PBParty contest update: The judges and I are blown away by your talent and creativity! Finalists will be announced on my website by April 27. The wait is almost over. Wahoooooo! NOTE: If you receive an agent offer and can’t give requesting agents at least two weeks from the end of the showcase to decide, please contact me to withdraw now. Last year, a few people waited until finalists were announced and it was a huge scramble for the judges and me to pick alternates.
I’m thrilled that PBParty Success Story and volunteer Becca McMurdie is our Crit Master for this PBParty New Draft Challenge & Critique Train. Becca has a helpful tip and awesome news to share. Wahoooooo!
Becca will critique a picture book manuscript for the first passenger to write a new PB draft and add their name to the Google doc. This train starts NOW and runs through April 18 Eastern. *Remember: You must write the entire first draft during this challenge for it to count. It’s okay to flesh out the plot ahead of time.
Tip: You don’t need to share your new draft for the critique. You can send whichever picture book you’d like feedback on the most.
In this challenge, everyone is a winner! You’ll have a shiny new draft (or two). Wahooooo! When you complete the challenge and hop on the Critique Train Google doc, you’ll receive a critique from the passenger above you and give one to the passenger below you. Many writers have told me they’ve met trusted critique partners they continue to work with, which makes me SO happy!
Check out the Critique Train FAQ here.
Scroll down for a generous mini mentorship giveaway…even if you don’t hop on the PBParty Critique Train.
Here’s Becca!
One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned as an author is that inspiration is everywhere. My upcoming book, JUST A PUDDLE…OR IS IT?, splashed into life after watching my two-year old nephew jump in puddles. The mud hole was just a puddle to me, but to a cat, it was a drink, to a bird it was a bath, and to my nephew, it was pure joy! And BOOM….a beautiful message about appreciation of different points of view emerged. I then wrote a sequel, JUST A SHELL…OR IS IT? (which Abrams made the premier and now PUDDLE is the sequel). Ideas and universal themes are everywhere!
Becca is a preschool director by day. At night, she researches and writes children’s books. Her first picture book, Building a Beak: How a Toucan’s Rescue Inspired the World, was a NSTA-CBC Best STEM Book Selection. Her upcoming book Just a Shell…Or Is It? releases with Abrams Appleseed on May 26, 2026, with a sequel releasing in 2028. Becca takes trips to climb up mountains, hike through forests, and explore lakes and seashores any chance she gets. She lives in New York with her family. Learn more at www.beccamcmurdie.com.
*Huge congrats on your upcoming book, Becca. It sounds amazing! I love Building a Beak so much, and can’t wait to read Just a Shell…Or Is It?
SAVE THE DATE!
The next New Draft Challenge & Critique Train will be… May 21 – 23 Eastern!
Want to win a mini mentorship with Becca?
The winner will receive three 30-45 minute zoom calls, to be used between now and end of August 2026, that can be used for anything from critiques to AMAs, query strategy sessions, brainstorming sessions, school visit planning etc. As a preschool director, former elementary school principal and a published author, Becca can offer her experiences and perspective however would be most helpful.
Enter using the RafflePress widget. If you use the following two options, please have your confirmation ready for verification in case you win:
- Preorder Becca’s upcoming book JUST A SHELL….OR IS IT? If you order from Books of Wonder, her favorite NYC bookstore, it will be signed and personalized at no extra charge.
- Request Becca’s JUST A SHELL…OR IS IT? from your library.
Pssst: Becca’s critiques rock! And she’s a wealth of information. You definitely want to win this amazing prize!
A seashell is just a seashell . . . or is it? To a clam, it’s a door. To an octopus, it’s a shield. To a young child, it’s a treasure! A place to play or a home for critters, the beach can be so many things!
And there are so many other exciting things to find hidden in sand dunes and between waves—all it takes is a little shift in perspective.
Perfect for boardwalk strolls, lazy days on beach towels, or in a classroom or a playroom, Just a Shell . . . or Is It? promotes creative thinking and empathy for the world around us—and all of its inhabitants—teaching young readers that nothing in nature is “just” what it is, but so much more.
Enter Becca’s generous giveaway by 4/20/26
The winner will be displayed below and connected with Becca via e-mail.
Good luck!
42 Comments
Leave your reply.