Your Bio--Connect to Your Readership

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By Janie Reinart

Connect with your young fans on your website, blog, or book jacket with a kid-friendly bio.  

Some tips to try:
1. Keep it short. 
2. Tell something quirky. 
3. Personalize with some of the favorite things in your life.
4. Be playful.
5. Add a photo.
  
Here are some of my favorite examples:

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen never thought she'd grow up to be a writer. As a child, she thought of being a doctor (but she's afraid of blood), a lawyer (but she doesn't like losing arguments), a carpenter (but she's too clumsy), a model (but she likes eating too much), a presidential candidate (but she had a dissolute youth), a UN ambassador (the argument losing thing again)... almost everything but a writer.

Sudipta visits schools to share her stories and experience, and teaches writing to children and adults. She lives in New Jersey with her family and an imaginary pony named Penny.

Drew Daywalt

Although Drew Daywalt grew up in a haunted house, he now lives in a Southern California home, haunted by only his wife, two kids, and German Shepherd. A Hollywood screenwriter by trade, The Day the Crayons Quit was his first book for children. His favorite crayon is Black.
 

Peter Brown

Peter Brown writes and illustrates books for young whippersnappers. He grew up in Hopewell, New Jersey, where he spent his time imagining and drawing silly characters. He studied Life Lessons at the School of Hard Knocks, and then got his B.F.A. in Illustration from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Ame Dyckman

Ame Dyckman reads and writes picture books when she SHOULD be sleeping. She's the award-winning author of BOY + BOT, TEA PARTY RULES, WOLFIE THE BUNNY, the upcoming HORRIBLE BEAR (Spring, 2016), and more she can't talk about yet. Ame lives in New Jersey with her family, her crazy cat, and the characters from her books. Follow Ame on Twitter (@AmeDyckman), where she Tweets picture book reviews and pretty much everything that pops into her head.

Josh Funk

Josh Funk grew up in New England and studied Computer Science in school. Today, he still lives in New England and when not writing Java code or Python scripts, he drinks Java coffee and writes picture book manuscripts alongside his wife, children, and assorted pets & monsters.

Josh is the author of LADY PANCAKE & SIR FRENCH TOAST (Sterling), as well as the forthcoming picture books DEAR DRAGON (Viking/Penguin 2016), PIRASAURS! (Scholastic 2017), JACK! [and the beanstalk] (Two Lions, 2017), and more.

Josh is terrible at writing bios, so please help fill in the blanks. Josh enjoys _______ during ________ and has always loved __________. He has played ____________ since age __ and his biggest fear in life is being eaten by a __________.

I have been working on my bio. Share your bios and pictures with us in the comments. Have fun!

 

Janie Reinart wears many hats, performing as a clown in children’s hospitals, sharing original tales in schools as a musical storyteller, and volunteering as a poet in residence at an inner city school to help children find their voice. Best of all, Janie loves playing with words and writing for children. She lives in Ohio with her husband, and is always up for a game of cards, hopscotch, or dress-up. Just ask her thirteen grandchildren.

The Importance of the Sound of Your Voice: Nuturing Readers and Writers

by Janie Reinart

Infants and children love the sound of their Mommy's or Grandmommy's voice. (Daddy's and Papa's voices too!) Reading, as well as talking and singing, are viewed as important in increasing the number of words that children hear in the earliest years of their lives. This is why we are children's writers! We model reading and writing to our children and grandchildren.

             Drawing and painting are the first form of storytelling.

Pediatricians across the country, are asking parents to read aloud to their children starting when they are infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes that an important part of brain development occurs within the first three years of a child’s life, and that reading to children enhances vocabulary and other important communication skills. 

Although I do love technology, I'm a believer of having my grandchildren learn to turn a page before they learn how to swipe a screen. This video looks at future generations that might never leave the house or look away from the screen. We need to nurture being in nature as well as a love for reading and writing.

Current favorite reads of the "littles" in my life include: 

Chalk by Bill Thomson. 

Of course I sent chalk along with the book to long distance grandchildren. After reading the book via FaceTime, my 3 1/2 year old grandson wanted to go outside and draw with the "magic" chalk that Grandmommy sent him. 

Naked and Chicken Cheeks by Michael Ian Black

 

The humor in Michael's books are perfect for the toddler set. Both make a great read aloud.

A Bird is a Bird by Lizzy Rockwell

Several of the grandchildren now have bird feeders and are identifying birds in their backyards. 

Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman

Ame's writing knocks my socks off. Love anything that she writes.

My toddler fan club agrees.

Share book favorites from your children or grandchildren.  Keep letting them hear the sound of your voice and see you reading and writing.