15 Wednesday Feb 2023
Posted in Great News!
SCBWI loves celebrating our members’ successes and noteworthy news, and there are many! Read on to find out who’s got something to shout about. Digital high-fives welcome in the comments!
Continue reading08 Wednesday Feb 2023
Posted in #KTIllustrates, Illustrator's Perspective
Kite Tales welcomes artist Imelda Hinojosa to share her inspiration and process with the community in creating her work. Her piece for #KTIllustrates2022 displayed a joy for movement and color that best displayed the idea of the prompt: When we begin to play…
Congratulations again to our winner and read on to learn more about Imelda and to view her wonderful work.
Continue reading01 Wednesday Feb 2023
Posted in Author's Perspective, Central Coast
Tags
A Llama is not an Alpaca, authors, Karen Jameson, Moon Babies, picture books, rhyming, Time to Shine, Where the Wee Ones Go, Woodland Dreams
by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison
After publishing a couple of picture books, Karen Jameson retired from teaching and became a full-time author. Karen Jameson’s books include Moon Babies, illustrated by Amy Hevron (Putnam, 2019); Woodland Dreams, illustrated by Marc Boutavant (Chronicle, 2020); and Farm Lullaby, illustrated by Wednesday Kirwan. Woodland Dreams is a Keystone to Reading List Award winner and is included on Bank Street’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year List 2021.
Two more books came out last year: Where the Wee Ones Go: A Bedtime Wish for Endangered Animals, illustrated by Zosienka (Chronicle, April 2022), and Time to Shine: Celebrating the World’s Iridescent Animals, illustrated by Dave Murray (Groundwood, May 2022). Karen has books coming out in 2023 and 2024.
It’s been two years since Kite Tales interviewed her. It’s time to check in!
Continue reading25 Wednesday Jan 2023
Posted in Ask an Editor, Tips and Tools
Tags
agency, authors, character development, Henry Cole, Jacqueline Woodson, Leo Espinosa, main character, MC, MG, picture book, writing tips, YA
“Ask an Editor” is a forum wherein SCBWI members submit questions that are answered as part of our quarterly Kite Tales blog.
Hi Christine–The feedback I received from an agent on my picture book was that my main character “lacks agency.” What does this mean and how can I fix it?—Michelle, Burbank
18 Wednesday Jan 2023
Posted in Author's Perspective, PAL, SoCal, Tips and Tools, Tri-Regional News
Tags
authors, disability, illustrators, inclusion, Karol Ruth Silverstein, publishing, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, writing tips
by Karol Ruth Silverstein
Disability is everywhere, sometimes hidden, sometimes unmistakable. Disabled people make up the largest and most diverse minority group in the world. So—yes—disability should be abundant in our children’s literature as well. But is “bad” (i.e., inaccurate, inauthentic, insensitive) representation better than no representation at all?
Continue reading11 Wednesday Jan 2023
Posted in Author's Perspective, Illustrator's Perspective
Tags
Anzu the Great Listener, authors, Benson Shum, illustrator tips, illustrators, picture books, writing tips
Benson Shum is a Southern California author-illustrator of more than five children’s books. His latest, Anzu the Great Listener, came out January 10. It is the sequel to Anzu the Great Kaiju (2021) and a Kids’ Indie Next pick for January/February 2023.
Kite Tales: Welcome to Kite Tales, congratulations on Anzu the Great Listener! What was the original inspiration for Anzu?
Benson Shum: Thank you so much! I always loved the world of Kaijus, the idea that these monsters tower over cities and are larger than life. But I wanted to know more. What was going through their heads? Did they all want to be destructive? What if they’d rather talk to their city rather than destroy it?
Continue reading04 Wednesday Jan 2023
Posted in Author's Perspective, Contests & Grants, Mentorship Contest
Tags
contests, illustrators, Joseph Taylor, mentorship, picture book, Sarah Gottlieb, SCBWI members, writer
by Sarah Gottlieb
About this time last year, I was drowning in “champagne rejections.” I had a wonderful but complicated idea and had spent a lot of time working on a manuscript and query letter. What was causing agents to write complimentary emails but not take the plunge? Or worse, to say, “Call me if someone makes you an offer!” I knew I had a great idea—the agents said as much—but I didn’t know why they wouldn’t bite.
I thought of all of the writers I’d met and wondered if a mentor could help. I checked SCBWI-L.A. to see if they had any information on mentorships and, to my delight, this very mentorship contest was open for submission. AND the mentor was Joseph Taylor, the editor of MUSE, the children’s science magazine. I couldn’t believe my luck.
Continue reading28 Wednesday Dec 2022
Tags
authors, Barbara Bietz, Britta Lundin, Emily Asaro, Faith McClaren, illustrators, Jessica Chrysler, Jorjeana Marie, R.S. Mellette, SCBWI community, Toni Gallagher, Victoria Fulton
As calendar year 2022 winds to a close, here are some things I have noticed this season: friends and family gathering together more frequently, people traveling for vacations, and folks going out to the movies again.
Do you sense it, too? That life in general has recovered some of its vivid color? And that our own—and our community’s—creative focus has reawakened?
Call it a holiday gift. (It is!) But renewed spirit has also been a trend all year long. Read or re-read these 10 favorite quotes and stories from Kites Tales 2022 to see—and to get ready for a “trending terrific” 12 months ahead.
Continue reading21 Wednesday Dec 2022
Posted in Los Angeles, Tri-Regional News
In October, we were inspired by our wonderful members who brought energy and enthusiasm to our first in-person event since 2019. Seeing faces, both new and familiar, chatting craft with faculty, answering questions for each other… this is SCBWI at its best. We hope that in this holiday season, you’re able to recharge your creativity by drawing close to your family and friends, and by celebrating all that is good and precious to you. Looking forward to seeing even more of you in 2023. Happy Holidays!
Continue reading14 Wednesday Dec 2022
Posted in Central Coast, Tri-Regional News
Image by Laura-Susan Thomas.
Kite Tales 