The Life of a Picture Book Part Five: First Readers

Having a few "first readers" is an important part of the life of a picture book (or any book). In my case, my very first reader is usually one of my daughters. By their reactions I can tell if a story is working or not. While it is likely that they are biased, they aren't shy about telling me when something doesn't seem to make sense. And the younger one has a real eye for proofreading! The next reader is a trusted writer friend, in this case Corey.

So, what did they say about my little ogress?

Daughter #1 said she liked it, but the ending was a little cheesy. She wasn't sure at the time if that was good or bad. After thinking about it, she decided she liked the ending.

Daughter #2 also liked it and didn't find the ending cheesy at all. Of course, she pointed out a spot that needed a comma.

My son liked the story, didn't think the ending was cheesy, and appreciated the gross humor involved in writing a story about ogres.

Corey said that it was cute, but had questions concerning the logic of one character's behavior. Fortunately, the questions should be able to be answered with some fairly minor revisions and additions. Corey did not think the ending was cheesy.

After having them read it, of course I had questions of my own. What did you think of this line? Did it make sense that the characters did this?

I noted the concerns and began taking steps to address them. Soon my little ogress will be ready for a thorough critique!

Read The Life of a Picture Book Part Six: Spit Shining