How To Write a Children’s Book Manuscript

By Jason Boog on Galley Cat, January 20, 2011

How do you write a great children’s book manuscript? Read it out loud–over and over again.

Greenwillow Books published a video interview with children’s author Kevin Henkes, getting a candid look at how he created the children’s book, Little White Rabbit. It’s a rare peek at a children’s book from manuscript draft to final product.

Here’s an excerpt from the video: “When I’m writing the text for a book like Little White Rabbit, I read it aloud, alone, in my studio, again and again and again–because the rhythm has to be exactly right. After I get my manuscript to the point where I think it is perfect, I begin to think about what I want the art to look like.” (Via Martha Mihalick)