Most of us grew up listening to Mother Goose rhymes like Jack and Jill:
Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.

We also loved hearing stories like Goodnight Moon:
In the great green room there was a telephone and a red balloon
 and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon.

And those of you who work with kids know that young children LOVE rhyming books.

So, why do agents and editors caution authors NOT to write in rhyme? The last time I looked, there were LOTS of new rhyming stories on bookstore and library shelves. Obviously, publishers are buying them.

There are TWO main reasons why editors discourage writers from writing in rhyme.

The first is that it is difficult to translate rhyme into other languages and if an editor is looking to acquire world rights and publish a book in other languages for other countries, prose is much easier.

The second, more important reason, is that there is a lot of BAD rhyme going around. Writing a picture book in rhyme is more than just making sure the last word in each line rhymes. Here’s a list of nine rhyme crime examples:

1.  Too simple or cliché.
     The mouse is small.
     The man is tall.
     He throws a ball.
     And that is all.

2.  Frivolous or forced, which means if you didn’t need that particular word to make the rhyme, you       wouldn’t have used it.
      I went to visit Henny Penny
     She is my friend, just like Jack Benny. (doesn’t make sense unless your story is about Jack Benny)

3. Inverted speech:
     I hop around on my left foot.
     And on my head my hat I put.

4. Seussian rhymes…which isn’t to say you can’t make up words, but they’d better be part of an amazing story because your manuscript will be compared to the master of invented words, Dr. Seuss.
     The tiger is loose
     He rides a caboose
     And shares a cage with a young falla-noose.

5. Near-rhymes. You might be able to get away with one if the rest of the manuscript is perfect in every other way. And yes, I know there are published books out there with lots of near rhymes.
     Down the road we both did amble
     In my hand I held a candle.

6. Regional rhymes. This is a big problem because depending on where you live (in the U.S. for instance), people pronounce words differently. For example, in Boston ‘park’ is pronounced ‘pack’.
     I put the car into park
     And picked up my sack.
So, someone in Boston will read that as a rhyme, but in Florida, maybe not so much.

7. Poor rhythm. Rhythm is an important element in anything that needs to be read aloud, even a political speech. Picture books, especially, need to have pleasing rhythm, whether they are prose or poetry.
     Rain, rain, go away
     Come again some other day.
That sounds fine, right? But how about:
     Rain, rain, go away
     Don’t come on February 11th which is my birthday.
There are way too many beats in the second line…if they are couplets, each line has to mirror the matching line in stressed beats. What are couplets and stressed beats, you ask? Well, that’s a whole other blog post. 😊

8. Unnatural stress. When we speak or read aloud, each word in the sentence is stressed or not. When we want things to rhyme, sometimes we purposely read in a way that isn’t natural. But our readers won’t know what we had in mind. I’ve put in bold the syllables that should be stressed. Even though ‘slide’ and ‘side’ rhyme, the stress for those words is on the first syllable and ‘land’ and ‘lake’ don’t rhyme.
     There's a landslide
     By the lakeside

9. Using the same word.
     I saw the ship had run aground
     While masts and sail lay on the ground.
 
 
What should you do if you love to write in rhyme?

• Keep writing!
• Read lots of rhyming books that have been published recently. Use them as mentor texts to help you craft your own story.
• Check out online poetry classes like Renee LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab (free mini-lessons available on her website) and places like Rhymezone.com and Thesaurus.com that will help you find the words you need.
• Most importantly, make sure your STORY is there. Because the story is what it’s all about.
• Some experts advise that you write your rhyming story in prose first. Then, when you have a fabulous story, see if it is even better in rhyme. Or, if you get stuck when you are writing in rhyme, try writing that one line or verse in prose. How would you say it? How could you change it up, while still staying true to the story line?
  ​
  

The good news is that publishers ARE buying rhyming stories. I wrote a rhyming manuscript back in 2013. I revised it. I shared it with critique buddies. And revised some more. When I thought I had polished it sufficiently, I sent it to a publisher…who passed on it. I put the story away and took it out again last year and showed it to another critique buddy who fell in love with it and brought it to her long-time editor who fell in love with it. I’m thrilled to say that Pippa’s Passover Plate will be published by Holiday House on February 5, 2019.

​PictureBookBuzz: Tell us about yourself.

