Three Picture Books About Friendship

Last week I found my Spokane neighborhood library. I was so happy to find a nice, new building less than 2 miles from home. I picked up a library card and headed straight to the children’s section. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular on this visit, so I went for the librarian’s picks displayed on top of the shelves. Three of the books were about friendship. My Best Friends by Anna Nilsen, Illustrated by Emma Dodd, HELP! A story of Friendship by Holly Keller, and What are Friends For by Sally Grindley, illustrated by Penny Dann.

As a writer, I enjoy taking a look at picture books that address the same issues and topics. It gives me a chance to see how creative authors take a common subject, add their characters, use their words, rhythm and rhyme to make something new.

These books range from very simple text and low word count, to a very involved story with well developed characters. Take a look at these fun picture books to see how a manuscript on an “overdone” subject can become a book on display at your local library.

Setting up in Spokane

It’s official. I’m now a Spoka-noa-gen. It has been a crazy 6 months. My husband accepted a job in Spokane, WA last October. Spokane is about 6 hours from our home in Camas, WA. He commuted back and forth until the school year ended and the house sold. The family is together for one month, then my daughter starts college. It’s a crazy transition time for us.

But now that my computer is all set up, I’m getting back into the swing of things with my writing. I even got a rejection letter today, so things are back on course. I’ve signed up for the Inland Empire SCBWI conference in September, and I’m looking forward to meeting some local writers. Maybe I’ll even meet a critique partner or two.