Mondays with Mira and some really exciting news!!!

Last week I promised to share some incredibly exciting news and here it is for anyone interested in learning how to write children's picture books or board books. The Picture Book Academy is now open for enrollment with it's first online course - Writing Children's Picture Books for Publication. The course runs from August 27th through October 7th (with a week off Labor Day week) and is limited to 30 students to ensure lots of individual attention and critiques. 

Today is my first official day of announcing this course and there are currently 24 spaces left in what will be one of the most comprehensive, cutting-edge courses ever.

So the question is

Do you have a picture book in you?
One that you've already started that needs help? Or one that's been rejected and needs reworking to get at its essence with less words and more elegance? Or perhaps you are a total beginner with a tender idea that's hiding in there somewhere, longing to come out into the world? Then this course could be what you've been waiting for and dreaming of!

Guest contributors include Elisa Kleven, Yuyi Morales, Alexis O'Neill, Caroline Arnold, Ashley Wolff, agent Mary Kole from MoveableType Management, editor Brett Dubuque from Sterling Publishing, and Andrea Tompa from Candlewick Press to name a few. Course content includes everything from genres to easy ways of creating a dynamic plot, to creating compelling characters, to children's developmental stages, to creating concept and non-fiction books, to poetry and prose, to finding your ideal publisher or agent, to how the business works and much more. Wow - I hope you are as excited as I am and do tell your smarter friends.

Here's the link to the Picture Book Academy www.picturebookacademy.com and the link to the course details http://tinyurl.com/74ajmxw

And if you don't want to miss out and are ready to register now - click on the "homage to Maurice Sendak" button below to register for 5 weeks of incredible content in this life-changing and enriching adventure - for only $249 (it even has a money back guarantee).

Or you can always just click here: http://tinyurl.com/7r54ejz

Now for this week's delightful board book Two at the Zoo written by Danna Smith and illustrated by Valerie Petrone, where you'll learn about how Danna works with rhyme and the sweet relationship of a boy and his granddad as they go to the zoo and practice counting together. Wonderful text and equally wonderful illustrations. Lots to learn from this lovely book, which I'm sure you'll enjoy apart from the dreadful lighting making me look a little ghoulish : )