GENRE: *Humor
WORDS: 375
Query:
Dear PBParty Judges, Agents, and Editors,
Mrs Kipling found a dog and made a poster, but attempts to find the owner prove difficult and Mrs Kipling is running out of patience, ice cream and house! Perhaps Mrs Kipling’s new house guest isn’t really what he seems …
FOUND: DOG is a 375-word humorous picture book aimed at children ages 4 to 8. It has the same quirky and mischievous humor as Jon Klassen’s I WANT MY HAT BACK and Kevin Waldron’s MR PEEK AND THE MISUNDERSTANDING AT THE ZOO where the reader is much more aware of the situation than the protagonist. Like these books, the reader gets to witnesses the protagonist making one hilarious mistake after another.
I created this manuscript to encourage children to read the picture part of picture books with their grownups. As a parent, I have enjoyed times when my children have kept a pace with the story, through translating the pictures, especially when they have felt that they have been giving me the information. I believe this makes reading accessible and enjoyable for children and gives them the credit they deserve. Additionally, I love funny books and want to use humor in my writing to foster a love of books among children.
I am currently in my second year of studying with the Golden Egg Academy. I am a member of the Golden Egg Club, the Write Mentor Hub, and three critique groups where I enjoy giving and recieving feedback. In the past I have had an honorable mention in the Kidlit Kid’s Choice Awards and I have been long listed twice in the Write Mentor’s Novel and Picture Book Award. Last year, I was delighted to make the short list for the same award. I work in a second-hand bookshop and I also teach creative writing to children during the holidays.
I have many other manuscripts available on request.
Thank you so much for your consideration.
Excerpt:
[Poster on a lamppost. The dog is a fox]
Found: DOG
No collar.
Long nose.
Found near the bins on Piper Street.
Get in touch to be reunited with your pet.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Kipling.
Also, this dog has beautiful, orange eyes.
He seems hungry.
And a little skittish.
Warm Regards,
Mrs Kipling.
Found: DOG
I’ve called him Bert for now.
He seems like a Bert …
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
I began writing this story when I saw a joke that someone had ‘rescued’ a raccoon, believing it to be a cat. This really amused me. I often find myself in predicaments because of my ‘helpful’ nature and the saying ‘no good deed goes unpunished’ springs to mind. I love the idea of Mrs. Kipling becoming increasingly frustrated because of a situation that she has put herself in. It is easy, but not wise, to make a judgment without having all the facts. It is, perhaps, a cautionary tale to myself.
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