I would wager that for most of us, the only time we think about children's picture books is when we’re begged to read “just one more story.” But have you ever thought about what goes into creating a picture book? How do authors and illustrators come together? What is the secret to creating images and stories that keep children enchanted and their adult readers charmed?
I had a chance to discover a little more about the industry from the perspective of an author and an illustrator. Beth Ferry is the author of 7 published books for kids, with 7 more in the works. Tom Lichtenheld is the author and/or illustrator of 25 published titles. They stopped by the KMUW studios this week during their book tour for Ten Rules of the Birthday Wish according to Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld.
After I handed Tom his requested paper and pencil--so he could write and doodle as we talked--I got to ask Beth and Tom as many questions as I wanted… in 30 minutes. Here’s our conversation:
And if you listened on air, this is what you heard:
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Ten Rules of the Birthday Wish according to Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld was published by Putnam.
This episode was recorded at KMUW Studios. I was hopeful that Tom would leave that doodle sheet with me, but alas, I didn’t even get to see it.
Marginalia was produced at KMUW Wichita. If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts.
Engineers: Mark Statzer and Torin Andersen
Editors: Lu Anne Stephens, Tom Shine and Haley Crowson
Producer: Beth Golay
Follow Beth Golay on Twitter @BethGolay.
