Adult Class
Your Picture Book IQ
 
By discovering what picture books we like to read and why we will discover what we are meant to write for children.  For many of us this knowledge comes after we've tried writing umpteen picture book manuscripts or it never dawns on us at all.  I have found it is invaluable for an author to know what his/her interests are before putting pen to paper.  When we know what motivates us to write, we will know how to reach children with our words.   

After we discover what we are motivated by we will look at our most current picture book projects to see how closely our ideas match our picture book IQ. From there we will either work on a new project using our knowledge or revise our current project using our new knowledge and a deconstructing technique.
Lastly, we will study the current publishing markets and find out where our story fits with a publisher and draft a cover letter.     
 
Bring to class:
A journal or notebook/pen
A list of your all-time favorite books from childhood--5 minimum 10 maximum
A yummy lunch  
 
*Christine Ford is an author of several picture books for children.  She is currently teaching for the Institute of Children's Literature.

Poetry Rocks
Fee: $101 to $300

Audience Appeal: Toddler, Preschool, Kindergarten, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Family

Poetry Rocks is a program for children using musical instruments, songs, and lots of activity poems. We will have fun making simple Jazz music and Jazz movement. We do a game called Mad Fibs which is like Mad Libs but done aloud and doesn't have to be true, it's fiction! I also have a program called, SNOW! It's a great wintertime fest for kids with music, snowflakes and snowcones or hot chocolate. Also, I do a program with Haiku. We use flutes and wind instruments to imitate nature and make up our own Haiku. Also, included is simple origami and an activity. I am an author and have written several books for children: SCOUT, published by Random House, The Soldiers Night Before Christmas, Golden Books, Ocean's Child, Golden Books(due out in summer 2009, illustrated by David Diaz)and Snow! HarperCollins.

Can you guess our fruit?

OUR FRUIT

The fruit--
sour and sweet,
with the juicy pulp,
of the squishy round--
anarajado--
is like the juice of the
bright sun,
and can make you hungry!

By the Riverside Library Kids from the Poetry Rocks Program

OUR FRUIT

Our fruit is hard and bumpy,
Tastes sour and juicy,
Smells like a rainbow candy
And smooshes vitamins, too,
inside is good for you!

By the East Regional Library Kids from the Poetry Rocks Program

OUR FRUIT

Like a splatter of paint
Is Skittle sweet--
Not an apple

By the kids at Meadowbrook Library, Ft. Worth, TX from the Haiku for You program

OUR FRUIT

Cold and squeezy,
That's what it is--
Liquidy that's slippery,
Tingles in your mouth,
Popping and good,
And strong like me.

By Jairisrael "Lule" East Berry Branch Library, Fort Worth

OUR FRUIT

Tastes like a candy river,
Sweet and juicy,
Is round like a football
And squishy good!

By the Children at the Lake Worth Library

OUR FRUIT

Our big bowl of fruit,
Pineapple, bananas, grapes--
orange-apple

By the Children of Wedgewood Library, Ft. Worth

BEATS

Beats and Bleach,
Different beats for each,
Someone's shirt stinks!

By the COOL Library Kids of FT. Worth, TX