What DO librarians want in a picture book?

 I'm Robin Currie, the January Author for Mighty Kid Lit.

What DO librarians want in a picture book?

Have you tried to walk in and pitch your book to the librarian at the desk and have her either accept it as a donation or tell you to write to some other library staff? Even if you are good friends!?  I worked in public libraries for 30+ years, selected thousands of books for purchase.

How do professional librarians know what to choose?

Librarians are less swayed by Big Name and Big Author Following. We will buy a good book by an unknown author.  We do not buy from Amazon, or care about number of stars. We do not have time to follow blogs. Our job is to spend community tax dollars on the best for kids.

Very pragmatically librarians want:

book that has been reviewed in one of the credible sources: Booklist, Kirkhus

book we can order from main provider: Ingram, Baker& Taylor

books that will fit the demographics of the local community and compliment or update the collection

Beyond that:

We want a book that fills a need. All day long we get questions:

            Where are the books on Dinosaurs? Trucks? Princesses? Ponies?

            And harder ones like Telling a 4-year-old about a divorce. Or a toddler about a new baby.

            And the ever requested: toilet training.

2 We want a child-focused book. And in the format for the right age.

             Board books for age 0-2.

            Picture books naming objects for ages 1-4.

            Simple stories for ages 3-5.

We scramble for the catalogs and love to choose books with the hope that each of them will be checked out and loved for generations!

Comp Titles

 I'm Robin Currie, January Author for Mighty KidLit.

The point of comp titles is to answer for yourself and the potential publisher: if your book sits next to this (comp title) book on the bookstore shelf (or comes up in a similar online search), why would the potential buyer choose yours?

GUIDELINES:

     1 must be published in the last 3-5 years

     2 must be original work from established traditional publisher

     3 must be related to one aspect of the manuscript (but not necessarily the main one)

Preparing the proposal for Just Enough room for Christmas required 10 comp titles (per my agent). A glance at Amazon told me nobody else had written a picture book about a stable full of noisy animals! So where do I get the comp title if I have such an original idea no one has written it before? 

I did an Amazon search for “Lizards” and “rainforest” there are pages and pages of them! How do I know which are comp titles for How to Dress a Dinosaur

Publisher

Behold the Chameleon by Susanne Slade 

Holiday House, 2023.

Accepted

 

Lizard Stew by Ashleigh Gray

No publisher listed

Rejected – no publisher

 

We Need the Amazon Rain Forest by Robert E Wells

Albert Whitman, 2023.

Accepted

 

Camille the Chameleon on Masking: How to Stop Masking and Discover Your Awesome Autistic Self by Gloria Dura-Vila

Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2025

Rejected – after much digging this turned out to be a hybrid (author pays for services) publisher

 

Alternative topics: talent show

Puddle & Lettuce: The Talent Show by Ilaria Ranauro

Happy Yak, 2025.

Accepted: Happy Yak is a subdivision of Quarto, a UK publisher

 

Alternative topics: color idioms

I'm Tickled Pink! (Understanding Idioms) by Cynthis Amoroso

Wonder House Books, 2023

Accepted – Wonder Books is Wonder House Books, an overseas publishing company

This is how a final entry looks:

Behold the Chameleon by Susanne Slade

Holiday House, 2023. ISBN: 978-0823453238

This reptilian superhero can alter the pigments in its skin cells to change color, operate its eyes separately, capture that dinner by lashing out its long, super-fast, sticky tongue at speeds up to 13 miles an hour, and use its prehensile tail as an anchor.

            Similarities: Both teach the attributes of chameleons.

Differences: Amazon Lizards Got Talent uses humor to discover the chameleon’s most interesting talent.

For a query letter, the three very best titles are enough and for a full proposal, eight to ten are needed. It is a lot of work, but in the end, you and the publisher will see how unique your book is! 

 

One Sheet

 

I'm Robin Currie, January Author for Mighty Kid Lit

The best way I have found to be memorable AFTER the suitcases are unpacked is a One Sheet. 

More detailed (and personalized) than a business card without the poundage of a full proposal, One Sheets help an agent or editor recall a conversation about a particular book, project idea, or author when decisions are being made back at the office. Hand them out at socials, appointments, or at dinner.

Elements of a One Sheet for a book:

Book info

Twitter-length pitch

Mini Marketing

Bitty Bio

Contact for author/agent

Think of it as an elevator pitch on paper!

Book Pitch One Sheet

The beauty of this one piece of paper (leave the back blank so the editor/agent can take notes) is that it can easily be tweaked if you know a particular editor/agent will be attending. Mention publisher interests or manuscript wish lists, Twitter requests, or your social media following.

Elements of a One Sheet for an author:

Recent publishing

Relevant awards

Bitty Bio

Areas of expertise/interest

Contact for author/agent

Think of it as a meet and greet on paper!

Best wishes as you offer yourself to the publishing world – one sheet at a time!

Sample:

Hooks vs pitches!

Welcome! I'm Robin Currie, January Author for Mighty Kid Lit. 

Researching Hooks and Pitches, many authors started by saying, "My personal definition is" or "the way I use the terms." I found lots of "how to" and not much "what is." So....

A pitch is what I write to interest an editor or agent in buying my manuscript. It usually includes word count, type of story, selling points. It describes a manuscript with the potential to be a book.

The hook is copy I or the publicist writes for advertising or on book flap to entice the readers. It is often the brief description found on Amazon. Sometimes it will include mention of the art since it describes a book that is already completed.

So I wrote a few hooks and pitches for some of my WIP.

