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Writing and Illustrating Children's Books
*** This Guide is No Longer Being Actively Maintained ***
by Janice Levy, Librarian
This pathfinder lists information for people interested in writing and/or illustrating children’s picture books. If you like to write or illustrate for children or you actually are interested in publishing a children’s book, these resources will help you get started.
Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
Books & Videos
Magazine Articles
Databases
Websites
Local Resources
Associations
Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
Encyclopedia Americana
Check INDEX under "Literature for Children" and "Illustration"
Publishing
The New Encylopaedia Britannica
Check INDEX under "Publishing-Children’s Literature"
World Book Encyclopedia
Check INDEX under "Literature for children -Writing"
Books
If you’re searching the OCPL catalog for titles, try these subject headings and search strategies:
Subject Headings
Under KEYWORD search:
Children’s Book Publishing
Publishing – Children
Children’s Illustrations
Book Publishing – Juvenile
Illustrations – Children’s
Under BROWSE SUBJECT:
Publishing
Illustrated books, Children’s – Themes, motives
Illustrated books, Children’s – United States – Themes, motives
Illustrated books, Children’s – Marketing
Creative writing – Juvenile literature
Books
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books
by Harold D. Underdown and Lynne Rominger
How to Publish Your Children’s Book:
A Complete Guide to Making The Right Publisher Say Yes
by Liza Burby
How To Write and Illustrate Children’s Books and Get Them Published!
by Treld Pelkey Bicknell and Felicity Trotman, Consultant editors
How To Write, Illustrate and Design Children’s Books
by Frieda Gates
Illustrating Children’s Books: A Guide To Drawing, Printing and Publishing
by Nancy S. Hands
Illustrating Children’s Books: Creating Pictures for Publication
by Martin Salisbury
Illustrating Children’s Books: History, Technique, Production
by Henry Clarence Pitz
Introduction to Children’s Book Illustrations
by Hideo Furukawa
Reference Books
Artists of the Page: Interviews with Children’s Book Illustrators
by Sylvia Marantz
Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market
edited by Alice Pope
Words About Pictures: The Narrative Art of Children’s Picture Books
by Perry Nodelman
Writing, Illustrating and Editing Children’s Books
by Jean Poindexter Colby
Writing With Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children’s Books
by Uri Shelevitz
Videos
Eric Carle, Picture Writer
Good Conversation! (Series) A Talk With:... (Various Children’s Authors)
How a Book Is Made
Magazine Articles
“Reading in Color: Children’s Book Illustrations and Identity Formation for Black Children in the United States” by Jacque Roethler.
African American Review, Spring 1998 v 32 n1 p95(1).
“Children’s Author Teaches Awareness.”
Asia Africa IntelligenceWire, March 12, 2005.
“Writing Picture Books: A Love/Hate Relationship” by Mem Fox.
The Horn Book Magazine, May-June 1990 v66 n3 p. 288(9).
(in Magazine Collection – 54H3159 article A9051237)
“Picture Book, Picture Book, On The Wall … (Children’s Book Illustrations as Serious Art)” by Dilys Evans.
The Horn Book Magazine, March-April 1998 v.74 n2 p236 (5).
“Building on Childhood Memories (Author Mordechai Gerstein) (Interview)” by Sally Lodge.
Publishers Weekly, April 18, 2005 v252 i16 p.63(1).
“Immigrants as Portrayed in Children’s Picture Books” by Linda Leonard Lamme, Danling Fu and Ruth McKoy Lowery.
The Social Studies, May-June 2004 v95 i3 p.123 (7).
“Ten Tips on Writing Picture Books” by Diane Mayr
The Writer, June 1999 v 112 i6 p.14.
Online Databases
For an articles on writing or illustrating children's books, see OCPL’s Online Databases. Here you can access magazine and journal articles, newspapers, and reference books 24 hours a day using your OCPL library card.
For in-library use of the online databases, please see librarian.
Magazines Journals
Gale General Reference Center Gold
Includes general articles about such things as authors, writing and children’s book reviews.
Use the subject: Children’s Book Writing
Books Literature
Gale Literature Resource Center
Includes Biographical information as well as critical analyses of author’s works (including children’s authors.)
Websites
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
(covers all of New York State with the exception of Manhattan and Long Island.)
Local Resources
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators has a regional chapter that meets regularly.
The group holds free shoptalk meetings at Barnes & Noble Bookstore from 7:00-9:00pm on the last Tuesday of every month.
Barnes & Noble
3454 Erie Blvd E
DeWitt, NY
[
across from K-MART Plaza]
Telephone: 315-449-2948
Onondaga Community College EXCELL Community Education offers a course entitled “Writing Children’s Books”
Telephone: 315-498-6000
Associations
Authors & Publishers Association (APA)
6124 Hwy 6 N PMB 107
Houston, TX 77084
e-mail: info@authorsandpublishers.org
[Includes authors, aspiring authors, editors, artists…with an interest in the book trade.]
About Books, Inc.
425 Cedar St.
P.O. Box 1500, Dept EA
Buena Vista, CO 81211-1500
Tel # (719) 395-2459
e-mail: deb@about-Books.com
[Information clearinghouse on self-publishing and marketing of books.]
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
8271 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Tel # (323) 782-1010
e-mail: scbwi@scbwi.org
[Individuals with an active interest in children’s literature. Acts as a network for the exchange of information among children’s writers, editors, publishers, illustrators.]
A FINAL WORD:
Hopefully this pathfinder helps you in your quest to become a children’s book author and/or illustrator. Here is some advice from children’s book author Pamela Levine:
- "Read dozens and dozens of children’s books."
- "Figure out what you like about them."
- "Join SCBWI."
- "Learn your craft, but don’t let the learning interfere with your writing time."
- "NEVER GIVE UP!"
Last updated: June 26, 2010