Louise Jordan

The opening chapters are perhaps the most useful, examining the children's markets and the importance of word count, subject matter and fitting in with a series (in many cases) to fit with publishers' specific imprints.

Most of the rest is general advice about writing, which wasn’t new to me, although it was interesting to read examples from published children’s books to illustrate points: the importance of the viewpoint character, for instance, and the kind of subject matter that can be used with children’s books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Overall, this is a well-presented book, clearly written, with plenty of solid advice. The final section, on submitting a manuscript to a publisher or agent and discussing contracts is one that I skimmed but would certainly return to if, at some point, I reach this stage.

Definitely recommended to anyone considering writing a children’s book, whether a picture book for babies or a novel for teens, or anything in between. Four and a half stars, really.
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