, I decided to make my own. They will serve as the basis for a future picture book manuscript.
I built five. I used neodymium magnets for rotating junctures, like necks, wrists, and instrumentation panels. The first one is the least humanoid. Perhaps a robot pet.
For subsequent robots, I added Lego Bionicle ball and socket parts to articulate shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee joints.
I gave the third robot wheels, big eyes, and small ears. I think it may look better with the small bumps serving as eyes and the larger bumps serving as ears.
I think this one is my favorite. Perhaps because it has big ears and “earrings”.
Last, but not least, a squat robot with long arms. I can’t wait to put robots like these into a story for kids!
There are many different ways to achieve humor. But there is no specific formula for humor, particularly given how context-sensitive it is. This is by no means a comprehensive list of techniques. But these examples from picture books are intended to light a fire of farce, provide a comic catalyst, and spark some silliness.
1. Thwarting Expectations – Give the readers something they weren’t expecting. Jean Reagan’s HOW TO BABYSIT A GRANDMA offers a good example of the humor of role reversal. Ditto CHILDREN MAKE TERRIBLE PETS by Peter Brown. The following image from my MONSTER GOOSE NURSERY RHYMES shows a Muffet who, unlike the original, is not at all afraid of spiders.
2. Bodily Functions – Sigh. It may be low brow, but you can always rely on the Three-B’s of bodily functions (burps, barf, and boogers) to deliver disgusting delight. Consider the anatomical appeal of Taro Gomi’s EVERYONE POOPS or Kotzwinkle and Murray’s WALTER THE FARTING DOG.
3. Wordplay – English is a complex and nuanced language, providing fertile ground for authors to plant puns and sow idioms. While Dad jokes can sometimes be too subtle for younger readers, they also create language learning opportunities. Examples of this include Tara Lazar’s 7 ATE 9 and my GOOD EGG & BAD APPLE.
4. Made-up Words – In the tradition of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwock poem, authors can create their own words. Just take care to provide sufficient context that young readers can figure out what you intend. Examples of this include Antoinette Portis’s BEST FRINTS IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE and Carson Ellis’s DU IZ TAK?
5. Physical Comedy – Even though the author may not be the illustrator, you can write a scene in such a way that it will involve physical comedy. Examples include Dr. Seuss’s THE CAT IN THE HAT, Judy Schachner’s SKIPPYJON JONES, and my HOW THE SQUID GOT TWO LONG ARMS. Yes, that squid is wearing a stolen sweater.
6. Absurdity / Exaggeration – Creating ridiculous characters or situations where things are taken to an extreme are great ways to induce a smile. Examples include Doreen Cronin’s CLICK CLACK MOO: COWS THAT TYPE, Mac Barnett’s PRESIDENT TAFT IS STUCK IN THE BATH, and Ryan Higgins’s MOTHER BRUCE.
7. Universality of Humanity – This is the opposite of thwarting expectations. Creating characters that behave in a recognizable way can also bring a laugh. Consider the realistic voice of the crayon characters in Drew Daywalt’s THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT or the realistic behavior of the little red chicken in David Ezra Stein’s INTERRUPTING CHICKEN or the reluctant sleeper in my bedtime picture book, MABEL & THE QUEEN OF DREAMS.
8. Character Flaws / Quirkiness – No one’s perfect, and usually the less perfect a character is, the funnier things get. The self-delusion of the little fish in Jon Klassen’s THIS IS NOT MY HAT cracks me up every time. Ditto for the conniving pigeon in Mo Willem’s DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS. And who can forget the pantless minor character, Mr. Crabtree, in Mac Barnett’s EXTRA YARN? I cannot.
9. Mashups – I’ll end with one of my favorite humor techniques — mashing together things that have no business being together. No one expects a lovelorn zombie in Kelly DiPucchio’s ZOMBIE IN LOVE. Or dinosaur pirates in my CAP’N REX & HIS CLEVER CREW.
Now get out there and craft some chortles, administer some amusement, and spread the smiles!
With many of us stuck at home with young kids, my publisher Familius asked me to make a video of my Alice in Wonderland prequel picture book, ALICE’S MAGIC GARDEN.
In this imaginative prequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice finds herself at a gray, dreary boarding school that is decidedly up the rabbit hole. From the relentless clocks to the beastly students, Alice’s world is void of color and cheer–until Alice finds a secret garden and begins tending its wilting inhabitants. When Alice’s love touches an ordinary caterpillar, a lory bird, and a white rabbit, magical things will happen–and that, as you know, is just the beginning of the story. Filled with literary allusions and clever nods to its classic roots, Alice’s Magic Garden is a delightful prequel that beckons an escape to the whimsy of Wonderland.
Click on the image below to watch the video. You can order signed copies through the BOOKS page on this website or your local independent bookstore. Enjoy!
With many of us stuck at home with young kids, Schiffer Publishing asked me to make a video of my picture book about bullying inside the refrigerator, GOOD EGG & BAD APPLE.
