MOWMT Day #8: Mary Boone Goes Beyond Dates and Places
PB Bios that Use Details to Tell Important Tales
By Mary Boone
As a kid growing up in rural Iowa, I loved reading biographies of ordinary people who went on to do extraordinary things – sometimes by chance and sometimes because of pure grit and perseverance. I didn’t realize it at the time, but as I reflect on it now, I’m guessing those stories allowed me to dream of life beyond my very small town. To no one’s surprise, I’m still drawn to biographies.
What sets a great picture book bio apart from the crowd? I believe it’s the details. The descriptions of sounds, settings, and emotions elevate a story beyond the ho-hum listing of dates and places. Sure, a year here or there may be necessary to anchor a story in a specific time period, but it’s important to remember that, to a child, whether something happened in 1906 or 1960 doesn’t mean much – it’s all ancient history to them. If you can, I’d advise moving most dates to a timeline in the back matter so they don’t weigh down your story. Does it take time to find out what the weather was like on Dec. 2, 1896? Does it take effort to find the dimensions of a whaling ship that left San Francisco in 1902? You bet it does. But doing that research is paramount to gathering the sorts of details that will bring your picture book biography to life.
If you’ve been thinking about tackling a picture book biography project, I encourage you to take inspiration from these fantastic mentor texts:
Elizabeth Warren's Big, Bold Plans (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2020) was written by Laurie Ann Thompson and illustrated by Susanna Chapman. It focuses on the ways in which Warren has set goals and made plans to achieve them all throughout her life, from figuring out how to fit in at a new school to becoming a teacher and then entering politics. Readers experience a range of emotions along the way: Worry, disappointment, determination. The text and illustrations make the story relatable – without the clutter of a lot of dates and years.
Born Hungry: Julia Child Becomes the ‘French Chef’ (Calkins Creek, 2022) opens with a Julia Child quote with which many young readers will relate: “I was born hungry, not a cook.” Author Alex Prud’Homme (Child’s grand-nephew) and illustrator Sarah Green focus on Child’s hunger for knowledge, fun, adventure and – yes – food. It’s easy to see why young readers are drawn to details about the chef’s appetite and even her dreams about food. The text is written in a style that’s sparse yet bold, reflective of Child’s charismatic personality.
Author/illustrator Katie Mazeika describes the kicks, flips, and jumps of a water ballet. She writes about a quest to swim across the English Channel and drinking hot cocoa for nourishment along the way. And she portrays the cool freedom that came with ditching pantaloons and long skirt for a custom swim costume. Those details make Annette Feels Free: The True Story of Annette Kellerman, World-Class Swimmer, Fashion Pioneer, and Real-Life Mermaid (Beach Lane Books, 2022) a truly engaging picture book bio.
The Gardener of Alcatraz (A True Story) (Charlesbridge, 2022) by Emma Bland Smith and illustrated by Jenn Ely is a fascinating story about someone most folks have never heard of, but whose story is important because of the ways in which it demonstrates that people have the power to change. Back matter includes dates and historical context about Alcatraz, but that information doesn’t bog down the narrative.
The next time you sit down to write a picture book biography, challenge yourself to write the main manuscript focused on sensory details rather than specific dates and locations. Chances are, the shift will improve your story’s flow.
Bio: Mary Boone has ridden an elephant, hung out backstage with a boy band, and baked dozens of cricket cookies – all in the interest of research for her books and magazine articles. She’s written more than 65 nonfiction books for young readers, ranging from inventor biographies to how-to craft guides. Her most recent middle-grade nonfiction book is BUGS FOR BREAKFAST: How Eating Insects Could Help Save the Planet (Chicago Review Press, 2021.) She has two nonfiction picture books slated for release in 2024. Mary is represented by Stacey Kondla of The Rights Factory.
The Prize: One lucky March On with Mentor Texts participant will win a picture book manuscript critique (non-rhyming) and a 30-minute ASK ME ANYTHING video call session with author Mary Boone during which they can get her thoughts on topics ranging from querying to revising and everything in between. (The fine print: Manuscript must be 1,000 words or less. Manuscript must be submitted and call must take place by Sept. 1, 2023.)
Social Media Links:
Website https://www.boonewrites.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/boonewrites
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