November 2025 - Picture Book People

Picture Book Prompt 130

“Monday—wash.
Tuesday—scour.
Wednesday—bake.
Thursday—devour.”
—Traditional rhyme

An old wives’ program for Thanksgiving week. A holiday is never just a day—it’s the rhythm of preparation, anticipation, and finally, celebration. Explore how a child experiences this week of getting ready and the joy (and chaos) of the big day when it finally arrives.

Picture Book Prompt 129

“A child should always say what’s true
And speak when he is spoken to,
And behave mannerly at table:
At least as far as he is able.”
— Robert Louis Stevenson

Expectations for children have always existed—some old-fashioned, some timeless. Explore a moment when a child tries to live up to the rules set before them, does so only “as far as they are able,” and discovers what it means to grow within those limits. Have fun!

Picture Book Prompt 128

“Later she sat on the ground in the forest between school and home, and spring was so bright and beautiful, the warm air touched her so tenderly, she could almost feel herself changing into a flower.”
—From The Amazing Bone by William Steig

When we open ourselves to connection and mystery, we can feel part of something larger than ourselves. Children may experience this with particular intensity—a moment of blending with the world, of becoming part of nature, part of something beyond themselves. Explore a moment when a child feels this kind of transformation, where attentiveness to wonder makes the boundary between self and world almost disappear.

Picture Book Prompt 127

“You can keep your willpower, Frog. I am going home to bake a cake.”
—Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel

We know that willpower and discipline matter. And that there are times when willpower holds, and times when desire wins. Imagine a child standing in that in-between space—considering the rules, the reasons, the “shoulds”—and then making a conscious choice to set willpower aside, not for danger or mischief, but for joy. Explore that moment of decision, when the pull of cake outweighs restraint, and what it means for the child to follow through.