NEW! November is Picture Book Month!

Picture Book Month is an international initiative encouraging grown-ups to read picture books with children. Founder, Dianne de Las Casas (author/storyteller), and Co-Founders, Wendy Martin, Katie Davis (author/illustrator), Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Me! author/illustrator), Joyce Wan (illustrator and logo creator), and Tara Lazar (author) are putting together their worldwide connections to make this happen. Why? Because...
"Picture books celebrate childhood. They speak universal truths and help children better understand the world around them. They are often a child’s first exposure to fine art and poetic language. Some picture books are so magical, they define childhood. They become a marker or a milestone in a child’s life." - Dianne de las Casas
     They should be celebrated!! Hence, the creation of Picture Book Month. Here's how we're celebrating. There will be...
     • A Picture Book Hero featured every day
     • A themed calendar (Created by Yours Truly using Coloring Page Tuesday images!) great for teachers, parents, and librarians
     • Picture Book Links and Resources
     • Links to picture book publishers
     • Links to picture book authors/illustrators
     • Links to picture book blogs/review sites
     • and Picture Book Activities
     We are doing this because in this digital age where people are predicting the coming death of print books, picture books (the print kind) need love. And kids need picture books. There's nothing like the physical page turn of a beautifully crafted picture book!
     In fact it's such a big deal, Katie Davis featured Picture Book Month on her podcast Brain Burps About Books (click the logo):
     Go have a listen as I try to remember the word "performance art" (I kept saying "kinetic sculpture"!). And hear Dianne talk about the birth of Picture Book Month.
     When you're done, please help spread the word!!! Tell everyone you know about Picture Book Month. This is our first year but we will work to get as much publicity as possible.

3 comments:

Cathy C. Hall said...

Amen, sister! I haven't come up with too many PBs (Okay, three. Still in that awkward, horribly bad, revision stage.) but I absolutely, positively believe (wonderful, beautifully written and illustrated) picture books changed my life. And I don't want them to go away! Ever.

And so this year, I've signed up for the Picture Book Idea Month over at Tara Lazar's blog. Because maybe I've got a funny little PB in me, beating its tiny fists on my brain to get out. And maybe this one will be the one to change some other kid's life.

It could happen. ;-)

(Good luck with PB Month. I'm rooting for y'all!)

Elizabeth O Dulemba said...

Thanks Cathy!
:)
e

Christy Beans said...

May printed books never die!!!!!! The next person I hear refer to them as "dead tree books" might end up getting whacked with said dead tree. There is nothing like the experience of a REAL book, turning the pages, deliciously anticipating what's going to be on the next page, whether it's print or picture. Pixels will never replicate the soul-satisfying joy of a real picture book!