Is a "Picture Story" its own category of children's story, or otherwise?

Cella

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I recently picked up the 2nd edition of Children's Writer's Word Book. In it, the authors list "picture stories" as it's own type of children's book, along with the more well known ones. Their description of what a picture story is most closely describes my MS but I have never seen that category of book listed by publishers or agents.

Am I missing something obvious here, or (when the time comes) would I proceed with my MS as a picture book?

Thanks for any thoughts :)
 

cornflake

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Picture books are their own category, yes. Children's books as a descriptor, I believe, encompasses a bunch of different things, like the cardboard books, picture books, chapter books, etc.
 

alleycat

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Pictures books (often called PB) is a genre of children's books. Some people also classify a type of children's story as picture storybooks, which generally relies more on the words than the illustrations; it may be lightly illustrated.

How long is your story?
 
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Cella

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Thanks everyone!

What is confusing is that they have "picture book" listed as well. The picture stories seem to differ from the picture books in that they are clearly meant to be read to a child between 5-8 years old, rather than to be read by the child.

I just don't want to Q an agent with my "picture story" if that is some term this book's authors developed on their own. I could proceed with it as a picture book, but kind of like how accurate this other term is for my work.

I am still revising it, but I anticipate it'll be about 1000 words :)
 
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alleycat

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I used the term picture storybook when I've submitted some like that.
 

Cella

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Oh! Great idea--thank you!
 

Ken

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Terminology is important, so it's good you asked :)

You're set in that regard, thnx to posters above.

I'd also add a description, as you did in the OP.

Age bracket; word count; and anything else pertinent.
(Terms are fine, but one person's this is another person's that.)

G'luck.
 

Torgo

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Odd. The term 'picture story' isn't one I ever hear, and I've been in picture books for a long time. What's the description they give?
 

Cella

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Terminology is important, so it's good you asked :)

You're set in that regard, thnx to posters above.

I'd also add a description, as you did in the OP.

Age bracket; word count; and anything else pertinent.
(Terms are fine, but one person's this is another person's that.)

G'luck.
Thanks, Ken! Yeah, I don't want to make a fool of myself. Not that I haven't before, but yanno... :)
Odd. The term 'picture story' isn't one I ever hear, and I've been in picture books for a long time. What's the description they give?

Picture Story: Picture stories are the picture books in which text carries the story. There are for the five- to eight-year-old. Picture stories tell a real story and have lots of action. If it is written for an adult to read to a child, sentence length is restricted only to that which is comfortable to read aloud, and the vocabulary should be such that the child can understand it, rather than read it.

The picture story is still heavily illustrated but has a more complicated plot than a picture book.*

*From Children's Writer's Word Book 2nd edition, by Alijandra Mogiliner & Tayopa Mogiliner
 

Torgo

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Ah, OK. So they're making a distinction between picture books for 5-8 year olds and, say, the 3-5 age group. While this is in some ways a valid distinction, it's not a term I ever hear used - there are still 'stories' for 3-5 year olds, and simpler stuff for older kids.

This is not a piece of terminology I would use, to be honest - I would just use the blanket term 'picture book' for anything heavily-illustrated up to about 2K words, and if I felt it necessary I'd particularize by saying 'picture book for the 3-5/5-8 age group', although an editor should be able to sort it into the right category at a glance. Perhaps it's a thing in America, where the picture book market is somewhat different?
 

Cella

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Right! I've never seen an agent or a publisher make the distinction either.

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone :)
 

Cella

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I do like the idea of blending them. Thanks for the links, AC. I'll definitely look into those.
 

Debbie V

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It used to be that picture books refered to this category and picture story books refered to those picture books that were for slightly older readers - up to fourth or fifth grade. I have a paper over board fully illustrated version of Hansel and Gretel that must contain 2,000 words, at least. Technically, it's a board book, but it deserves the picture story book category. It also would never be published today. It dates back to the sixties.
 

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It used to be that picture books refered to this category and picture story books refered to those picture books that were for slightly older readers - up to fourth or fifth grade. I have a paper over board fully illustrated version of Hansel and Gretel that must contain 2,000 words, at least. Technically, it's a board book, but it deserves the picture story book category. It also would never be published today. It dates back to the sixties.

Back in the 2000s (whoa, that seems weird) we did a bunch of picture books in board book format which we called 'story boards'. The thing is, board book pages are so thick, you generally only go for about 8 spreads tops, or you end up with books like bricks. You see basic concept board books with, say, five or six spreads. So we would cut a picture book with a more involved theory down to more like 24, 26pp by removing prelims and printing on thinner boards.
 

Debbie V

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The Hansel and Gretel is a 32 pager with a standard hard cover and paper end pages including the title page. Illustrations range from black and white spots to full color full spreads. I had to count pages after reading Torgo's post.