Kourtney: There are two places I have always felt at home: surrounded by books or among the trees. Since my memories started forming, I have been collecting children’s books. As an adult, I love how a picture book can capture big concepts with a limited amount of words and beautiful or powerful images. It’s very Zen. To create an experience using just words and pictures is alchemy to me.

As a homeschooling mother of four, I enjoy our freedom-based lifestyle with the world as our classroom. I have passed on my habit of collecting rocks and treasures to my children. Whenever we arrive home from an excursion, we empty our pockets and share our findings. I am a former teacher with 20 years of experience teaching and working with children and families in elementary classrooms, preschools, head start, and other community programs.

I believe in the power of story, spoken and written, as a way to understand ourselves, have a sense of belonging, connect us to our past, and expand our minds.
 

PictureBookBuzz: What inspired your book, IF SUN COULD SPEAK?

Kourtney: I was enrolled in a course with Children’s Book Academy, directed by Mira Reisberg. We were reviewing ways to think of enticing book topics, and she said to think of a problem or question you had as a child. That piqued my interest, so I set the intention to recall a childhood memory that would make a great story. It was the next day that a memory from my childhood popped up. I think I was about five or six when I first discovered that the sun doesn’t actually rise and set. I had assumed that the sun was moving up and down in the sky. It totally blew my mind that it was the earth’s movement that created sunrises and sunsets. And I felt frustrated whenever I heard people say anything about the sun rising. That’s where the concept of a book told from the sun’s perspective began, to clear up any misunderstandings about the sun.
 

PictureBookBuzz: Tell us about your main character.

Kourtney: The main character, Sun, is slightly egotistical. It happens when the world revolves around you. Sun has two goals as she is talking to readers: One is to share information about who she is and what she does. And the second is to inspire readers to wonder and search for discoveries.

​PictureBookBuzz: If I could give advice to other writers, what would you want to share?
 
Kourtney: There is so much advice and tips available to writers. Don’t forget to write! Writing is a skill and improves with practice. Be strict about setting a routine and schedule and find ways that work for you. Get your words and stories out without fear of how they will be interpreted. You can edit later. One of my favorite quotes on writing is “Start writing no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” -Louis L’Amour 
​So keep creating and allow the channel to stay open!

I’d also add to get rid of any ideas about what you think writing (and being a writer) is supposed to look like. If you think something is not possible, then you have already shut the door on yourself.

Connect with me on Social Media:
Website: http://kourtneylafavre.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kourtneylafavre.writer/
Twitter: @KourtneyLafavre
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookkeeperofthewoods/

Ilustrator Saki Tanaka's website: ​ https://sakitales.com/
​

PictureBookBuzz: Tell us about yourself.
 
Jennifer: I’ve always been fascinated by the music of words and the images they convey. Take me to any shopping center or town square, and I make a bee-line to the nearest book shop (bonus if there’s also a café with comfy seats beside a roaring fire place!). I love wandering around libraries and playing Scrabble, too. There’s just something about the beauty of language that speaks to my spirit.

I’ve written everything from blogs and books, to radio and television ads. But my heart belongs to kid lit. When I left advertising to start a family, I decided to follow my dreams and write for children. But despite already being an accredited author, I didn’t know a thing about how to write for kids! I knew I had the “write stuff,” but what I didn’t have were professional skill sets.

 So I immersed myself in kid lit writing courses. I gained a fantastic mentor and connected with other children’s authors. The more I wrote, the more my author’s confidence grew. In 2011, I sold my first story to AppleSeeds magazine and soon after, Faces magazine. My hard work and persistence has paid off, as I continue to be a regular feature contributor, having written 50+ articles and counting!
 
 
PictureBookBuzz: What inspired your book, LITTLE MEDUSA’S HAIR DO-LEMMA?
 
Jennifer: My daughter used to have really long hair, rather like a mini-Rapunzel. No matter how much I brushed it or braided it, her hair always wound up looking like a mass of tangles and squiggles. One night, I was at my wit’s end combing out knots for the umpteenth time. I clearly remember throwing my hands up in the air and calling her a Little Medusa. Thank goodness I never found a snake slithering in her hair!

By the way, I was not a snake-lover prior to writing this story. I doubt I’ll ever have a pet snake, but I’m now a big admirer of them. They play such a vital role in nature. And they certainly don’t scare me anymore!
 
