Here’s the PBParty honorable mentions. I’m sorry it took a while, but there’s been so much going on with my injured pup and behind the scenes for the finalists. I can’t wait to share some of it with you in a week or so. (Pssst…several finalists are already agented…wahooooo!)
Stay tuned for another blog post with:
*PBParty 2021 stats
*Helpful tips
*Critique giveaways for those who entered PBParty and weren’t a finalist (we want to give you a boost to dazzle agents)!
If not seeing your title on this list will be too difficult for you—please stop reading now. There are a lot of titles listed below that came close…some came extremely close. Not having your title here doesn’t mean it isn’t good. Or great. Maybe it could use another revision or two. But other judges (plus agents and editors) might love it as is. Don’t forget this is out of 1000+ entries. You all made our job so difficult.
One thing that stood out to me is the number of finalists who said they didn’t make it into PBParty for a year or more. They studied past finalists, worked on craft, found new critique groups or critique partners. Several of them wrote their PBParty entries within the past few months! They really thought about the types of stories they were meant to write… and magic happened!
If you’d like an extra boost to write a new picture book this month plus give and receive a critique, I hope you’ll join the April 18 PBParty New Draft Challenge & Critique Train. We wrote 90 new picture books in March. I can’t wait to see how many will be born in April!
*NEW: In March, a few writers asked if they could write two new picture books during the challenge and hop on the Critique Train twice. I figured it was worth a try…and it worked out great! If you’re able to write two new PBs and have the time to critique two—go for it!
Tip: All the PBParty finalist queries are professional and great examples of queries that work…but some of you only included a short pitch. Other entries were way too short to display a sample online. I saw Spring Fling tweet about people not following rules there. It’s so important to read all instructions for queries, contests, grants, mentorships, etc. Please don’t make it easy for someone to say no.
Thank you for sharing your stories and Twitter chats with us. You helped make this such an incredible experience. (((Hugs)))
*The titles are in random order, not an indication of how close they were.
Huge congrats to the entries that came close…and in some cases, incredibly close (we had over 50 and had to take some out, which was so difficult to do). And congrats to all of you who put yourself out there and entered. You are all so talented! The judges and I are sending tons of good vibes your way and hope you find agents and editors soon.
DANCER
RAVENS DON’T MIGRATE
CROWNS
JRAGON – A STORY ABOUT A DRAGON WITH DYSLEXIA
ONCE UPON A BARGLESNARFF
THE STORY CATCHER
THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF LITTLE RED
THE SPIDER AND THE FROG
WARNING! MAGIC BAUBLE
MUFFET AND HORNER FOR HIRE: ALONG CAME A SPIDER
CHUCK AND CHEEP
KETCHUP IS MISSING
VIKINGS DON’T PLAY THE PIANO
MAYA’S MAGIC MOMENTS
DON’T YOU DARE
BUTT STUCK
SIDE BY SIDE
CUKES VS. ZUKES
T-REX HAS AN ITCH
DIVA ZEBRA
IF YOU FIND A DRAGON
PAULETTE THE PLANARIAN
TOO TIRED FOR T-BALL
HOW WE SAY “I LOVE YOU.”
COURAGEOUS KIDS
MEET ME AT THE BON DANCE
COCK-A-DOODLE-DOZE
GULP!
A DREAM TAKES FLIGHT: THE STORY OF KALPANA CHAWLA
IT SNOWED LAST NIGHT
LAKESIDE SYMPHONY
BIRD TV
BRAVE DAVE
THE LITTLE LLAMA THAT COULD
HOW TO MAKE YOUR MAGICIAN DISSAPEAR: A RABBIT’S HANDBOOK
NOT YOUR ORDINARY ASTEROID
SONG OF JOY
JAY WALKED
WHEN YUN BROUGHT HIS TROMBONE HOME
THE BIGGEST SMALL THING
THE WOODEN SPOON
VOLCANO’S EPIC BATTLE
HAIRSTORY
NO STINKY ANIMAL FEET–HOW ANIMALS TAKE A BATH
SHOES ON MY DOORSTEP
I WANNA ROCK!
CHASE THE CABLE CAR
SCULPTOR OF LIGHT & LIVES: HOW LEWIS W. HINE & HIS CAMERA HELPED END CHILD LABOR
A WET GALAXY: SYLVIA EARLE AND THE UNDERWATER UNIVERSE
ALL ON HIS OWN
IF YOU WAKE A SKUNK
MAPPING SHADOWS: EDMUND HALLEY’S ECLIPSE AND THE RISE OF CITIZEN SCIENCE
TWEEDY & THE TITANIC
I AM NOT A ROBOT
GOGGLES THE SUPERCOW
THE LIGHT THAT NEVER WENT OUT: THE STORY OF DR. EDWARD BACH
BRINK
THE DRAGON AND THE BIG BAD WOLF
THE VERY SECRET DOOR
STICKING WITH FEET
THE GREAT PIG CIRCUS
SEEDS ON ICE: THE SVALBARD GLOBAL SEED VAULT
EDNA MILLER STAKES HER CLAIM
VEX VOLCANO KEEPS HIS COOL
ONE DROP OF WATER
THE HERO WITH NOTHING TO DO
SWEET SMELL OF HOME
YOUR MOTHER IS A MAMMAL
GRACIA SAVES WORLDS
THIS BOOK WILL BLAST OFF IN 10 SECONDS!
