“In the Picture Book Lab, Simone offers exercises and prompts that excavate memories and tidbits from our subconscious that are pure gold.  She guides us through these exercises with expertise and enthusiasm, and if we decide to share our work with the group, Simone’s feedback is always razor sharp.”

- Lisa Desimini, Award-winning author/illustrator of My House, Dot the Fire Dog, and many others

You Want to Write Better...Not Just Write More

The Lab: Your Craft Studio

The Picture Book Lab is a safe place to learn picture book craft through focused, low-pressure practice.

Each week, we examine how published picture books work to understand the creative choices behind them and refine our own processes.

Together, we:

👉 explore text and art with curiosity

👉 notice the tiny craft moves that make stories come alive

👉 unpack structure, rhythm, repetition, and page turns

👉 try those techniques ourselves in relaxed, guided exercises

The atmosphere is focused but always light.

Writers show up curious, experiment freely, laugh often, and leave with new ideas they’re excited to try.

The exercises feel freeing because you’re not polishing a manuscript; you’re building the instincts that shape all your writing.

Since the exercises are low-pressure, you can take risks, surprise yourself, and find creative directions you might not discover alone.

Why This Matters

If you want to get published, you have to write better.

If you want to write better, you have to develop your craft.

It’s much easier—and more fun—to develop your craft with other writers who are just as curious and committed as you.

The Lab gives you

✍️ a place to practice without pressure

✍️a warm, supportive group of writers exploring the craft together

✍️ space to experiment, play, and follow surprising creative threads

In the Lab, we’re growing as writers, making better books, and having a lot of fun doing it.

“[The Lab] is a sanctuary where you get to meet the writer you really are.” – Manisha

Why The Lab Works

Writing picture books is both joyful and demanding.

A good idea isn’t enough.

Passion isn’t enough.

Even talent isn’t enough.

Stories get stronger with regular practice, a good grasp of structure, and helpful feedback over time.

That’s what you’ll find in The Lab.

With 35+ years in children’s publishing, Simone brings an in-depth understanding of how picture books are actually built, how pacing works across spreads, how emotional logic strengthens a story, and how structure supports voice rather than constrains it.

Over time, members develop:

👉 A practical understanding of picture-book structure and pacing

👉 Drafts that grow stronger through iteration, not guesswork

👉 High-level, specific feedback grounded in craft

👉 A repeatable process they can return to whenever they begin a new project

👉 Confidence that comes from doing the work consistently.

These Books Started in the Lab…

Every writer’s journey is unique, so we don’t try to copy anyone else’s path to publication.

But when you mix curiosity, supportive guidance, and regular creative practice, good things happen.

We love celebrating writers who started their books here as early drafts and later saw them published.

Yours could be next.

Finally Home began as just a seed of an idea, a short paragraph I wrote in response to an exercise during one of Simone Kaplan’s Picture Book People weekly labs. The paragraph was rooted in my family’s time in the Navy, where we experienced deployments and homecomings. I read it aloud during the lab, and Simone, with tears in her eyes, looked at me and said, “You have to write this as a picture book. There is nothing like it.”

That moment lit the spark. Simone’s words gave me the clarity and confidence to bring this deeply personal story to life.

Since then, Finally Home has gone on to be selected as an Editor’s Pick and named one of the Best Kids' Stories by The Children’s Book Review. It received a “Get It” verdict from Kirkus Reviews and has found its way into many libraries and readers’ hands. We’re now preparing for a second print run.

None of this would have happened without Simone’s belief in the story and the creative space she provides in the Picture Book People weekly lab. Her insight, encouragement, and gentle guidance helped shape this book from its inception. In addition to dedicating this book to all service members and their families, I dedicated it to Simone.

- Cortney Cino, author of Sincerely, Antonia, The Lights That Stay, and many others

 

“After years of searching for the right support, I found what I didn’t even know I needed: Simone’s Lab. It’s a rare, real-time creative space where ideas spark, grow, and often become manuscripts. One of mine—even my first book deal—was born from a single Lab exercise.

 

Simone’s guidance helped me move from concept to publication, and now my picture book journey is richer, more exciting, and grounded in real growth. Whether you’re just starting out or already published, the Lab offers fresh eyes, practical next steps, and a sense of creative belonging I haven’t found anywhere else.”

 - Shell LeDrew