 
PictureBookBuzz: Tell us about your main character.
 
Jennifer: Little Medusa is based on the Ancient Greek myth of the infamous Gorgon, Medusa. In the myths, Medusa was originally a beautiful young lady, who incurred the wrath of the Goddess Athena. Apparently both Medusa and Athena liked the Sea God, Poseidon, and in a jealous rage, Athena cursed Medusa with serpentine hair. To make it worse, if Medusa looked at anyone, that person immediately turned to stone. Lonely and bitter, Medusa changed into the notorious villain we all know today.

But unlike the original Medusa, my Little Medusa is not a villain. In fact, she is quite the opposite. She doesn’t want to have snakes wriggling in her hair and more importantly, she definitely doesn’t want to scare anything into stone!
 
​
PictureBookBuzz: What do you think readers will find most appealing about your book?
 
Jennifer: Like many children (and adults), Little Medusa is torn between pleasing herself and following family tradition. I think we can all relate to the fact that some familial customs don’t always change with the times, especially when they ought to change. I also hope that young readers will begin to take an interest in the ancient myths.
 
 
PictureBookBuzz: What are you currently working on?
 
Jennifer: I have several other picture book stories in development and an early-reader chapter book. When I’m not working on these stories, I’m knee-deep in research for my next feature article. I love learning about other countries, customs and especially, cuisines!
 
 
PictureBookBuzz: If you could give advice to writers who haven’t published yet, or an earlier version of yourself, what would you want to share?
 
Jennifer: You can’t revise what’s not on paper, so write the idea down, outline that premise, and throw everything into that cruddy first draft! Editing will come later; you’ll know when you have a diamond in the rough. And remember, this business is so subjective. It’s not only about writing (or illustrating) the best story you can, it’s also about getting it in front of the right people at the right time. Most of all, be kind to yourself.
 
 
PictureBookBuzz: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
 
Twitter: @Yangmommy
Email: Jennifer@Buchetbooks.com
Website: Launching early February 2019

PictureBookBuzz Author Interview Questions
 
PictureBookBuzz: Tell us about yourself.
 
Lauren: I’m ecstatic to be part of this wonderful group of authors! I’m a Jersey girl at heart, and currently live in Colorado with my husband, Josh; our dragons...er, daughters, Sarah and Danielle; and Hudson, the dog. I am an author and a child and family psychotherapist, which has provided me with a unique view of emotions, life stories, family dynamics, interactions, resilience, and the importance of a sense of a humor. I believe those insights and experiences have strengthened my writing.
 
When I was in third grade, my teacher read The Giving Tree (Silverstein) to our class, and cried. That moment is burned into my mind forever. I felt the intensity of her emotional reaction, admired her courage to cry in front of third graders, and realized the incredible power of books. I will never underestimate that power as a writer. 
 
 
PictureBookBuzz: What inspired your book, (ROSIE THE DRAGON AND CHARLIE MAKE WAVES)?
 
Lauren:

• In 2016, I read a ReFoReMo post by Tammi Sauer entitled: How to Do the Structure Strut. This post planted a seed for trying different structures in future picture book manuscripts.
• Enter Paula Yoo’s NaPiBoWriWee challenge. I wanted to try writing in different structures throughout the week and wrote a “how to” book about putting your mom to bed. This idea emerged from the triumphs and challenges I’d faced as a child psychotherapist and as a mom myself. (For anyone who has tried to put a child to bed, you know the there is no shortage of challenges!) I infused as much of my Jersey humor into this book as possible, and had a lot of fun writing it.
• Eight million revisions later, that “how to” book morphed into ROSIE THE DRAGON AND CHARLIE MAKE WAVES. Although, Rosie and Charlie are quite different than the original draft from May 2016, the character traits, humor, and voices are the same.

 
 
PictureBookBuzz: Tell us about your main character.
 
Lauren: My book has two main characters: Charlie and Rosie.
 
Charlie is a planner, nurturer, and patient leader. When he decided to adopt a pet, he did NOT plan to adopt a dragon. But, Rosie found Charlie irresistible! The rest, as they say, is history. Rosie is a precocious, curious, joyful dragon who loves trying new things. She is courageous, strong-willed, and rather mischievous. Together, Rosie and Charlie find the courage to try new things, even when their plans don’t go quite as expected.
 