MIKAYLA-ANGELA
FIVE FINGER FEUD
THE BIG BAD “SECRET KEEPING” WOLF
SHYOSAURUS
WHEN CHICKENS RULE THE EARTH!
GRACE & GABBY: WE’RE BEST FRIENDS! (NO, WE AREN’T)
LIONS DON’T DRINK LEMONADE
DON’T PUSH THE RIVER!
NINJARINA
A TROLL TO CONSOLE
BELINDA AND HER BUBBLEGUM GIZMO
HOW TO SURVIVE GOLF WITH YOUR GRANDPA
FLITTER FLUTTER LULLABYE
WINGBEATS: JOURNEY OF A GREAT BLUE HERON
DON’T PANIC!
DON’T YUCK MY YUM
LANIE’S HAIR
SAIMA MAKES WAVES
CREATE KATE
THE DAY THE BOOK LOST IT’S TITLE
LIKE MAGIC
NEVILLE THE NARWHAL: SONG OF THE ICE
OUT OF THE ASHES: CLARA BARTON, THE RED CROSS, AND THE GREAT MICHIGAN FIRE OF 1881
MODERN MARTHA: THE STORY OF MARTHA GRAHAM
TO THE ANTHILL
PARKER’S PANTS
RILEY WINTER’S 3D PRINTER
BISBEE’S SWEET SURPRISE
ESMERAY, THE CARAVAN CAMEL
MONA LISA’S MEMOIR
BROOKLYN’S CHALK
POP AND ICKLE: A WATER CYCLE STORY
FARMER RAY NEEDS HIS SLEEP!
THE EMPRESS’S NEW DUDS
THE LEGO MAN
ALONG CAME A SPIDER
WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE
DELIGHTFUL YOU
HEAR THE SEA
HOW TO BE A WIZARD
WHALE’S BACKWARDS BURP
THE STAGEFRIGHTENED SEA STAR
A KEEPER
HORACE MANN REFUSED TO STOP
FRANCO MAGOO AND THE EXTRAORDINARY
THE TASTE OF MAGIC
THE WHITE HOUSE BANDIT, REBECCA RACCOON
BAGEL VS. DONUT
BRILLIANT: THE LIFE OF CLARA SCHUMANN, PIANO SUPERSTAR
WHO COULD I BE? RIDDLES FROM THE SEA
OLENA AND THE PEAR TREES
DON’T PLAY WITH JACK!
SWIM MEET FOR MILLIE COW
COLORS LOST, COLORS FOUND
HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH AN EARTHLING
ARIA’S DOUBLE TROUBLE!
THE ODD OCTOPUS
WAS GRANDMA EVER A MERMAID?
PIZZA PAINTINGS
NO TEA FOR BULLS
MISS MUFFET: FRIEND TO SPIDERS
MR. BEASLEY’S CLASS AND THE MOVING MUSTACHE
SEEDLING
BUTTON’S ADVENTURE
WATER BEARS: NATURE’S SUPERHEROES
SOMETIMES IT RAINS INSIDE: A STORY ABOUT EMOTIONS
3 GOOD THINGS
THE LOST GOLDFISH
SECRET ALLEY SWAP
THE CLINGING LEAF
LITTLE TWEET LEANS TO BIRD
SUPERRHYMER!
DANGER KITTEN MEETS MR. WAGGINS
COASTAL BROWN BEAR AND SOCKEYE SALMON
A GOOD DAY
MAYLEIGH VS. MEEMAW: HUGFEST
TORTILLA CHIPS: A CAUTIONARY TALE
GENTLE MONSTER MAKES A FRIEND
MIGUEL’S SPACESHIP (LA NAVE ESPACIAL DE MIGUEL)
NIGHT DANCE
PAN DULCE MORNINGS
EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL: EMILY DICKINSON AND THE NATURAL WORLD
STANDING UP WHILE SITTING DOWN
IT’S TIME!
WALLY IS A WEREWOLF
DEAR CARBON
THEODORE’S FAVORITE GRANDMA
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE GREAT BALLOON RACE
ALIENS WANT A BRAIN!
BRIDGE BAT
SECOND STAR TO THE RIGHT: A FAIRY TALE ABOUT JAMES M. BARRIE, AUTHOR OF PETER PAN
BOOKANEERS
WHEN I DANCE WITH GRANDMA
PRISCILLA AND THE TIGER
WANDA’S WORDS
A WARM CUP OF FRIENDSHIP – A CHAI STORY
Here are the titles that came close for the Illustration Showcase:
THE SING-OFF
KING HENRY FITZGERALD FITZPATRICK THE THIRD
EARL, THE GAY WHITE SHARK
DOWN BELOW
THE BIRDS OF THE VALLEY
THIS ART IS FOR THE BIRDS
ANDY ROCKS
HARRIET AND ROSA
MARSHMALLOW AND THE PROFESSOR: A LOVE STORY. A LIKE STORY. A STORY.
TRIGGLESWIFT THE BOASTFUL GIANT
FANNY’S BIG SWIM
WALLACE’S WINGS
WOLF’S LALA
BABY BO IS ON THE GO
WHEN THE HOUSE WAS MOSTLY EMPTY
DEBONAIRE BAT
LITTLE RED RIDES
THE WILD CHILD
Congrats again, everyone!
Here’s hoping for tons of yeses in the future for all of us.
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