[marie-dentan Posts: 102 Status: Offline chocolate fan]

Hello,
I'm working on a picture book, dealing with sibling conflicts. Now I'm having a real little girl fighting a big brother, and someone said that at the moment , it's the trend NOT to have real characters in picture book, and it would be better to transform my characters into animals.
I'm not sure I like it, but can someone confirm that trend? please. 

[Schriscoe Posts: 1,765 Status: Offline www.sharonchriscoebooks.com]

First, I am still seeing plenty of PBs with real characters in them. So, human characters are very much a part of the current PB world.

Second, you can also kind of leave that up to the illustrator by not dictating exactly what the siblings are. You never know what direction they may surprise you with.

[marie-dentan Posts: 102 Status: Offline chocolate fan]

thanks, that is big help.
Makes me feel better actually

[Schriscoe Posts: 1,765 Status: Offline www.sharonchriscoebooks.com]

Oh good! And you are very welcome!!

Also, Tara Lazar hasa great post about how her character Normal Norman came to be. Here's the link if you want to check it out:

 https://taralazar.com/tag/blog-tour/

[Arona Posts: 449 Status: Offline The house didn't fall on me. It fell on my sister.]

This doesn't speak to a trend but preferences: I read some blurps from a couple of agents within the last year who said they were tired of seeing animals in PBs. (I doubt kids tire of them.) Others said they didn't want to see any more fairies or princesses. (Princesses are still a big deal.)

[Betsy Posts: 2,106 Status: Offline PICKY EATERS]

Editors were saying they were tired of talking animals in picture books when I started sending manuscripts out in 1980. So take it with a grain of salt.

My picture book CINDER EDNA, still in print after decades, was originally going to feature pigs. Trust me, I didn't have pigs in mind when I wrote it--and I was really glad when they decided not to.

Oh, and some were also tired of fractured fairy tales way back then. And look what's happened since.

Same thing with princesses. Write your story the way it feels right to you.

[Anne Marie Posts: 2,855 Status: Offline VAMPIRINA season 3 is on Disney Junior now!]

And anthropomorphized inanimate objects were a HUGE no-no for years, but now we have sentient pencils and apples and buildings.

[marie-dentan Posts: 102 Status: Offline chocolate fan]

thanks guys, it's true. I guess I need to write my story, and not worry about what an editor would think, because his or her ideas will probably have changed by the time I've finished my manuscript.
still it's quite a releave to know that.

[JulieM Posts: 996 Status: Offline]

Plus every editor is different with different likes. I am just about to publish a fable, which is not a very popular thing to do these days, I think.

[marie-dentan Posts: 102 Status: Offline chocolate fan]

oh, sounds exciting. I love fables, my kids too!!!!