HOW TO STORYBOARD, GUEST POST BY JO LINSDELL

Hello. I've been looking forward to presenting this guest post by Jo Linsdell. Today Jo is going to explain the ins and outs of storyboarding. 
If you don't know what storyboarding is, stay tuned. I've put a few newspapers together myself and I've done some storyboarding, however I'm anxious to hear what Jo has to say when it comes to storyboarding a children's book. 
I think we can all learn something interesting today, so let's get to it!

                                   
                         


Jo Linsdell is an award winning blogger and freelance writer living in Rome , Italy . She is also the author of several books including the popular Italian for Tourists, A Guide to Weddings in Italy  and the best selling children's picture book Out and About at the Zoo. Her latest book Fairy May was released on 1st February 2013. You can find out more about her at www.JoLinsdell.com

Fairy May

Written and illustrated by Jo Linsdell

Fairy May dreams of one day becoming a tooth fairy but she struggles at school and always seems to get things wrong. With hard work and determination she prepares for her test. Will she realise her dream and become a tooth fairy?

Creating a storyboard for children's picture books

By Jo Linsdell

Basically, storyboarding is a visual representation using illustration to map out the flow of your book. Standard children's picture books are 32 pages and so your storyboard will span out all 32 pages.

The storyboard is your blueprint and a useful tool when drafting your book. It helps make sure that your book flows nicely and includes all the right segments in the right places.

It's much easier to change something in a storyboard than it is on the individual pages of your book.

In this video I take you through how I create storyboards for my children's picture story books:

http://youtu.be/fm6M-udua9U

Do you use storyboards? Do you have any tips of your own about storyboarding? Please leave a comment and join in the discussion so we can feed ideas off each other.

Jo Linsdell is a best selling author and illustrator, award winning blogger and freelance writer. Originally from the UK, she now lives in Rome, Italy with her husband and their two young sons.

Review comments:

5 Stars

"More than a picture book, Fairy May teaches anything worth having is worth working for. A delightful read that teaches without preaching. A simple lesson beautifully told."

- By C. Bullard

5 Stars

"Fairy May is a story that will encourage little kids to not only to keep their teeth clean but also to try their best and work hard in school! A rhyming story filled with cute pictures, it would make a perfect addition to your child's book collection. I read it to my 1 1/2 yr old and he laughs and points to every picture!"

- By Virginia L. Jennings

5 Stars

"Fairy May is a story that will draw in younger children with it's colorful, playful illustrations and clever writing. Younger children will favor it as a bedtime read, while older children learning to read can choose it to practice their craft. Well produced with high quality!"

- By J. campbell

5 Stars

"We love the cuteness of drawings and the light, delicate colours.
We love the rhymes, a good exercise for non-mother-tongue children to improve their English knowledge.
We love the story, the strength of tiny May in following her dreams. We love the good example: if you want something you must be ready to work hard!
We love the highlight on dental hygiene, the importance of brushing teeth and we will download soon the extras!
We love to read it, and read it and read it again.... as we did with previous release by Jo Linsdell "OUT AND ABOUT AT THE ZOO."

We love the book itself. Fairy May is a new character in our life and we hope in future new adventures to be released!"

- By LaMarzia

5 Stars

"When a story is told using rhyming words, too many times it does not work, but this one surely does! The rhyming does not feel forced and the story line flows. I think it would be great for a beginning reader to use for practice as well as a fun read-aloud that reveals an important lesson!"

- By Neil Edwards

"This delightful picture book is bound to become the favorite book of anyone who believes in fairies. The rhyming verse and soft delicate pictures will take you into the fantasy land of Fairy May's; a land you won't want to return from. Linsdell will have you child wondering if Fairy May really makes it to be her dream- tooth fairy. A fun read-a-loud and wonderful for beginning readers, very easy to read. This book will help your child see that you can be what you set out to be."

- By Apple Blossom

"It’s like a gentle hum that makes you smile each time you think about it once you’ve put the book away."

-By Richa Jha

"Mum and toddler both love the story and pictures and like reading (and listening) to it over and over again.

All in all a delightful book that encourages children to achieve their dreams (and clean their teeth!).

Although Fairy May is a magical being, the way that she achieves her dreams is not achieved by magic, but by hard work and sheer determination. This gives children a realistic message that dreams cannot be achieved overnight just by wishing (or magic), but you do need to work towards them to make them happen.

Fairy May is not just a fairy tale, but a tale of moral tooth (I mean truth)!"

- By Hazel Nutt

Release Date: 1st February 2013

Product details:

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1481951424

ISBN-13: 978-1481951425

Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.1 inches

Purchasing links:

Amazon

Createspace

Video trailer:

http://youtu.be/wAGUrj7o_Ks