Not all the foods in the refrigerator get along like peas in a pod. The vegetables are steamed, and Bad Apple and Second Banana are the problem. Good Egg suggests his friends try different responses to these two bullies. They try hiding, then standing their ground. At first, Good Egg’s tactics don’t bear fruit. Only by using his noodle does Good Egg avoid getting scrambled and save his friends’ bacon. In this story told on two levels, young readers will be entertained by the hijinks of the anthropomorphic food characters and will appreciate the allegory about not letting one bad apple spoil the bunch. Adult readers are served plenty of food for thought with hilarious gastronomical idioms and puns. An author’s note explaining all the wordplay adds English language educational opportunities.
Click on the image below to watch the video. You can order signed copies through the BOOKS page on this website or your local independent bookstore. Enjoy!
All of the publishers on this list publish children’s books. Some just publish picture books, some publish only middle-grade fiction, and some publish a wide variety of genres aimed at adults as well. Some are looking for educational work, others are open to anything. A number of these publishers are large and established. Others are small and just starting out.
Flying Eye
Nobrow Press is a respected publisher of graphic novels and Flying Eye is their children’s book imprint. Flying Eye publishes both fiction and nonfiction picture books. Nobrow Press and Flying Eye are both different from what we normally review because they are looking for either an author/illustrator or an already formed author-illustrator pair with a book to pitch. They do seem to make exceptions, but for the most part they are not interested in matching illustrators with authors.
Allen & Unwin
Allen & Unwin is a large independent Australian Press that is open to submissions on a wide range of topics. They have won a number of Australian publisher awards. They accept based on pitches, and have a system known as the “Friday Pitch” which ensures that at least one editor reviews each unsolicited pitch.
Sleeping Bear Press
Sleeping Bear Press is a well regarded publisher of board books, picture books, middle grade readers, and young adult fiction. They offer advances to some authors. They have good regional distribution in the Midwest and ok distribution in North America. Their books have won a wide variety of awards, all of them are listed here.
Gibbs Smith
Gibbs Smith is an established publisher with good distribution and a focus on cook books, interior design and architecture books, and board books for children. They have published a number of bestsellers, including a board book version of Pride & Prejudice.
The lovely folks at the children’s bookstore, Sandcastle Tales (Del Mar, CA) put together a piratey video to promote their store and my books, especially CAP’N REX & HIS CLEVER CREW (Sterling Publishing). What a fun bunch of scalleywags they arrrrrrrgh!
Here’s the short video. Clearly, no actors’ jobs are in jeopardy from my performance.
Want to participate in Picture Book Critique Fest 2019? Do you write or illustrate picture books? This MASSIVE one-time picture book critique giveaway celebration is for you! They have 35 picture book critiques to giveaway!
The vision for this event is to celebrate the critique and revision process and to help build the KidLit community. It is hoped that actual, living, breathing books will be birthed out of this process.
The festival is happening October 3rd-25th. The deadline to enter the raffle will be October 25th 9AM CST. 35 winners will be randomly selected and then “paired with their person” based on information provided on the registration form. Winners will be announced the evening of October 25th on Twitter, Facebook, and on a Picture Book Spotlight blog post.
Want more info on how it all came together and why it’s happening? Go to PBSpotlight.com!
Here are the industry professionals who’ll be providing the critiques:
Had a fantastic time at San Diego Comic-Con. I participated in three panels and got to hang out with some amazing authors. Took a ton of pictures for my friends who couldn’t be there. Enjoy!
My little Predator? One of my favorite pictures from the convention.
My sons and I outside the San Diego Convention Center
In the San Diego Convention Center, no one can hear you scream!
The Dark Crystal, Planet of the Apes, and Lord of the Rings sculptures
A giant Mr. Krabs from Spongebob Squarepants!
“Not with 10,000 men could you do this.”
Ah, Dungeons & Dragons humor…
Samurai Batman!
Puppets from the upcoming TV show Crank Yankers
Tiki Yoda and Moana !?
Godzilla doesn’t like waiting in lines either.
Gundam figures
Batman: Family
A sketch of me by the creator of Mr. Toast
The importance of good dental hygiene…
I’ve got my eye on you!
He-Man!
Domino from X-Men
Stephen King’s IT
Final Fantasy characters
3A figures from Ashley Woods
Magic Wheelchairs ❤
Met the kind and talented author of THE NIGHT CIRCUS, Erin Morgenstern
The wonderful author of SHADOW AND BONE, Leigh Bardugo, wins the Inkpot award
Leigh Bardugo and Erin Morgenstern: talented and funny
Are You There, Gods? It’s Us, the Protagonists panel with authors Rebecca Roanhorse, Scott Westerfeld, Margaret Rogerson, Ann Leckie, and Joan He
Ruby Rod cosplay from The Fifth Element. Supergreen!
Joffrey cosplay from Game of Thrones
The Future as I See It panel with authors Gini Koch, Tim Zahn, Steven Sears, Jonathan Maberry, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, and Seanan McGuire
The Fantastic Flavors of Fantasy panel with authors Renee Ahdieh, Lauren Shippen, Katy Pool, Nicole Conway, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Marissa Meyer
Those Toy Story green army “men” are real people!
