MOWMT: Rhyming Read-togethers by Lynne Marie

March 14, 2025

[Note: Click on the Book Titles to Buy the Books]

Unlike many picture book manuscripts that start in rhyme, my rhyming read-aloud with Brenda Reeves started in prose. It was a story I had written about my sisters, which was left to languish in my swamp of forgotten manuscripts on the hard drive of my computer. But when a publisher reached out to me (as the author of Moldilocks) and asked for a submission, I dove into that abyss. Unfortunately, I was busy at the time, and there was only one completed manuscript that would fit this publisher's needs for a spooky, kid-relatable manuscript -- BROOMMATES!

After a careful review of the publisher's front and back list, I believed I had a good match. However, I noticed a lot of their books were rhymed. I wanted to make the best impression, so I contacted my long-time friend and partner in rhyme, Brenda Reeves Sturgis, to tranpose the manuscript into rhyme together. We had so much fun with the process!

I do want to mention, as food for thought, that we both have knowledge and experience in writing in rhyme. And, there was a valid reason for writing the book in rhyme. Also, the story lent itself to rhyme. This isn't always the case and you don't want to commit a rhyme crime. So if you are starting out and just writing in rhyme for the sake of it, don't get hurt or offended if a critique partner or professional suggests writing the story in prose first. A solid story foundation really helps you retain that when you transpose it. You want the story to be plot driven, not rhyme driven. And after, if you have trouble transposing it into rhyme, keep it in prose.

But back to our story -- the publisher loved the characters, but wanted the sisters to experience the entire story from the broom. We wholeheartedly disagreed as we found that to be so limiting, AND Julia Donaldson already wrote Room on the Broom. So we passed on the opportunity and submitted to the Michele McAvoy of Little Press, who excitedly accepted it. And now -- this is a big WOW -- our beloved book (illustrated by Nico Ecenarro) is one of six picture books up for the Anna Dewdney Reading-Together Award!

As a small press, we feel a little bit like Jack up against the Giant, but we are climbing the beanstalk one branch at a time and we hope we can show that we are small but Mighty.

Please considering casting your vote here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhMy1yuf7pkhj2pI87N9wERjnFjeZU5b8_gzrFpMggbCRg9w/viewform

To celebrate being a finalist, I decided to share Rhyming Read-Alouds that I love and was inspired by, with an extra bonus of a Mentor Text recommended by Brenda.

DOZENS OF DONUTS by Carrie Finnison and Brianne Farley -

Amazon Blurb: A generous but increasingly put-upon bear makes batch after batch of doughnuts for her woodland friends without saving any for herself in this delightful debut picture book about counting, sharing, and being a good friend.

Wonderful woodland characters, rolling rhyme and a meaningful message (and DONUTS!) make this a book worth reaing together again and again.

THE LODGE THAT BEAVER BUILT by Randi Sonenshine and Anne Hunter -

Amazon Blurb: A lush companion to The Nest That Wren Built brings to light the habits of a secretive creature with lifelike illustrations and a lyrical, informative text.

This book stands out in that although it has

rollicking rhyme and kid-friendly art, it's informational fiction (basicall fiction with non-fiction facts woven throughout). Children will love to listen and learn!

MOOTILDA by Kristy Call and Corey Rosen Schwartz with Claudia Ranucci -

Amazon Blurb: Mootilda's in a bad mooood! She wakes up on the wrong side of the the barn and experiences one ca-lamb-ity after another. She skips and trips and spills milk everywhere. She tries to alley-oop but misses the hoop, and there's a big crash at the chicken coop. Maybe with a little help from her barnyard friends Mootilda's bad mooood will improve.

Fabulous farm animals, funny and punny -- this is packed with rereadibility!

And here's Brenda's pick -- a classic that she has loved to read to her children and grandchildren over and over again!

THE GREEDY PYTHON by Eric Carle -

Amazon Blurb: In this humorous tale about manners, respect, and friendship, a greedy python eats every creature he comes across in the jungle. From a tiny mouse to an enormous elephant, the eaten animals eventually befriend one another in the belly of the snake where they team up and kick the inside of the python until he spits them out. Rather than learning his lesson, the python sticks to his greedy ways. When he spots his own tail and mistakes it for food, he swallows himself and...disappears!

I have not yet read this book, but am a fan of great rhyme and after reading the Amazon Sneak Peak, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

So I will wrap up this post with a crafty tip: Reading great rhyme primes your ear for writing great rhyme!

PRIZE: Because I am also celebrating my birthday today, I will be happy to give away Rate Your Story Speedpasses to 14 (YES! 14) lucky winners, which I will giveaway sporadically once this post becomes live, so be sure to read and comment with your favorite rhyming read-aloud / read-together picture book for an extra entry.

BIO: Lynne Marie is the award-winning author of Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten -- art by Anne Kennedy (Scholastic 2011), Hedgehog's 100th Day of School -- art by Lorna Hussey (Scholastic 2017), The Star of the Christmas Play -- art by Lorna Hussey (Beaming Books 2018), Moldilocks and the 3 Scares -- art by David Rodriguez Lorenzo (Sterling / Scholastic 2019) and Let’s Eat! Mealtime Around the World -- art by Parwinder Singh (Beaming Books 2019), The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project and The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project Coloring Book -- art by Wendy Fedan (Mac and Cheese Press 2022), The Palace Rat -- art by Eva Santana (Yeehoo Press 2023), BroomMates: A Brewing Boundary Battle (an Anna Dewdney Reading-Together Award Finalist 2025) co-written with Brenda Reeves Sturgis – art by Nico Ecenarro (The Little Press 2024) and Henny Penny’s Weather Worries and more, forthcoming. 

She’s an Editor at The Little Press, the Director of RateYourStory.org, a Mentor at ThePictureBookMechanic.com, the Creator of March On With Mentor Texts (www.rateyourstory.org/march-on) and Mentor Text Talk, a Co-Host of #SeasonsOfKidLit (www.seasonsofkidlit.com) and a Feature Columnist at Children’s Book Insider (https://writeforkids.online/).  Visit her at www.LiterallyLynneMarie.com.

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