[Lynda Posts: 94 Status: Offline Works in progress]

Okay, so I thought this might be fun....and maybe helpful to see what we could be adding to our WIPs. Who would like to play?

The rules:

1. Each person posts one device that can be used by picture book authors (writers and/or illustrators).
2. Each device posted starts with a new letter of the alphabet - one per letter, in alphabetical order. Cause we're picture book authors so, what else...? 
3. Include an example from a published book - either using a direct quote or by describing how it's used in the book.

I'm guessing you're still not entirely sure what I'm going on about, so I'll start 

A is for....
ALLITERATION

Example:
THE MONSTORE by Tara Lazar and James Burks

"No more sneaky sister snooping, sleepwalking, or snatching his stuff."

Now, someone else does 'B'...

[Anne Marie Posts: 2,845 Status: Offline VAMPIRINA season 3 is on Disney Junior now! WWW]

B is for Bad Behavior!

BAD KITTY by Nick Bruel

I don't have the book so I'll have to describe it.  Bad Kitty misbehaves in ways from A to Z. (That's one of the FOUR ways Bruel takes us through the alphabet.)

(This is going to be hard)

[Kell Posts: 1,202 Status: Offline On the other hand WWW]

C is color, because pictures. Gee, I'm not to creative this morning. Stayed up to watch the last Letterman.

C for creativity! Which I don't have!

[beth-ogrady Posts: 27 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

D for dialogue!

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein features dialogue between a tree and a boy/man. And makes me openly weep.
  

[Shauna LaVoy Reynolds Posts: 34 Status: Offline reader / writer / dreamer / delighter]

E is for epistolary -- a story written in letters. Used in I Wanna Iguana, The Jolly Postman, Dear Mrs. Larue, and one of my favorite PBs for grown-ups, Griffin and Sabine.

[Andi W. Posts: 546 Status: Offline WWW]

G is for global appeal, or universality.

H is for humor --a BIG plus these days.

[Tammi Posts: 1,342 Status: Offline WWW]

Andi, you missed F. Ha!

F is for FEELING.

You want your reader to FEEL something.

Example:  Mostly Monsterly

(I picked one of my books so I wouldn't have to think too hard this morning.)

We feel for Bernadette when she tries and tries to show her monster friends how much she cares, but nothing goes her way. Then, when she comes up with the perfect plan, we feel for her in an entirely different way.

[Andi W. Posts: 546 Status: Offline WWW]

Ha! I thought Shauna's F was "find me on twitter" tee-hee.

Here's another F. Few --as in use as few words as possible.

[ButterflyGirl Posts: 489 Status: Offline @kidlitSarah sarahfloydbooks.com]

Fun game! I think we're on "I."

There are so many "I" words for picture books: innovative, interesting, and of course, illustrations, but another word to keep in mind is INTELLIGENT. Trust the reader to be intelligent and resist the urge to over-explain (back to Andi's "use as few words as possible.")

It's okay to use an occasional BIG word, which our intelligent readers will understand in context, or their parents can define, and then those intelligent readers will expand their vocabulary. The word has to be the absolute best fit, perfect, except being above the reading level.   

Click, Clack, Moo
Cows That Type
By Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin

"Duck was a neutral party, so he brought the ultimatum to the cows."

When I first read this to my son he had an inkling about what "neutral" meant, but "ultimatum" was a new word. He definitely knows it now: we read that book at least fifty times over the years, and all of the others in the series, too!
 

[Vijaya Posts: 6,555 Status: Offline BEAUTY WWW]

J is for Joy.

Kitten's first full moon by Kevin Henkes.

This word captures everything that writing should be. And this book is joyful.

What a night!

Vijaya

[emmaapple Posts: 7 Status: Offline Fan of Vintage Illo, Minimalist Design and Star Trek. WWW]

K is for Kinetic (? It took me ages to come up with that) because movement is important in stories and illustrations.

From one of my favorite books Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and illustrated by the immeasurable Robert Lawson.

We see Ferdinand's hooves in the air, an angry bee and a part of the cork tree they're under flung into the air. The motion is almost tangible.

"Wow! Did it hurt! Ferdinand jumped up with a snort. He ran around puffing and snorting, butting and pawing the ground as if he were crazy."

[Lynda Posts: 94 Status: Offline Works in progress]

L is for LISTS!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle:

"On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake and one slice of watermelon."

That was my favourite part when I was young.

[Carol Samuelson-Woodson Posts: 47 Status: Offline Rhymers will be readers!]

M is for "magical." The Velveteen Rabbit. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Two older, but timeless, masterpieces.

