GENRE: Character Driven, Humor, SEL
WORDS: 571
Query:
Dear PB Party Judges, Agents & Editors,
Thank you for giving your time to participate in PBParty! Inspired by my daughter, NO PICTURES, PLEASE! (571 words, ages 4-8) is a humorous, character driven story with themes of boundaries and consent, like Don’t Hug Doug by Carrie Finison and Don’t Touch My Hair! by Sharee Miller, that highlights an increasingly important question:
Who has the right to take your picture?
There is one thing Rosa cannot stand: Pictures. But pictures, and the people taking them, are everywhere. Her parents understand…most of the time. They even let her sloth Heidi stand in for her in family photos. But no one else gets it, especially Camera Kim, a parent at school. Rosa says, “NO PICTURES, PLEASE!” But when there is an unexpected surprise in her classroom, Rosa has a problem. She wants her picture taken. But how can she say yes this once without Camera Kim thinking it’s yes for eternity?
I am an active member of SCBWI Southern CA, a part-time homeschooling mom and caretaker of a free-range house bunny named Marshmallow. My writing has been published on Food52. I have other picture book manuscripts available upon request and am at work on a Middle Grade novel.
I appreciate your time and consideration, and hope you enjoy my story!
Excerpt:
“NO PICTURES, PLEASE!”
I’m Rosa, and I love lots of things.
Collecting treasures, especially palm fronds.
Building things, especially skyscrapers.
Playing with food, especially candy.
And some things I “don’t care for” (as my mom says).
But there is one thing I absolutely HATE.
Pictures.
Pictures. Are. The. WORST.
And let me tell you, they’re everywhere. Or at least, the people taking them are.
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
Like Rosa, my daughter could not stand to have her picture taken. “No Pictures, Please!” was a common phrase we heard for years. So many people, from family members to strangers, couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t let them take her picture. It got me thinking – why wasn’t it enough that she just said no? Many conversations are happening around bodily consent, but…who has the right to take our picture?
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