[kimberly-pickard Posts: 4 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

Does anyone have a link where I can see and print a picture book layout or dummy?  I am working on a picture book and need to lay it out to see if it works in standard picture book form.  A friend told me the SCBWI website might have one but I couldn't find it, so I thought I would try here. Thanks!

[RebeccaL-G Posts: 1,436 Status: Offline RA SCBWI Cen-Cal WWW]

As an SCBWI member you have free online access to "The Book."  Go to the Resource Library link at the top of this page along the purple banner.  Click it and then click The Book.  Download it for free.  In the table of contents there is a listing for book dummies.  I believe it begins on page 25.  I'm sure you can find much more helpful information online as well, but perhaps that would be a starting point.  Good luck!

[lrzajac Posts: 72 Status: Offline I write science as a story, sprinkled with art WWW]

Hi Kimberly,

This is a really helpful blog post by Tara Lazar. 
https://taralazar.com/2009/02/22/picture-book-construction-know-your-layout/

[kimberly-pickard Posts: 4 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

Thanks, Rebecca.  I have a copy of The Book and looked up that page again.  I guess I am hoping to see something more detailed, with a sketch of each page spelling out, "on page one you have this, page two..."  Maybe I am just making it too hard.

[kimberly-pickard Posts: 4 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

Thanks, Irzajac, I think that is what I was picturing in my head.   

[Wendy Martin Posts: 428 Status: Offline Got art? WWW]

Hi Kimberly, here is a link to a blog post I write about making the book dummy for "Rabbit's Song" with images on the pages. http://wendymartinillustration.com/wordpress/rabbits-song-rough-thumbnail-layout/

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 6,949 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

If you Google picture book dummies, you'll come up with templates as well as a few completed ones.

[kimberly-pickard Posts: 4 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

Thanks! That is a great idea.

[Vijaya Posts: 7,384 Status: Offline Encourage WWW]

Johnell Dewitt has a blog post that's relevant and with links: http://dewdropsofink.blogspot.com/2016/09/storyboarding-for-picture-book-writers_3.html

[Schriscoe Posts: 1,804 Status: Offline www.sharonchriscoebooks.com WWW]

Johnell's blog post on this is a wonderful reference. Thanks for adding the link here, V.!

[kevin-white Posts: 2 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

My first "dummy" is just folded paper with the correct page count. Its a "text only" dummy, to adjust for timing of page turns and discover where single page and two page spreads make the most sense.