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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 |  | Authors: Desdemona McCannon, Sue Thornton, Yadzia Williams
Publisher: Running Press
Category: Book
List Price: $27.95
Buy New: $15.15
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Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 21962
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 160
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 8.9 x 0.9
ISBN: 0762431482
Dewey Decimal Number: 808.068
EAN: 9780762431489
ASIN: 0762431482
Publication Date: October 21, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | ISBN13: 9780762431489 | | • | Condition: New | | • | Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed |
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Product Description
The latest in our best selling Encyclopedia of Art series now focuses on a popular topic for both writers and illustrators: how to make, craft, and sell children’s books. This practical book is a step-by-step guide to becoming a successful graphic storyteller, showing how to create exciting plots and engaging characters that will delight young readers. 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.
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| Customer Reviews:
Visually fun and very informative December 12, 2009
Up til Dawn Reading (Virginia)
28 out of 28 found this review helpful
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.
Perfect for the Aspiring or Beginning Children's Book Author/Illustrator January 20, 2009
Sacramento Book Review (Sacramento, CA)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
Most parents who have sat with a child on their lap (or in my case, two children) for story time have probably considered writing their own children's book. After all, it can't be all that hard - most of them are only 32 pages and just a sentence or two on each page, right? But when it comes to putting pencil to paper, the idea just seems to slip away. /The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating Children's Books/ just may change that. It is very well organized, starting with how to come up with the concept and market, developing your ideas and art, how to tell the story for different ages, write dialogue, use points of view, and how to begin and end your story. There is a chapter on writing for the children's nonfiction market, what sorts of media to use, and even the basics of paper engineering. The final chapter on getting and protecting your work will be highly helpful to new authors trying to sell their first book. The book is well developed, highly illustrated, and contains lots of useful examples from published books. If you ever want to go from thinking "I could do that" to "I did that," here is your guide.
Absolutely Amazing - GET THIS BOOK. January 22, 2010
This Kayla (Bermuda)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I just got this book today and I just had to run on to give it a five-star review immediately.
First of all - this book is INCREDIBLY well-designed. I cannot stress this enough. There are so many how-to books about art that apparently don't put a lick of thought into their own design, which I hate. This book is just a pleasure to look at and absorb. Fun little fact boxes, doodles, notes, and examples decorate each page. As soon as I opened it, my first impression was: "Yes. Yes, this person knows EXACTLY what they're talking about." That's incredibly rare to find in an instructional book, I'm afraid.
I'm already a sequential art major in college, so there was a lot in this book that I was already familiar with - but I can say that the advice they're giving you beginners is absolutely dead on the money. Drawing from life, carrying a sketchbook around,and even talking about how to research or come up with idea. Spectacular! And even though I knew a lot of the beginning section, I enjoyed starting the little practice activities that they suggested on every page. There's even a colour wheel and guide that reminds me of my Colour and Comp clasess!
This book takes you from the first step (an idea, learning how to DRAW even) and walks you all the way to copyrighting and commission work, with EVERY step in between. They even have a few photoshop tutorials and a development guide for babies, which is super useful! So even if you already know how to draw or build characters, this book still has TONS for you. Story structure, age groups, POV, graphic novels, storyboarding - this book is basically a crash course in a Bachelors of Fine Arts, illustration focus.
With so much information crammed into one little 160 page book (it feels much lighter than I expected it to) - it's obviously not going into incredible depth. But make no mistake, at the end of every section they have recommendations to learn further in the subject. I already own several of the books they recommend, and they're absolutely fantastic! Raymond Briggs, Helen Oxenbury, Quentin Blake and many other fabulous well known illustrators are referenced and displayed in blooming lovely colour. These people OBVIOUSLY know exactly what they're talking about, and I can assure you that if you go out and buy the books THEY talk about - you'll be satisfied.
This book is absolutely incredible, you MUST get this. I am definitely going to look at the other books in this series, if they're anything at all near this quality - it's something special!
Like a treasure chest January 19, 2009
Annette Rasmussen (Kansas City, MO USA)
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
This book is full of wonderful surprises! I have many books of this sort but this one tops them all! It is inspiring, good information, each chapter includes things you can do to further your understanding or hands on experience with that chapter's theme. You will not be disappointed in this book.
I especially like that the word magical is in the title because this books is just that. My own book, Fantastical Tales for the Heroine's Quest has no pictures but it is also magical--as are all the best books for children.
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