Jonathan Maberry gives Nancy Holder the Scribe Award
Star Wars samurai cosplay!
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild cosplay
Wherefore Dystopia and Darkness panel with bestselling authors Jess Rothenberg, Richard Kadrey, S.L. Huang, Ally Condie, Rachel Caine, and Marie Lu
Admiral Ackbar cosplay from Star Wars. “It’s a trap!”
Fembot cosplay from Austin Powers
Shego and Kim Possible cosplay
Tank Girl cosplay
The Writers Coffeehouse author panel with (l to r) me, Jonathan Maberry, Delilah Dawson, Peter Clines and Scott Sigler.
I can’t wait to see this urban fantasy series!
Carnival Row stars Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne. Is it hot in here, or is it just me?
Cara Delevingne’s fairy character takes flight off the edge of a cliff.
Six-foot tall LEGO Batman minifigure
Monty Python and the Holy Grail cosplay. “There are some who call me… Tim.”
Wakanda (Black Panther) / Spiderman basketball team cosplay. SDCC is known for such creative mashups.
Chun-Li cosplay from Street Fighter video game
Green Arrow cosplay
Peter Pan Lost Boy Rufio cosplay from the movie Hook
Beetlejuice cosplay. Don’t say his name three times
ALF cosplay
Stellar Stories and Awesome Adventures panel with authors Maura Milan, Mark Siegel, Tochi Onyebuchi, Ashley Poston, and Maryelizabeth Yturralde
Disney Hyperion Publishing panel with authors/editors Emily Meehan, Brittany Rubiana, Serena Valentino, and Jocelyn Davies
Theseus and the Minotaur cosplay
Three interpretations of Judge Dredd cosplay
Lord Voldemort: He Who Shall Not Be Named. Oops.
Skeleton warrior cosplay
Wonder Woman cosplay
Game of Thrones cosplay: Cersei, The Mountain, The Night King, Arya wondering why SHE isn’t killing the Night King
Rick and Morty cosplay
Global debut of the cover of my upcoming picture book, 2 Pirates + 1 Robot, from Kane Miller Books.
My fantasy/sci-fi author panel with (l to r) Tomi Adeyemi, Lev Grossman, A.G. Howard, Aditi Khorana, and Jonathan Maberry.
They packed the room!
Fans of The Magicians may recall Umber asking for little cakes. I brought Lev Grossman some little cakes.
After the panel, the authors signed their books. Many added graffiti to the tablecloth. Someone drew salmon. Author Chuck Wendig apparently has no respect for sustainable salmon farming. And the feeling is mutual.
Lev Grossman (The Magicians) left his own graffiti.
Mostly, we signed books. Here author Lev Grossman signs a fan’s chest.
My favorite cosplay of the convention: Warhammer 40K Sisters of Battle! Adepta Sororitas
My KidLit literary agent panel with (l to r) Hannah Mann, Thao Le, Kelly Sonnack and Stefanie Von Borstel.
Writing Craft panel with authors Sarah Gailey, Annalee Newitz, Charlie Jane Anders, Seanan McGuire, and Cory Doctorow
Godzilla, Ghidorah, and Rodan resin miniatures
Sci-fi author greats Larry Niven, Greg Bear, and David Brin
Fandom Meets YA panel with authors Livia Blackburne, Mary Pearson, Tricia Levenseller, A.G. Howard, and C.B. Lee
Lord of the Rings cosplay. A Minas Tirith dress! “For Gondor!!”
Reinventing the Modern Girl panel with authors Seanan McGuire, Danielle Paige, Sarah Kuhn, Nila Macgruder, Cecil Castellucci, and Jenn Fujikawa.
Had a great time at WonderCon, as usual. Here are some photos to prove it!
The grand entrance.
Miscellaneous superheroes, including a McDonalds Thor and a Jack in the Box Dr. Strange!
Something special for anyone who’s ever worked in an office.
The Empire captures little Spiderman and a Mario brother.
Star Wars trio.
Panel: Unicorns, Rabbits, Aliens and Other People, with (l to r) Maryelizabeth Yturalde, Dana Simpson, Leah Thomas, Jim Pascoe, Nicole Conway, and Cecil Castellucci.
Clever way to protect your vendor booth when nature calls.
Star Trek Fred Flintstone: set phasers to stone!
Is it me, or did it suddenly get very judgey in here? Personally, I prefer Karl Urban’s Judge Dredd over Sly Stallone’s.
Six foot tall LEGO minifigure cosplay. Not so mini now!
My KidLit author panel with (l to r) Lee Wardlaw, Molly Idle, Peter S. Beagle, me, Jo Whittemore, Scott Campbell, and (not shown) Barbara Bottner.
They packed the room!
Any time you’re feeling full of yourself, just do a signing next to Peter Beagle. #LineEnvy
General Grievous bids you farewell until next year!