Picture Pages: Of Thee I Sing

I picked up Barack Obama's newest book this week, Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters.  It is an exquisite children's book, filled with gorgeous illustrations (which our President did not do, Loren Long did) and inspiring messages to his daughters interspersed with incredible stories in American history.  This book is a lovely gift or the perfect addition to your own library.

Picture Pages: Mo Willems

This week I was challenged by 'Fans of SCBWI' (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators) on Facebook to "pick a successful writer/illustrator, whether you like their work or not, and write a blog post about what other writers or illustrators can learn from them."

 

When I'm reading to a child, I always enjoy stories that make my (and hopefully their) imagination soar.  When I'm brainstorming ideas for books, I'm always trying to think outside of the box. What's new and different?  What will entertain the little ones?  

One of my favorite authors and illustrators, Mo Willems, most famous for his Caldecott-award winning book Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, has inspired me to do more than think outside the of the box, or book, but instead makes me want to think inside the book.  When I read any of the Pigeon series, I feel like I am a main character in the story, restraining that mischievous pigeon.  I recently read another one of Mo Willems' books, Big Frog Can't Fit In and was mesmerized by the brilliance of this story. This pop-up book features a giant frog that (when unfolded) literally is bigger than the book. Why limit ourselves to the dimensions of a storybook?    I hope to think inside the book more often in order to inspire the imagination of others as these books have done for me.