Hey there word nerds!
Today I have the pleasure of hosting Gina Cascone and Bryony Williams Sheppard on the show. This mother-daughter powerhouse team has co-authored the picture book Around the World Right Now, a multicultural adventure through our world’s 24 time zones.
Gina is the author of 30 books in several different genres, and Bryony is a teacher at heart who oves bringing stories to life for her students. This makes them the perfect duo to bring this story to life.
Listen in as we dissect the various writing elements of Around the World Right Now and the exciting, often daunting, task of crafting a picture book.
In this episode Gina, Bryony, and I discuss:
- What the important things you must consider when writing a picture book.
- The delicate balance between not fixating too much on the images while also giving the illustrator something to work with.
- How to craft a good story that can also be a great learning tool.
- Why it is much more difficult to write for children than adults.
- How to craft a picture book that can engage and entertain children while not being flashy.
Plus, both of these ladies’ #1 tip for writers.
About the Authors
Gina Cascone is the author of 30 books in several different genres, and has written for screen and television. Around the World Right Now is her first picture book, a joyful collaboration with her daughter inspired by her granddaughter’s unrelenting curiosity. She lives with her husband in central New Jersey. They have two grown children, two grandchildren, and three cats.
Bryony Williams Sheppard holds a degree in Theater Education from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She has been teaching since the age of 17 and loves bringing different stories to life with her students. She is also a teacher near Princeton, New Jersey, where her favorite part of lesion planning is choosing the best book for each class. When not working, Bryony enjoys spending time in her noisy house with her husband, two children, two cats, and a dog.
To connect more with Gina and Bryony check out their website at www.casconesheppard.com
Around the World Right Now
Around the World Right Now by bestselling author Gina Cascone, and her daughter, Bryony Williams Sheppard, is a multicultural travelogue through each of the 24 time zones. Young readers are invited to travel the world and experience many people, places, and things that exist on our planet . . . right now. In every minute of every hour of every day, something wonderful is happening around our world.
In Santa Fe, New Mexico, an artist sits behind his easel working on a painting. While at the same time in Greenland, an Inuit boy begins training his first pack of sled dogs. While in Madagascar, a playful lemur is trying to steal treats from a family’s picnic, just as a baby humpback whale is born deep in the Pacific Ocean.
This book is a perfect read-aloud and has quickly become a bedtime favorite with the DIY MFA kiddos. This charming book introduces geography and time zones while celebrating the richness and diversity of life on our planet.
If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase DIY MFA makes a small commission at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!
(Right-click to download.)
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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!
