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Writing Children's Picture Books

Julia Donaldson

Writing Children's Picture Books

Craft your own picture book and make it come alive with the bestselling author of The Gruffalo.

This course includes:

27 lessons

6.25 hours

38 exercises

What you'll learn

Join Julia on a journey through the picture book process, from finding inspiration to selling your first book.

  • Find your initial idea
  • Write a satisfying storyline
  • Use rhyme and language patterns
  • Weave in values and life lessons
  • Partner with an illustrator
  • Get your story published

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You couldn’t ask for a more qualified teacher. Julia’s books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, won too many awards to list and been adapted into eight award-winning animated films. And she’s a former Children’s Laureate to boot. So soak up the wisdom and insight from this formidable writer and her frequent collaborators – including her agent, her editor and The Gruffalo illustrator, Axel Scheffler.

Lesson plan (27)

  1. 01

    Writing Children's Picture Books Introduction

    05:03

  2. 02

    What is a picture book: variety

    15:34

  3. 03

    What is a picture book: practicalities

    11:00

  4. 04

    The initial idea

    19:38

  5. 05

    Traditional tales as inspiration

    14:43

  6. 06

    Characters: humans, animals, fairies - and pencils!

    14:20

  7. 07

    Baddies

    12:52

  8. 08

    Storyline

    14:17

  9. 09

    Journeys and quests

    13:46

  10. 10

    Themes and messages

    13:40

  11. 11

    The sound of the words

    09:44

  12. 12

    Patterned language

    14:40

  13. 13

    Rhyme

    21:19

  14. 14

    Dialogue

    13:26

  15. 15

    Humour

    14:29

  16. 16

    Endings

    15:21

  17. 17

    Numbers, letters, colours

    14:21

  18. 18

    Inclusivity: reflecting the world

    11:39

  19. 19

    The role of the illustrator

    14:20

  20. 20

    Author / illustrator partnership

    14:21

  21. 21

    Which illustrator?

    15:15

  22. 22

    Case study: The Snail and the Whale

    18:04

  23. 23

    The agent

    15:30

  24. 24

    The editor

    14:55

  25. 25

    Performance and promotion

    14:30

  26. 26

    Adaptation for stage and screen

    17:01

  27. 27

    Conclusion

    00:29

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What to expect writing a picture book with author, Julia Donaldson

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Pricing plans

1 course

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Every course

Price

$89

One-off payment

$120

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1

(Julia Donaldson only)

35+

(incl. Julia Donaldson)

Across 7 categories

Length of access

Lifetime

1 year

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