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The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating Children’s Books: From creating characters to developing stories, a step-by-step guide to making magical picture books Features
- ISBN13: 9780762431489
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating Children’s Books: From creating characters to developing stories, a step-by-step guide to making magical picture books Overview
Topics feature a wide range of genres, from fantasy and fairy tales to action-packed adventure, and offers guidance on how to tailor work to suit different age groups. The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating Children’s Books also features a special section on the commercial realities of the children’s publishing industry, with tips on presenting and promoting work, and includes a gallery of inspirational examples from renowned children’s writers and illustrators.
The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating Children’s Books: From creating characters to developing stories, a step-by-step guide to making magical picture books Review
I wish the publisher of this book would allow Amazon to show a peek of what’s inside. I’ve purchased many books on writing and illustrating children’s books, but was wary about purchasing this one because only a cover illustration is shown. While the illustration shown is good, it’s not in my style, so I was unsure if the contents would just be more of the same. Let me assure you there are a variety of styles shown. This book is fun to read and fun to look at, with plenty of illustrations and photos. As an encyclopedia, it is not an exhaustive “be all to end all” study of each topic, but rather it is chock full of introductory information with plenty of sidebars containing tips, exercises, and references to other books for further reading. Here is a copy of the table of contents:
*Introduction
*Chapter 1: Creating Children’s Books
–The idea of a picture Book
–Target Markets
–Themes
–Coming Up With an Idea
–Research
*Chapter 2: Developing an Idea
–Sketchbooks
–Observing Children
–Media and Drawing Styles
–Developing Your Own Style
–Developing Characters
–Proportion
–Expression
–Movement
–Babies and Toddlers
–Boys and Girls
–Adults
–Anthropomorphism
–Figure and Ground
–Frames and Borders
*Chapter 3: Telling the Story
–Story Structure
–Writing Dialogue
–Avoiding Patronizing the Reader
–The Writer’s Voice
–Point of View
–Beginnings
–Endings
–Age Level
–Novels
–Graphic Novels
–Page Dynamics
–Pace and Flow – Storyboarding
–Dummy Books
–Color Theory
–Designing with Color
–Paper Engineering (Reviewer’s Note: Pop-up books)
–Novelty Books
–Book Jackets
*Chapter 4: Nonfiction
–The Nonfiction Market
–Illustrating Nonfiction
–Writing for Different Ages
–Creative Nonfiction
*Chapter 5: Media and Techniques
–Gallery of Techniques
–Translucent
–Line and Wash
–Dry Color
–Black and White
–Mixed Media and Collage
–Digital
–Making a Dummy Book
*Chapter 6: Professional Practice
–Working Life
–Copyright and Licensing
–Showing Your Work
–Getting a Commission
*Glossary
*Index
*Credits
The authors of this book are Welsh and the book was originally conceived, designed, and produced by Quarto Publishing in London. However, this is not a “Market Guide” for the United Kingdom, so if you don’t live anywhere near the U.K., do not let that deter you from this book. Some reference books cited for further reading are U.S. published, and some are U.K. published. This book is a wonderful introduction to anyone interested in writing and/or illustrating a children’s book. For example, basics such as “How to write a story plan” and how to incorporate “page turning appeal” are applicable to any writer. Most topics are given a two-page spread, but the six-page photo spread entitled “Making a Dummy Book” is great for first-timers. I recommend this book for beginners and for any children’s book writer and illustrator who is a visual learner and, like me, is interested in amassing a huge library of reference books.
Yanisa