tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post7112544384746273047..comments2024-03-28T06:28:49.282+00:00Comments on Picture Book Den: Do Picture Books Have To Tell A Story? By Pippa GoodhartUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-65515740711185223602012-10-06T17:31:02.718+01:002012-10-06T17:31:02.718+01:00Hello Pippa!
Just to say how nice to happen to v...Hello Pippa! <br />Just to say how nice to happen to visit your website and to see that you were reading my article on positive images on Zoe's wonderful Playing By the Book. And I was really delighted that Nick was keen to include quite so many positive images in Just Imagine - and was up for including not just the obvious, but also the innovative, like adapted bicycles. I think the end result is stunning - you must be thrilled. It's great that there are more inclusive books appearing - although few new really good ones for 6-10 year olds...<br />Speak soon.<br />PS I've just referenced 'Rescued by a Dog called Flow' on a new resource for Booktrust's website called 'What's the Story?' Will send you the link when it goes live. Alexandra Strickhttp://www.alexandrastrick.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-69032956951195691832012-09-14T10:18:36.456+01:002012-09-14T10:18:36.456+01:00Thank you, Ros!Thank you, Ros!Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-8327306629769371242012-09-14T07:42:28.503+01:002012-09-14T07:42:28.503+01:00I love You Choose and I'm sure I'll love J...I love You Choose and I'm sure I'll love Just Imagine just as much. You forgot to mention that adults enjoy these books too!Rosalind Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05363027308436257933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-37358267160449196152012-09-12T09:32:04.806+01:002012-09-12T09:32:04.806+01:00That's exactly the trick, Brenda - seeing it a...That's exactly the trick, Brenda - seeing it all visually as well as aurally. My list of twelve questions as the text for You Choose wasn't anything special (in fact at one point I suggested that we made it a book with no text at all, just pictures), but the illustrative potential in those questions was where the riches lay.Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-2898131730096735612012-09-12T09:29:31.125+01:002012-09-12T09:29:31.125+01:00Hooary! Thank you, Julie!Hooary! Thank you, Julie!Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-17895921313173636502012-09-12T01:45:24.293+01:002012-09-12T01:45:24.293+01:00Interesting. I have a poem that isn't really ...Interesting. I have a poem that isn't really a story, but it's full of action and fun. I think I won't give up on it, but will work hard at bringing out the action and joy through the illustrations.Brenda Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11799071042104707584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-20236966150471001422012-09-11T22:21:23.666+01:002012-09-11T22:21:23.666+01:00One of my favorite childhood memories is every yea...One of my favorite childhood memories is every year when the Sears and J.C. Penney Christmas catalogs came! I'm glad these books have created a similar experience for today's kids.Julie Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04477115458570906449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-74789313432363833882012-09-11T22:20:09.134+01:002012-09-11T22:20:09.134+01:00What a way to spark children's imaginations! I...What a way to spark children's imaginations! I am chagrined to say I hadn't heard of "You Choose," but I am even more surprised that the editors and agents didn't "get it." Well, I'm off to "get it" for my kiddos, who I know will love it! :-)Julie Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04477115458570906449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-24381384403149795202012-09-11T21:47:00.744+01:002012-09-11T21:47:00.744+01:00The short answer is 'no'. My agent didn&#...The short answer is 'no'. My agent didn't really 'get' the game that I was playing with 'You Choose' ... and it was at that point that I decided to try and sell my own work, and stopped working through an agent. But that certainly doesn't mean that it isn't a good idea to work via an agent! Just be sure that you and your agent are on the same wavelength. Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-20261789369403333172012-09-11T20:51:16.712+01:002012-09-11T20:51:16.712+01:00Thank you Pippa. I must admit I had never heard of...Thank you Pippa. I must admit I had never heard of these books until today. They sound delightful and perfect for my girls who love to go through children's clothing catalogs. I just hope I can get a hold of them through the library loan system.<br /><br />On a different note, did you agent believe in your book? Was the sale to Random House on your own or via your agent?<br /><br />Thanks!Darshanahttp://www.flowering-minds.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-59639834021112372142012-09-11T20:09:00.482+01:002012-09-11T20:09:00.482+01:00Good luck with your book, Julie! I've always ...Good luck with your book, Julie! I've always found great friendship and advice within the world of children's writers that has helped me through all kinds of hard times. Just remember that those publishers are looking through stories sent to them as if they were items in a catalogue, and different editors will make different choices.Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-47829430091378259282012-09-11T19:23:10.493+01:002012-09-11T19:23:10.493+01:00Lik Abie, my neighbor and I would do the same with...Lik Abie, my neighbor and I would do the same with the Sears catalogue (US), and we didn't just choose items, but hair styles and best smiles! I'm happy to say one of our libraries has a copy of You Choose (yes, I placed it on hold!), but in reading the comments I am convinced it is a gift I need to have handy! As I am about to launch on the 'river of rejection' myself, it's nice to know there are those who might throw out a few words of encouragement to keep me afloat! Thanks!Julie Rowan-Zochhttp://julierowanzoch.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-66189706732694856462012-09-11T14:58:19.645+01:002012-09-11T14:58:19.645+01:00To have a book so loved that it's falling to p...To have a book so loved that it's falling to pieces is the best compliment of all (as well as being good for sales, of course!) - thanks, Clare! Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-49209338110050525802012-09-11T14:09:59.533+01:002012-09-11T14:09:59.533+01:00(that's question not questions, of course. I w...