From: Esther Cadili (atebo1874@gmail.com) To: Writing Center Friends Picture Book Dummy Creation (Children's Literature) A picture book contains 24/32 pages You need 16 pages to fold into the dummy= 32 pages (You can buy a large artist pad from Michaels and then simply fold and staple. Always buy your supplies on sale.) Think about: Idea--Format--Theme--Age-level Theme is the universal that binds/drives the story e.g., my story idea is about a dog and his/her peers. My dog feels bad because he is not accepted because he is different. My dog has a very long tail. Something big does not have to happen on each page. David Weisner, the latest medal winner who makes a ton of money, leaves pages blank and then each reader must think about what is happening. I'm good at the blank page. Retell your favorite fairy tale in your own words--create a dummy. See you soon. Esther Cadili