One of my favorite quotes about writing picture books comes from Jane Yolen, author now of over three hundred books. No, that's not a typo. Three hundred books! If you are unfamiliar with her work, one of my favorites is Owl Moon with illustrations by John Shoenherr.

Here is what Jane Yolen said: "Picture books are the most popular form of children's literature and the least understood. They must combine the compression of poetry and the sweep of a novel, all within a few pages of text."

That is exactly why picture books are both such a pleasure to write and why they are so challenging. You must create an entire world - with characters, theme and plot - all in just a few double-spaced pages of text.

Luckily you don't have to reinvent the wheel. While reading books about writing should never be confused with writing books, the best of them can speed up your learning curve.

Here are just a few books that I've found helpful. I usually check out new titles from the library, see if I find them useful, and then purchase my own copy so I can underline it, add notes and make it mine. Several of these books include information about the other various genres in children's books - chapter books, middle grade novels - in addition to picture books.

The Giblin Guide to Writing Children's Books by James Cross Giblin, 4th edition, Writer's Institute Publications, 2006.

How To Write A Children's Book & Get It Published by Barbara Seuling 3rd edition, Scribner's Sons, 2005.

How To Write A Children's Picture Book by Eve Heidi Bine-Stock, A&E Publishing, 2004.

You Can Write Children's Books by Tracey E. Dils, Writer's Digest Books, 1998.

Writer's Guide for Crafting Stories for Children by Nancy Lamb, Writer's Digest Books, 2001.

Writing Children’s Books for Dummies by Lisa Rojany Buccieri and Peter Economy, John Wiley & Sons, 2nd edition, 2013.

Writing Fiction for Children; Stories Only You Can Tell by Judy Morris, University of Illinois Press, 2001.

Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication by Ann Whitford Paul, Writer's Digest Books, 2009.

There are dozens of very good blogs about writing for children, and my friend George Shannon has a really great one that is focused just on picture books. He covers shape, theme, plot, voice - everything you need to know about writing picture books - with plenty of examples.
Check out his blog: http://georgeshannon.wordpress.com. His website, "The World of George Shannon" is full of great ideas for writers and teachers as well. Here are some of my favorite picture books of his to try: Rabbit's Gift (folktale), Busy in the Garden (poems) and Tippy-Toe Chick. And then, of course, there is White is for Blue Blueberries and… and…

And the warnings? Just like reading how-to books, blogs can be inspirational and very helpful, but reading blogs, just like reading how-to books, is not the same as writing. So I suggest that you put yourself on a diet - only one blog a day!

If picture books are the genre you're most interested in, then you must read picture books. Not a few. Not a lot. Not every once in awhile. But many, many, many, many picture books. Just like brushing your teeth, read at least three a day. Read all the newest ones you can find. Keep notes on the ones you like. Start a file or use file cards and write down the title, author, illustrator, publisher and date. Note what works for you. Is it a bedtime story? A folk tale? An example of an accumulation story? A counting book? Enjoy the wealth of examples out there and let that energy flow into stories of your own.