[JulieM Posts: 801 Status: Offline WWW]

N is for naughty.
Kids love naughty characters - actually, it's something we can all identify with.
eg DIARY OF A WOMBAT by Jackie French. You wouldn't believe what mischief that wombat gets up to!

[monique-wakefield Posts: 11 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

N is for Nostalic or Narrative( a strong narration makes a huge difference in a good book or a great one.)

You want your readers to connect to your book. We all have that one book that is dear to us and memorable.

Example would be paddington bear (my favorite) for Nostalic, and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day for its narration.

 

[lrzajac Posts: 40 Status: Offline I write science as a story, sprinkled with art WWW]

   I'm such a party pooper. http://literary-devices.com/   :grin4  

[CyndyHenzel Posts: 96 Status: Offline WWW]

O is for onomatopoeia. Click Clack Moo Cows That Type (or about a million other books)

[Anne Marie Posts: 2,845 Status: Offline VAMPIRINA season 3 is on Disney Junior now! WWW]

(Aside: I completely misunderstood the directions.  I thought you were supposed to name a device that had been used in an ABC book and I thought it would be impossible.  You guys obviously read better than I do. Carry on.)

[Carol Samuelson-Woodson Posts: 47 Status: Offline Rhymers will be readers!]

Poetry: "Rhymers Will Be Readers" (Mem Fox) Nursery Rhymes, Early American School Books, I'm Going To Pet A Worm Today, Hairy MacLary series (terrific, btw), Stella Unleashed, Emily Dickinson (selection for children), the ABC song/rhyme to Twinkle, Twinkle which makes it so much easier to learn the ABC's in order (didn't exist when I was learning 'em so I know). Poetry/rhyme will never go out of style with small children (and some of us older children!) no matter how unpopular it is with certain adults.

[koozoo Posts: 84 Status: Offline Writing=Breathing! WWW]

Q is for Question. Many Picture book titles are written as a question, proceeding then to answer the question in the course of the tale.

How Much is a Million?
Mama Do You Love Me?
What Does A Fox Say?
What Do You Do, Dear?
Did I Ever tell You How Lucky You Are?
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?

[Lynda Posts: 94 Status: Offline Works in progress]

R is for
REPETITION!

Aaaarrgghh, Spider by Lydia Monks is a masterclass in using repetition - in both the structure of the book and the many many repeated phrases used, the main one being:

"Aaaarrgghh, spider!
Out
You
Go!"

[koozoo Posts: 84 Status: Offline Writing=Breathing! WWW]

S is for SETTING. Such an important component of a picture book. Fixes a story to time and place. Some PBs have setting etched upon our brains. Here are just a few:

OWL MOON
THE LORAX
GOODNIGHT MOON
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS

[Cindyb Posts: 302 Status: Offline]

T is for tempo.  Some picture books are slow and quiet (Goodnight Moon) while others have more zip (Jamberry or Chicka Chicka Boom Boom).

[Trine Posts: 105 Status: Offline WWW]

U is for Understanding. Understand your targeted reader. Understand his/her age group, their  likes and dislikes, their reading level, their language skills...what makes them tick? What makes them laugh? What makes them want to turn the page... 

[koozoo Posts: 84 Status: Offline Writing=Breathing! WWW]

V is for Voice. The unforgettable voice of many picture books.

THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT
CLICK, CLACK, MOO, COWS THAT TYPE
Any book at all by Dr. Seuss

_______________________________

V is also for Verse. Most of the time this usually means rhymes, but not always.

ALL THE WORLD
BLUE ON BLUE
GOOD NIGHT, GOOD NIGHT, CONSTRUCTION SITE
Again...Any book at all by Dr. Seuss

[Betsy Posts: 2,123 Status: Offline PICKY EATERS WWW]

W is for Write!

Just do it. The worst thing you DO write is better than the best thing you DON'T write.

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 5,800 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

xoxoxox  Because we have to show love to the words, images, and readers and because this is how we want them to feel about our books and to share with the caregivers who read with them. (And because x is just plain tough, but I don't accept writer's block. Carry on.)

[Betsy Posts: 2,123 Status: Offline PICKY EATERS WWW]

That's a good one, Debbie!  I was hurrying so I wouldn't have to do X, but you nailed it.

[darshana Posts: 297 Status: Offline WWW]

Y is for You the writer! Be true to your writing.
Sure things will change in your story based on feedback from your CPs, agent, editors. But I think it is important that your heart is still vested in your story in order for it to shine.

[onestepp Posts: 135 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

 Z - Zippy, Zesty, Zany 

Use the Z word for an end like how the end of a story would could or should tie up the loose ends for a great story.