This is so perfect! Those deliberate circles are hilarious and I want to figure out the picture book equivalent of this in my own stories too-- finding ways to be surprising in context. The tricky part for me is...once I’ve lived with a story for a while, it is hard to discern what is or is not surprising after a while...still trying to figure this out 😂
I struggle with that too! The only thing that works for me in that situation is putting the story away for a month or two so I can forget enough about it to see if I surprised myself or where a surprise I hadn't thought of before might work.
That’s a really good tactic — time and distance definitely does help. I think that’s the trickiest part of writing funny books too (I guess that makes sense because surprise and comedy are so closely linked.) At some point, you’ve read your story so much to yourself that it is hard to know if it’s funny. Sometimes critique partners help me too but I’ve learned to make sure the person reading it actually likes funny books first 😂
This is genius. The context, as you point out, is what makes it so hilarious.
Re: art and creating, I firmly believe you need to know the rules so that when you break them, you can break them well. It’s basically the context you mentioned.
I don’t know what the picture book equivalent of this is... I immediately thought of I Want My Hat Back because of the wink to the reader, how WE know what happened when bear confronts rabbit because of the pictures but it’s never really confirmed in the text. I’m not sure that’s the best example though. Need to keep thinking... 🤔
I wonder too how much of artistic rebellion comes from our intentions when we're creating. Maybe the product of artistic rebellion isn't immediately obvious on the shelf, but the creator had to get to a space of ignoring expectations and forging their own way.
So good. Thanks, Julie. I love that circle drawing child. I keep imagining the exact scene of them drawing the circles with them being "Little Critter" from the Mercer Mayer books.
HA HA HA - I too choose to believe this was intentional. I'm working on structure for a pb right now. Gonna consider 'rebellious' structure. What does THAT look like? Thanks for sharing.
I think rebellious structure means surprising yourself and the reader. Easier said than done. (Or maybe it means all kinds of things -- I'm working on a picture book right now where I've had to remind myself several times on the importance of being surprising.)
I am imagining that the talented artiste was drawing not circles, but drawing the cookies that Heidi was carefully removing from the cookie jar. Unfortunately these cookies do not seem to have chocolate chips in them, which I think was what Heidi would have preferred.
I hope the vintage book store gets more donations from this source!
I am so happy about kid Erin going rogue with the unwritten book, "Let's Talk About Avoiding the Let's Talk About Books." I had no idea it was a whole series! There are some really naughty looking kids on the covers of the other ones.
This is so perfect! Those deliberate circles are hilarious and I want to figure out the picture book equivalent of this in my own stories too-- finding ways to be surprising in context. The tricky part for me is...once I’ve lived with a story for a while, it is hard to discern what is or is not surprising after a while...still trying to figure this out 😂
I struggle with that too! The only thing that works for me in that situation is putting the story away for a month or two so I can forget enough about it to see if I surprised myself or where a surprise I hadn't thought of before might work.
That’s a really good tactic — time and distance definitely does help. I think that’s the trickiest part of writing funny books too (I guess that makes sense because surprise and comedy are so closely linked.) At some point, you’ve read your story so much to yourself that it is hard to know if it’s funny. Sometimes critique partners help me too but I’ve learned to make sure the person reading it actually likes funny books first 😂
This is genius. The context, as you point out, is what makes it so hilarious.
Re: art and creating, I firmly believe you need to know the rules so that when you break them, you can break them well. It’s basically the context you mentioned.
I don’t know what the picture book equivalent of this is... I immediately thought of I Want My Hat Back because of the wink to the reader, how WE know what happened when bear confronts rabbit because of the pictures but it’s never really confirmed in the text. I’m not sure that’s the best example though. Need to keep thinking... 🤔
I Want My Hat Back is the perfect example!
I wonder too how much of artistic rebellion comes from our intentions when we're creating. Maybe the product of artistic rebellion isn't immediately obvious on the shelf, but the creator had to get to a space of ignoring expectations and forging their own way.
So. good. Like you said, the contemplation/thought that clearly went into that circular insurrection! So hilarious and perfect.
So good. Thanks, Julie. I love that circle drawing child. I keep imagining the exact scene of them drawing the circles with them being "Little Critter" from the Mercer Mayer books.
Now I can only picture Little Critter too!
HA HA HA - I too choose to believe this was intentional. I'm working on structure for a pb right now. Gonna consider 'rebellious' structure. What does THAT look like? Thanks for sharing.
I think rebellious structure means surprising yourself and the reader. Easier said than done. (Or maybe it means all kinds of things -- I'm working on a picture book right now where I've had to remind myself several times on the importance of being surprising.)
I am imagining that the talented artiste was drawing not circles, but drawing the cookies that Heidi was carefully removing from the cookie jar. Unfortunately these cookies do not seem to have chocolate chips in them, which I think was what Heidi would have preferred.
I hope the vintage book store gets more donations from this source!
MAYBE THEY ARE COOKIES! I had not considered this. Maybe also cookies without chocolate chips are a true act of disobedience.
Julie, my mother bought the WHOLE SERIES of "Let's Talk About" books for me as a child and I:
- Hid them
- Edited them with markers
- Tried to drown them
I did not want to talk about these topics.
I love what you're getting at here - and I love those shapes.
I am so happy about kid Erin going rogue with the unwritten book, "Let's Talk About Avoiding the Let's Talk About Books." I had no idea it was a whole series! There are some really naughty looking kids on the covers of the other ones.
OK, fessing up, I drew the circles.*
*not actually but trying to get into the spirit of things
It would be the most amazing turn of events if this ended up being your childhood book.