The Joy of Writing Children’s Books – Course Summary

The Joy of Writing Children’s Books

Many of us have dreamed of writing our own picture books for children. With the advent of e-books and digital publishing, it is now easier than ever. So why not join us and make your books come true?

In his hands-on workshop, “The Joy of Writing Children’s Books”, Dr. Mel Rosenberg shares his unique and tested approach to writing children’s books for fun and fulfillment.  Participants create their own page-flipping picture books, starting with the very first lesson! By the end of the ten-week course, participants have mastered the basic skills of writing picture books for children. They can publish their own stories online and can print digital copies to share with friends and family.

“The course opened up a magical and enchanting world for me. It’s hard to believe that in such a short time we learned so much. I witnessed how a single exercise turned into a children’s book within weeks!”

“Mel is an inspiring teacher who excels in presenting a didactic and methodical framework.”

“Thank you for the inspiration, the humor, the attention and sensitivity, the vision and dedication.”

A bit about Mel:

Dr. Mel Rosenberg is a scientist, lecturer, inventor, and musician, but his great passion is writing children’s books. His picture books have appeared in English, Hebrew, Arabic, French, Portuguese and other languages. Eight of Dr. Rosenberg’s children’s books are currently used by the Education Ministry to teach English online. The three TED-Ed animations that he authored have been seen by over eleven million viewers. Dr. Rosenberg has previously taught courses in children’s book writing at the Holon Institute of Technology and more recently at Shenkar College. He is the co-founder of Ourboox.com, and many of his own children’s books are featured on the website. His picture book, EMILY SAW A DOOR, will be published by Tal-May in Hebrew in 2023.

Topics

1 Introduction: Why do we write for children? Introduction to the world of Ourboox. Participants create their own first books, “My Favorite Things”.

2 Where do ideas for children’s books come from? How can we use “48create” to come up with new directions for children’s stories?

3 Story checklist: Where is the magic in children’s books? The main character? The title? The atmosphere? The plot? The ending? What can we learn from our own favorite children’s books?

4 Story checklist (continued): Importance of the first spreads, page turners, moral, showing vs. telling, when to rhyme.

5 More on publishing online using Ourboox? Illustrations. What is the easiest way to publish digital copies for friends and family?

6. Ten ways to create likeable characters through empathy.

7. How to use our own childhood experiences to drive new stories.

8. More creative techniques: Random words, opposites, hyperbole, and more.