(that's question not questions, of course. I was getting carried away by my enthusiasm for your book!)Juliet Clare Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06020801246132751659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-36907193548392665932012-09-11T14:07:53.860+01:002012-09-11T14:07:53.860+01:00Thanks, Pippa. You Choose has always been a huge f...Thanks, Pippa. You Choose has always been a huge favourite with my three children -and still for all of them at 8,6 and 4. My 8yo had a sleepover a while ago and shared a bed with her friend. When I came up to say goodnight to them, they were poring over it together! I used to use it in school with Reception aged boys who were not used to books and who weren't hugely engaged. Along with some amazing text-free German books (Ali Mitgutsch -what a a great book maker!), the children in questions became much more engaged and used much more interesting vocabulary and sentences. I've recommended You Choose to so many people (who've now also beaten me to buying Just Imagine -which I'm going to get in Waterstone's on Thursday before my launch!) and my 4yo was recently given it as a present -again- by someone as our last copy was so dog-eared and sellotaped up that it hardly worked. He was absolutely over the moon to get it as a present even though we already had a copy. It's an all-time classic and I'm so relieved it was finally picked up. Picture books absolutely don't have to have a story written into them -children can make their own stories from catalogues and books like You Choose and like Ali Mitgutsch books. They're brilliant for the imagination. Thank you!Juliet Clare Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06020801246132751659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-64485682204622510562012-09-11T13:57:24.888+01:002012-09-11T13:57:24.888+01:00Oo, dream books is exactly it! There have been ot...Oo, dream books is exactly it! There have been others, of course. The Richard Scarry books had that mass of images to pore over, and John Burningham's Would You Rather gets you making choices. And the Ahlberg's Baby's Catalogue. I can't claim to have been totally orginal.Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-51434362943627073692012-09-11T13:55:29.809+01:002012-09-11T13:55:29.809+01:00Thank you, Jane! But it is Nick who is the genius...Thank you, Jane! But it is Nick who is the genius who created so very many clear amusing images. You can imagine what a treat it has been to write lists of ideas (which is easy) and see them turned into Nick Sharratt pictures (which is hard). Lucky me.Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-66542981301836729212012-09-11T13:42:18.930+01:002012-09-11T13:42:18.930+01:00My little sister used to love poring through catal...My little sister used to love poring through catalogues as a child - she called them 'dream books' and kept them by her bed so she could imagine houses filled with all kinds of objects. We have a book at home about starting school which similarly isn't really a story, but a list of pictures from which you have to guess what the main character put in her school bag, or ate for lunch. My daughter loves it! I think books like 'You Choose' really stimulate a child's imaginiation and make them 'work' for the story, rather than being spoon-fed.Abie Longstaffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14682225221860351795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-50712023976229142052012-09-11T12:10:11.779+01:002012-09-11T12:10:11.779+01:00Picturebooks are for sharing and talking about and...Picturebooks are for sharing and talking about and you've provided the ingredients reader and listener to create millions of stories - that's fabulous.Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-81119379325654081632012-09-11T12:09:40.631+01:002012-09-11T12:09:40.631+01:00Nice to hear that the book is already on library s...Nice to hear that the book is already on library shelves. And if anybody fancies winning a copy, I've just been told of a competition on Library Mice that gives you a chance to do just that - http://www.librarymice.com/2012/09/just-imagine.html<br />Good luck!Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-24277802092090087252012-09-11T12:07:43.752+01:002012-09-11T12:07:43.752+01:00Wouldn't it be interesting to do a study of qu...Wouldn't it be interesting to do a study of quite what it is that does, or doesn't, appeal to children in different books. I suspect it's often something very personal (for example, who read them the story, and when), so nicely unpredictable. But aren't modern children in this country lucky to have such a rich choice, and - please please keep it that way - able to choose those books for free from their local library.Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-79829587347441263882012-09-11T12:03:35.944+01:002012-09-11T12:03:35.944+01:00So interesting, Pippa. I've just reserved a li...So interesting, Pippa. I've just reserved a library copy of your book so I can see for myself how it inspires imagination. I adore that you didn't give up and persevered. I suspect many of us have one or two manuscripts we never quite give up on because we know there's something there. It's always a delight to hear of a much-rejected book that becomes a success (though I appreciate that the majority of rejected books deserve rejection!). Plus it shows there isn't a story formula that every book must follow.Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13129555451791248798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-47094097366911626362012-09-11T10:20:19.986+01:002012-09-11T10:20:19.986+01:00These books sound great! I absolutely agree about ...These books sound great! I absolutely agree about what fun it is to choose - I do that a lot with catalogues. The trick is not to send off for anything - much cheaper that way, and you don't get disappointed either.<br /><br />Interesting about whether you need a story. I've just read ten days' worth of bedtime stories with my 6 year old grandson, and the one we both liked best did have a story, but it was a very simple one, and I don't think the pleasure of it was really in the story. It was Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs - have reviewed it here if anyone would like to take a look. http://awfullybigreviews.blogspot.co.uk/Sue Purkisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-274496070048904902012-09-11T09:27:39.506+01:002012-09-11T09:27:39.506+01:00I've just noticed who you are! And, funnily e...I've just noticed who you are! And, funnily enough, I've just been reading Alex Strick's article on your blog about the importance of including disabled children in children's books, but with the disability being incidental. Just Imagine has a number of characters who happen to have an eye patch or a wheel chair or a walking frame, but you have to search for them because they're just part of the crowds.Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-39099433945168976522012-09-11T09:22:54.763+01:002012-09-11T09:22:54.763+01:00Thank you! That's lovely to hear.Thank you! That's lovely to hear.Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.com