 
 
PictureBookBuzz: What do you think readers will find most appealing about your book?
 
Lauren: I think readers will enjoy the sweet friendship between Rosie and Charlie, humor, joy, and Nate Wragg’s incredible illustrations.
 
 
PictureBookBuzz: What are you currently working on?
 
Lauren: I’m currently working on a number of projects across multiple genres. Since Rosie and Charlie spend a lot of time vying for attention, and make me smile, I’m working on more of their adventures. I am also working on a number of picture books from nonfiction to fiction; serious to subversive. In addition, my third professional book with AAPC Publishing (about emotion regulation) is in its final stages of revisions. Finally, I plan to tackle revisions on my middle grade novel, and young adult novels in 2019. I like to stretch my creative brain as far as possible!

PictureBookBuzz: Tell us about yourself.
 
Heather: I chose Fine Art as my major in 3rd grade (really). I auditioned and attended magnet schools focused on the arts since elementary school. For a couple years I drifted off to theatre (which probably sprouted my love of plays and writing…and using eccentric voices when reading aloud to my son), but I always came back to art.

     Born and raised in Miami, Florida, I left to receive my BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute. There I witnessed my first snow flake (a story in itself), met my now husband, and put down roots.

     My Lil’ Ninja was born six years ago. He is the spark that began my journey into the world of Children’s Books. And finding so many picture books that still entertain and engross me as an adult guarantees this journey won’t be ending anytime soon.
 

PictureBookBuzz: Tell us about the main character in Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Case.
 
Heather: When I read Jolene Gutiérrez’s manuscript, I instantly had a feeling of how the main character would look. Oliver is a young curious boy who loves studying the interactions of the class pets and is trying to relate to his friends in a similar fashion. I love that his character is also an artist. The way he reacts to situations throughout Jolene’s story shows his inquisitive and quirky nature, but also how caring he is. He may have some things to learn, but his heart is definitely in the right place.
 

PictureBookBuzz: What are you currently working on?
 
Heather: I am currently working on the interior illustrations for Mac and Cheese. I’m also working on two other dummies and some self-mandated artwork to help keep everything from becoming too polished (sometimes mistakes or a bit of roughness is needed to keep the spirit of an illustration alive).

​PictureBookBuzz: Tell us about yourself.
 
Jolene: I’ve always loved books and reading and writing. I grew up on a farm and enjoyed being outside with the animals, exploring nature, and looking for cool rocks and artifacts, but I also loved to listen to my mom read to me and later, read to myself. I loved going to our school and public library and playing library with my own books. I started writing and illustrating my own stories when I was four, and when my second grade teacher, Mr. Boettcher, said to our class, “If you want to make a book, I’ll use my typewriter and type up the stories that you write,” I went home that weekend and churned out story after story. I still have my book that Mr. Boettcher “published” for me (addendum to this memory: Mr. Boettcher came clean 30+ years later and admitted that his lovely wife played a large part in the typing of the stories). And holy cow, I realize how many times I’ve used the word love in this answer, but that’s the truth. I found what I loved—something that nurtured me and that I wanted to nurture—and I’ve never lost that loving feeling for language and story.
 
 
PictureBookBuzz: Tell us about your main character.
 
Jolene: In Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Case, Mac and Cheese are the class guinea pigs, and Oliver is their biggest fan. He loves taking care of them and learning about them. Oliver is a very scientific kid and carries around a notebook to write observations and sketch things he notices. He’s struggling to make friends, though, so he watches Mac and Cheese because they’re the best friends he knows. He sees them snuggling and cuddling with each other and assumes that to be a good friend, he’ll need to get cuddly with his classmates.
 
 
PictureBookBuzz: What do you think readers will find most appealing about your book?
 
Jolene: I know kids will love illustrator Heather Bell’s adorable Mac and Cheese characters! Oliver is such a cutie, too! And I hope that teachers and parents will be drawn to the book because it deals with social skills and personal space in a fun way.

​ PictureBookBuzz: Tell us about yourself.
 
