Event
2:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Craft Talk: The ABCs and 123s (and other clichés) of Picture Book Writing

Presenters
Don Tate
Don Tate is an award-winning illustrator of numerous critically acclaimed books for children, including Swish! The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters , No Small Potatoes: Junios G. Groves and His Kingdom in Kansas, Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions
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Location
The Loft at Open Book
Price
Regular $40.00
Friend $36.00
Square promotional image for a picture book craft talk featuring author and illustrator Don Tate. Don Tate stands smiling in a denim shirt, hands clasped. His signature is prominently displayed over his torso. The background is bright pink with a grid texture and a border of illustrated picture book covers. Large bold text reads: “The ABCs and 123s (and other cliches) of Picture Book Writing.” The Loft Literary Center logo appears at the top, along with a black and white calendar icon showing May 31.

Please join us for a craft talk on writing picture books with the 2024 McKnight judge in Children’s Literature, Don Tate!

Contrary to popular belief, writing for children is not easy. Whether you’re focusing on fiction or nonfiction, crafting stories for young readers requires time, patience, and the right tools. While this two-hour craft talk will focus on biographies, Don's tools can be applied to fiction and nonfiction. As both an author and illustrator, Don can address both sides of the book creation process—from crafting the text and considering page turns to thinking about the visuals. During the first hour, Don will share his journey from being a reluctant grade-school reader to becoming a published illustrator and author, offering practical advice learned along the way. The second hour will involve exercises designed to help writers develop the emotional arc of their stories and learn how to write in a visually engaging way. Come with questions for a great discussion!

Reproductions of Don's work will be on display courtesy of the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota.

Do you have a disability or a need for accommodation? The Loft is committed to making its programs and facilities accessible to all. Please complete this simple request form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsPDaQKKXOWn2OjzqAcBA2CnjA61Q…) to let us know what you need. It can take time to make arrangements, so, if possible, please give us 2-3 weeks advance notice. Someone will reach out to you if there are questions and to confirm your accommodation. If you have questions, contact Beth Schoeppler, the Loft’s Accessibility Coordinator, at [email protected] or 612-215-2580.

The Loft administers the McKnight Fellowships for Writers. Five $25,000 awards are presented annually to accomplished Minnesota writers and spoken word artists. Four awards alternate annually between creative prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry/spoken word. The fifth award is presented in children’s literature and alternates annually between writing for ages under eight years old and writing for children eight years and older. For more information, please visit https://loft.org/awards/mcknight

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Artists
Don Tate
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