Plot, Page-Turns, and Pith Virtual Workshop with Sylvie Frank, Senior Executive Editor at Flamingo Books (PRH)

Oct 19, 2025

Online event

What does pacing really mean? What does it mean for a picture book to be “snappy”? And how does plot function in picture books, anyway? In this jam-packed session, we’ll take a deep dive into a mentor text, examining character, plot, design, and all the other elements that make up a well-done narrative picture book. Sylvie Frank, Senior Executive Editor at Flamingo Books (Penguin Young Readers / PRH), will take us through our “paces” with well-seasoned insights and examples. As a result, you’ll come away with valuable advice and revision strategies from a top children’s book editor—plus a picture book dummy (or maybe even a stack of them!), ready to use with your manuscripts.

This event will be recorded and available for 30 days for those who registered for the live event.
All attendees will be able to submit one polished fiction picture book manuscript to Sylvie through instructions you will receive post-event. (Yay!)
As part of the webinar, we’ll be making a dummy! (Double-yay!) Please have at least four sheets of blank paper, a pair of scissors, and a stapler on hand (and don’t worry: we’ll also include this information in the attendee reminder email).

Cost: $20/members and $25/non-members

Sylvie Frank is Senior Executive Editor at Flamingo Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, where she acquires snappy, character-driven picture books. Prior to joining Flamingo, she was the editorial director of Disney Hyperion, overseeing acquisitions across all young reader formats, including Rick Riordan, Mo Willems, Ryan T. Higgins, and imprints Freedom Fire and Disney Planet Possible. She spent eight years at Simon & Schuster, where she was the editor of award-winning and critically acclaimed books including Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo; The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates; Harlem Grown by Tony Hillery, illustrated by Jessie Hartland; and The Crossroads by Alexandra Diaz. When she’s not reading, Sylvie can be found running while listening to audiobooks. She lives in Oregon with her family.