Call Me Miss Controversy

Anyone take the New York Times? You may have seen this article then, recounting the decline in children's picture book sales and attributing said decline to pushy parents. The idea being, if you direct your preschooler toward more challenging chapter books, he will reward you with prodigal brainpower and prestigious college acceptance letters. Predictably, it's led to an online brouhaha with all sorts of accusations hurled and side-taking.

At the most recent writers conference I attended, the couple agents there who even considered representing children's picture books agreed that the market for them was tough, although I missed the session where they went into detail about it because I was at my son's swim meet. For whatever reasons--tough economic times, ambitious parents, "brilliant" children--this is not the time to put out a children's picture book.

However, I never pass up the opportunity to do something controversial or potentially financially-disastrous, so I'm pleased to announce the imminent arrival of Mia and the Magic Cupcakes. Yes, a children's picture book and my first collaborative effort. Joining me are Margo Engberg, proud proprietor of Pinkabella (the luscious cupcake stores) and artist Teri Sytsma. Three friends, three moms, one book!

In all our glory. 

It's one of the bummers in life that the best-tasting foods aren't always the best for you. Take cupcakes, for instance. Little Mia wishes her favoritest food would help her grow "big and strong," and when she receives a magical birthday cupcake, all her wishes come true. 

She thinks.

This gorgeous cover was designed by Kathy Campbell at Gorham Printing, the same designer responsible for the Mourning Becomes Cassandra and The Littlest Doubts covers.

We're hoping for a November roll-out. Believe me, you'll hear more about it!

And I thought, in honor of the still-alive-and-kicking children's picture book category, we could name some recent favorites. My kids, for example, at ages 11, 9 and 7, still enjoy the Skippyjohn Jones series. Who am I kidding? I love Skippyjohn. And Jujube. And Jillyboo! How about you?

Picture This

Yesterday I was talking to a friend who's written a children's picture book. Written, but not illustrated, given that he thought something more than stick figures would be appropriate. And if people are prone to judge books by their covers, how much more are they drawn to children's picture books by the illustrations? Yes, if the story is good enough, we'll ignore homely illustrations, but for gorgeous illustrations we'll even more often ignore a homely story.

With favorite books, fondness for and familiarity with the illustrations become part of the reason we love the book, as much as anything in the text. Witness me plowing through the abridged LITTLE WOMEN because it was my childhood version with the occasional watercolor. As for the new LITTLE HOUSE picture books, which contain neither the original Garth Williams illustrations nor Ms. Wilder's text, I make a face every time my kindergarten daughter checks one out, and I can only be made to read them aloud to her grudgingly. "Do we re-make GONE WITH THE WIND?" I want to ask. "Do we re-make REAR WINDOW?" Oh, okay, they did re-make that one, but did anyone besides Christopher Reeve's and Daryl Hannah's parents actually watch it?

Other illustrators I love:
* Lois Lenski and Vera Neville in the BETSY-TACY series. I've heard Neville's pictures being called "too romantic," but what girl ever objected to pictures that were "too romantic"?
* Jill Barton for Phyllis Root's RATTLETRAP CAR. I also love the Helen Craig (of ANGELINA BALLERINA fame) work for Root's WINDY WEDNESDAY and the other, alliterative days-of-the-week books.
* Anything with Helen Oxenbury pictures, except her ALICE IN WONDERLAND because we all know you have to stick with the original John Tenniel illustrations!
* Tedd Arnold's humorous illustrations in TRACKS and PARTS and (with normal-sized eyes) in NO MORE WATER IN THE TUB!
* Don Wood's work in THE NAPPING HOUSE and KING BIDGOOD'S IN THE BATHTUB. When poor Audrey Wood illustrates for herself, it's not at all the same. Look at SILLY SALLY.

Any favorites of yours?