This volume emphasizes an aspect of children's picture books that has not yet been thoroughly investigated: structure.

Both concept books and picture storybooks employ very distinctive structures that, once mastered, can be applied to any picture book you wish to write.

When so many of the best picture books employ the same structures, it is important to analyze these structures, understand why they work, and learn how to incorporate them into your own writing. This volume helps you do all that.

You will see that no matter how carefully you labor over the tone, word choice, plot, character, setting, theme and style of your picture book, you must have a thorough grasp of its structure if you wish your book to succeed. Indeed, you will find that an expert command of structure is the key to writing a successful children's picture book.