[KatieC Posts: 138 Status: Offline WWW]

A while back I wrote a "conversation" picture book manuscript (as in the entire book was a conversation between two characters, with no other text). I loved it and thought it was great (of course!LOL). My crit group not so much. So I rewrote and rewrote, but I'm not happy with the rewrites and I vowed I would never again write a picture book this way.

Imagine my chargrin when my latest PB idea came out as a conversation between two characters. 

So I went to the library and got several of Mo Willem's books, and a couple by Karen Beaumont. Does anyone have any other recommendations for "conversation" picture books, or any advice on how to do one better?

[KDuBayGillis Posts: 281 Status: Offline]

Duck! Rabbit! is another one, but it relies 87.82% on the art to make it work.  Maybe even closer to 99%.  And you never see the characters actually talking. 

Mo Willems is both auth/illustrator...is the other book you mentioned the same?  I think books that rely on two characters talking, there might be a lot of sub-text in the art that an agent/editor could see working if it came from an author/illustrator where the words and illustrations are seamless. 

I had one that was conversation-based AND took place in the DARK.  Ha!  and 

[DianaM Posts: 968 Status: Offline Writer, rhymer, runner, punner. WWW]

How about, "Guess How Much I Love You"?

Or how about, "I Wanna Iguana"? It's told in letters, but that's sort of similar to a conversation. I love that one!

I think if you're inspired, you should just go with it and see what happens. You can always decide to switch gears.

[KatieC Posts: 138 Status: Offline WWW]

Thanks Kellie. My manuscript would definitely rely on the pictures for a lot of it to make sense. How to note that in the manuscript without being annoying?

The other books I read by Karen Beaumont were not illustrated by her and they still worked well. I will check out Duck! Rabbit!

[KatieC Posts: 138 Status: Offline WWW]

Thanks Diana! I'll check those out.

For now, I'm sticking with the conversation style. I'll add a few notes for my crit group, I guess, and go from there.

[ShelliC Posts: 51 Status: Offline WWW]

SHARK VS. TRAIN by Chris Barton. Also, NOODLE & LOU by Liz Garton Scanlon is carried by conversation in the middle.

[KatieC Posts: 138 Status: Offline WWW]

Thanks Shelli! I will look those up, too. My library has 2 of the 3 mentioned above. Hopefully they will have at least one of these two, also

[DianaM Posts: 968 Status: Offline Writer, rhymer, runner, punner. WWW]

OK, it's really an easy reader, but I just thought of "More Spaghetti, I Say". My daughter adored it. Perhaps it can spark some ideas.

[KatieC Posts: 138 Status: Offline WWW]

Thanks Diana!

[amberturner Posts: 142 Status: Offline WWW]

We love YELLOW AND PINK by William Steig. Mostly conversation.

[KatieC Posts: 138 Status: Offline WWW]

Thank you Amber. Will look it up!

I'm really hating my manuscript right about now. I love the story, but I can't convey what I want to convey by conversation only. By adding what I want to add, I'm afriad I turn it into a short story.

I don't want a short story 

Hopefully these book suggestions will help me shape things better.

[CarrieF Posts: 201 Status: Offline WWW]

Mama, Do You Love Me? is also a conversation book.

[KatieC Posts: 138 Status: Offline WWW]

Thanks Carrie!

[taralazar Posts: 261 Status: Offline WWW]

I say go for it if this is the format your story naturally took. I have a "conversation" picture book under contract with Aladdin. The entire book is in dialogue between an alien, the three bears, and a surprise character. I wasn't fully aware of the "no talking heads" rule when I wrote it. It was just the direction the story took, the best method for telling the tale. Thankfully it found a home. I did tell the story with a lot of visual gags and illustrative potential, so that's really the key in making this kind of story fit the picture book format.

Keep going and good luck!

[carterhiggins Posts: 45 Status: Offline K-6 librarian, PB/MG author, blogger WWW]

Jon Klassen's I WANT MY HAT BACK is entirely in conversation, and that one was, well, mildly successful, right?!

[awful waffles Posts: 72 Status: Offline A Nana who loves to write, and finally has time! WWW]

How about "Yo? Yes!"--one of my favorites.

[KatieC Posts: 138 Status: Offline WWW]

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Robertvs Posts: 54 Status: Offline 1 <3 PB WWW]

If I was going to do Conversation-only PBs I would really wonder what my main marketable trait of the book is.

It can work but the conversation would be secondary to the content of the convo, the way the conversation works to the story, and how the images and implied story add to the convo.

I don't know but I wouldn't be surprised if Conversation-only PBs wouldn't look too interesting on paper but coupled with pictures, would be really great.

For example
-I WANT MY HAT BACK is basically "Have you seen my hat", variations of "no", and "Okay, thank you anyways" and then at the end "I love my hat"... not much there but it's the implied action between the conversation that makes the story; particularly the ending.
-GREEN EGGS AND HAM is all convo but the selling point is that it's only 50 different words. A kid can learn to read and the repetition and rhythm are great. It's also a funny idea since the suggestions get more and more outlandish.
-DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS has the reader constantly saying "no" to the bird. It's sorta interactive in that way.

I haven't attempted to write a conversation-only PB, but I would definitely look at what makes these books 'tick' from a manuscript-only standpoint and then see how you can use that to add to your own.