Magical Tree

PITCH: Just an old tree with strong branches. But climb the trunk with imaginative children to sail pirate ships, encounter dinosaurs in hidden dens, and sip tea in secret gardens. Told in lyrical rhyme, Magical Tree is a group read aloud or bedtime snuggle story, sparking dreams of adventures to come. 32-page PB, 231 words

HOOK: Explore the old tree with imaginative children who find adventure and dreams on the limbs and branches. What would your child do in a Magical Tree?

 

How do YOU sleep?

PITCH: Living things spend time in a still state called sleeping. But where and how - that’s found in this 32-page picture book (455 words plus backmatter) of fascinating information about animal slumber.

HOOK: Shut eye, slumber, doze, rest. Almost every living thing spends some time sleeping. Pair this book with a warm blanket and snuggly toy…. Is there anything like a book on sleep to make children sleepy?

What Big Eyes You Have!

PITCH: Creative nonfiction, 32-page picture book, ages 3-7. What big eyes they have! From nocturnal hunters to underwater marvels, each page reveals fascinating facts that will keep readers wide-eyed and eager for more. Discover the secrets behind those mesmerizing gazes and why these animals' big eyes are essential for their survival.

HOOK: Who can resist a pair of big eyes surrounded by fur, feathers, or scales? Meet an eye-popping cast of lesser-known Big Eyed species from around the world. You won't want to blink until you've reached the last page.

The big difference is who you are writing to attract. Now compare the pitches and hooks you have written. Try posting a pitch and hook for the same book. No one is evaluating - just learning.

Hooks and Bios

 

Welcome! I'm Robin Currie, January Author for Mighty Kid Lit                                                                                                                                                       Hooks and Bios 

While you are working on character and plot and dialog, begin to think of the other important writing you will do once the last comma is perfect. Time to convince an agent or editor that this is the book in which to invest thousands of dollars!

Hooks

The hook is the first sentence of the write up, often in bold face type. Your book’s hook should say: “I’ve GOT to read this NOW!” 

Hook 1
 Drop a famous name or familiar title: based on the scientific findings of XX, author of YY

Hook 2
Mention a familiar theme: family, bullying, self-confidence, imagination

Hook 3
Tell us about the characters: who they are and why we should care

Hook 4
Crack out the buzz words: empower, community, SEL, funny
 

Bios

Bios should be as short as possible to convey the real you and why you should write the book. Your bios should say “This person is one I want to know better!” 

Who wants to know?  When self-introducing to anyone or a group, select the parts of life that are most relevant to the listener/s. Naturalist, biographer, agent, teacher. Where can you and the other person relate?

 

How will you tell them? Are you live on a panel or in an elevator or adding identifying remarks to an article Use 1^st person in real time.; 3^rd person in writing.

 

Be ready for anything! Develop four different bios on yourself. Regrettably, unless the facts are critical to the book or speech, most people do not want to hear about the grandchildren or summer vacation.

1. 30-50 words long for print

2. 75-100 words long for print

3. list of 5 items considered primary accomplishments 

4. 3 sentences about a personal incident relevant to the group

 

Keep these on a card or phone for the next time someone says, "Tell me about yourself."

Wind up and PITCH!

Welcome! I'm Robin Currie, January Author for Mighty Kid Lit. 

Wind up and….PITCH!

“So, tell me about your book.” What a great invitation – whether it is from family or friends or (gasp) agent or editor! You finally have their attention! Be ready with your PITCH!

 
Pitch/logline is one amazingly compact sentence the relates the essence of your story, specifically the plot.

 Which sounded easy – until I tried to write one! I found two good places to for examples.

1 Book description on Amazon or another book seller.

 Many times, an original pitch to sell the manuscript is fleshed out to become a book synopsis or back cover copy. I am currently pitching “We’re Getting a Dinosaur!” I looked at board books about dinosaurs and new babies. I found back cover copy:

“A big sister anticipates the birth of a new sibling in this warm and funny stage-by-stage picture book tour of all the sizes of a growing baby, from teeny-tiny poppy seed to giant watermelon." (My Brother Is an Avocado by Tracy Darnton (Author), Yasmeen Ismail (Illustrator). Margaret K McElderry, 2023.

“A big-kid dinosaur can’t wait to teach the new baby everything in this funny, tender, joyful take on becoming a big sister or brother.” (How to Grow a Dinosaur by Jill Esbaum (Author), Mike Boldt (Illustrator), Dial, 2018.

“It's not easy being a big sister, especially when your new baby brother is a dino-baby!” (Dino-Baby by Mark Sperring (Author), Sam Lloyd (Illustrator). Bloomsbury, 2013.

 2 ChatGPT generates loglines.

It is NOT compromising your authorship to let AI help with pitches!

I typed in: “kid thinks new member of household will be a dinosaur. Shocked with baby in pink blanket.  Baby is like dino – loud, messy, and runs the house.”

AI came back with: When a young child eagerly awaits the arrival of a new family member, they're convinced it's going to be a dinosaur. But when the baby finally arrives, wrapped in pink, they realize she might just be the wildest dinosaur of them all. 

So I asked AI to rewrite the pitch for a board book. 

AI sent back: In "Dino Baby Adventures," a child eagerly awaits a new family member, expecting a dinosaur but instead finding a wild, messy baby girl wrapped in pink. Could she be a dinosaur in disguise?

 

NOW...find the common thread or buzz words.

All the pitches choose fun words and are upbeat in tone. Many have SEL education about accepting a new baby. 

My final pitch is: A child’s dream of a Dino Sized Romp is shattered by the arrival of a baby in a pink blanket! She does have some dinosaur traits: loud, messy, and rules the house. Maybe it’s a Cyndi-saurus!

Take a quick look at book blurbs and mess with ChatGPT (the free version). Experiment with writing pitches for your WIP. 

You are ready to meet an agent in an elevator!