Tina: I was that child that LOVED to write stories on paper (yes, on paper), draw pictures, hole punch them, tie with string and yarn, and read to the younger kids in my neighborhood. The crinkling sound of the pages was my favorite sound in the world and still is! I even made paper doll characters to act out the scenes. This was a huge door opener into babysitting and eventually teaching. My favorite books were series books, The Little House and Nancy Drew series were my favorites. Peter Pan was my favorite fairy tale. When we saw the former Olympic gymnast, Kathy Rigby, play Peter Pan in a live show, I thought I met the real deal. I was young enough that it left a lasting impression on me. Chocolate is a part of my daily diet, especially when trying to write! I make no excuses for this habit, lol!
 
 
PictureBookBuzz: What inspired your book, WALKOUT?
 
Tina: WALKOUT is one of two stories I wrote within two weeks following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shootings in Parkland, Florida. As a teacher facing students every day, I was struck with such sadness that kids today are not able to grow up in the carefree, safe settings I did as child of the 70s. With so much in the news these last several years regarding school shootings, I thought there had to be a way to let children know that you can be a leader without being violent or hurtful, verbally or physically. I also thought for young children, this must be such a scary and confusing time. They need to know help will arrive and there will be trained adults to help them to safety.
 

PictureBookBuzz: Tell us about your main character.
 
Tina: Maddie is a girl with heart and determination. She wants to advocate for anti-school violence when the principal announces their school would not be participating. She does this not to be disrespectful but to make a point that she and her friends can try to help a good cause. It is her compassion and empathy that drives her to include her friends in this adventure, especially her friend Stella.
 
 
PictureBookBuzz: What are you currently working on?
 
Tina: I am currently working on other picture book manuscripts and a chapter book or middle grade novel. I am in the drafting phase and not sure yet which way it will go. I find the stories have a common thread which is to inspire children to be the best person they can be by being themselves, including others, and standing up for what you believe in.
 

PictureBookBuzz: If you could give advice to writers who haven’t published yet, or an earlier version of yourself, what would you want to share?
 
Tina: All of my advice is from other wonderful authors I have met in the Kid Lit community. Take your journey one day at a time. Always ask questions, network with other writers, take classes, become involved in writing and critique groups, and help others as much as they help you. A writer cannot become a writer alone, it is through consistent work on his/her craft and working with other writers that one learns and grows!
 
​
PictureBookBuzz: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
 
Website: www.tinashepardson.com
FB: TinaShepardson
Twitter: @ShepardsonTina
Instagram: @hank_madeleine

I love the idea of goal setting and a fresh start/blank page/clean slate! As a child, September and the start of a new school year made my heart happy. As a mother and an elementary school teacher, I looked forward to starting anew each year and all the brand new school supplies. January 1st affords the same opportunity to look back at the previous year and set a purpose for the year ahead.
​
My 2019 goal setting has been aided by participating in two new-to-me free writing opportunities. Julie Hedlund’s 12 Days of Christmas (12Days4Writers) encouraged me to record successes, disappointments, and learnings from 2018 to prepare for 2019. I also joined Tara Lazar’s StoryStorm which is a brainstorming, idea generating month-long journey to start the year with a bank of story ideas. I shared my successes on my personal blog and it was gratifying to look back on 2018 as a year of accomplishment and growth as a writer and a reader. My StoryStorm list of ideas is growing and I feel confident it will be include more than the goal of 31 ideas by the end of January.

I publicly shared that my two writing goals for 2019 are:

1. Polish four manuscripts that are close to being ready to query. As of 1/4/19, I have finished one of the four.
2. Compile a treasure trove of ideas in January as I participate in StoryStorm. As of 1/4/19, I have 10 ideas on my list so I am 1/3 of the way to my goal.       

I have two main goals for ALIANA REACHES FOR THE MOON, which releases 2/19/2019. First, I'm setting up school, library, and other author events including CCIRC and The Children's Festival of Stories. Second, I'm connecting with picture book bloggers and reviewers to help with promotion. I've created two spreadsheets to record progress on each of these goals so that I can keep track of what I've accomplished and what needs to be done next. I was worried about the organizational part of this, but I'm feeling confident that I'm on the right path.

​Aliana Reaches for the Moon is available for pre-order now and releases February 19th!

What does Publishers Weekly have to say about YOU ARE YOUR STRONG, written by Danielle Dufayet and illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin?

Read the review in its entirety here.