January 2025 - Picture Book People

Picture Book Prompt 87

“A writer—and, I believe, generally all persons—must think that whatever happens to him or her is a resource. All things have been given to us for a purpose.…All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art.”
—Jorge Luis Borges

Think of a time when you were humiliated or embarrassed and look at it as “clay” you can shape into a story. Draft a narrative with the humiliation/shame/embarrassment as the central issue. Mold it into a narrative that helps universalize and normalize the emotion.

Picture Book Prompt 86

“Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed.”
—paraphrase of a quote by G.K. Chesterton

As adults, our impulse is to protect children, and our instinct to do so is usually correct. But children are smart and perceptive, and they know that things aren’t always good and easy. It’s important that we acknowledge that bad things happen and that good can prevail. Think of a situation in which a child experiences something that’s negative. Then create a hero, a solution, a way out of the situation. It can be serious or humorous.

Picture Book Prompt 85

“[His] sadness grew; it became a rock inside him, pulling him down. He carried the sadness everywhere, morning, noon, and night. It hurt to breathe.”
—Kevin Henkes, Bird Lake Moon

This is such a beautiful articulation of sadness. Pick any emotion and describe it in as much detail as you can. Lean into metaphor and other imagery. If you like, you can outline a picture book featuring a character who embodies this emotion.

Picture Book Prompt 84

“We are likely to become aware of a strong need . . . to feel there is some order in the world that helps us feel safe and secure.”
—Gregory Orr, Poetry as Survival

We all feel the need to find meaning, order, and security. This is especially true for children. Explore what the order that makes children feel safe and secure might look like. Then turn it into a picture book manuscript.