I share my work with kids as much as I can, I read almost everything aloud even my novels for middle grade students and teens. Even if it’s a question of me reading it to myself, I just like to hear how the dialogue sounds and make sure everything sort of rings true. But particularly with picture books that are going to be read aloud I read them as much as I can in advance with school groups. I read them to my own children who are a wonderful audience and they’re very honest with me.
I read them to their friends. I have a book that I actually have coming out next year called Goatie Locks which is the Goldie Locks story, but she’s a goat. That book I had put aside but one of my daughter’s friends asked me to sort of look at it again and she started talking to me about it and I realized in working with her there was more to it than I had seen before. So I always feel like kids give me really good inspiration.
Writing a rhyming picture book is something I really enjoy doing. It’s always a challenge because I think the meter is always the most important part. The rhymes are important I grant you but I think it’s hugely important if a book is going to be read out loud that the rhythm of the book is there. And so often times I’m writing a rhyming book I’ll read it out loud but I will also hand it to other people and have them read it.
Because my goal is that every person who picks it up as with a Dr. Seuss book or anything else should read it and should immediately know intuitively how the pattern of the language and the pattern of the rhyme and meter flows as they’re reading book. So if I find parts that other people stumble over I know that I’m sort of forcing the meter or I’m pronouncing things to make it work and I have to go back and look at them again.
