13 April Fools Day Food Pranks To Play on Your Kids

How To Write A Fun Picture Book About A Not Fun Topic

As a mother, I love reading fun whimsical stories that send my kids to sleep with warm, happy thoughts in mind. However, as an author and illustrator, I love seeing a variety of stories and like being able to sneak in little life lessons into our reading time.

(How to Tap Into Vulnerability and Show Strength in Picture Books.)

So I'd like to share how I, as an author and illustrator, created a story that teaches a heartfelt, but sometimes hard life lesson, in a way that is still fun and light as a bedtime story. I'll share how I did so with my debut picture book, Even Yetis Get Colds. But first, you'll need a little synopsis to know what the story is about on the outside and the deeper lesson that flows underneath.

Even Yetis Get Colds is a whimsical story about a little girl and her best friend, Yeti. Every year Yeti gets a cold. His sickness causes a snowstorm, and he hides out alone, grumpy, until the cold passes. This year, however, the little girl is determined to find a cure. Many fun shenanigans take place as she tries and fails to cure him. In the end, she realizes that what he really needs isn't a cure, but just his friend by his side. The story ends with the two besties cuddled up for warmth as they brave the storm together.

It's a silly, fun story. Yeti's cold is not contagious, or deadly, and is in fact a little fun, because it causes snowstorms and windstorms and other only slightly destructive whimsical problems. We also know this happens every year, so eventually he will feel better on his own.

If I were to replace Yeti with the little girl's mother who is sick and can't be cured; the story would instantly be dark and possibly scary for children—and for me (I'm a softie).

The underlying life lesson is that not everyone can be helped and that there isn't a cure for everything. It's one of the hardest lessons I've ever had to learn. To be honest, I'm still learning it. I spent years watching someone I love suffer, feeling helpless to do anything about it. I still find myself in that little girl's shoes trying everything I can do to help, failing, and realizing yet again, the best thing I can do is just be by their side, listen, and wait for them to tell me what they need.

This helpless feeling is even worse as a child, when you feel you have very little power over anything; much less the ability to help a parent or pet or friend or yourself feel better when they're unwell. It's especially hard for children to understand that sometimes your body just needs time to heal, and you might not just feel better right away. Or even worse, that there may be no cure at all.

In truth, this is a story about a person who can't be cured, and the child who fails to help them. Although, I'm sure someone could write that book at face value and it would be beautiful, it's not how I prefer to tell stories, and not the kind of book I'd like to read to my kids.

So, how can I make that message more digestible, and dare I say... Fun?

I didn't want the person who is sick to be someone we might think of or worry about in our real life. So I made sure that the person who is sick is a fully fictional character. That way we won't relate it too closely to our own mom, or dog or whatnot. In addition, the sickness isn't a deadly disease but a snowstorm. We know storms eventually pass.

In fact, the snowstorm is the perfect excuse to have the characters get stuck in giant snow piles; to get thrown about by tornadoes, and tons of other silly and physical humor to carry the story along. If this were a real cold, a big pile of snot might be a little too icky. Although I think many kids would find a snot pile pretty funny, I don't think parents would appreciate the messaging. This also helps ensure that we know the sickness is not contagious and we aren't worried about the little girl catching Yeti's cold.

An early lesson I learned in illustration and writing is to pull from my own life experiences. That connection to real life is what makes stories feel real and relatable. However, that doesn't mean every aspect needs to be true to life, just the emotional experiences. So taking my real life experience of struggling to help someone in need, but then replacing myself with the little girl, and the person I failed to help with a Yeti and the trouble they suffered from with a snow storm. I have a true to life, personal experience packaged up in a fun and engaging format.

In this way I hope that it doesn't feel like I'm hitting the reader over the head with the messaging, but letting them feel and experience the emotions for themselves.

And that's how I wrote a fun silly story about an un-fun topic.

Check out Carlianne Tipsey's Even Yetis Get Colds here:

BookshopAmazon

(WD uses affiliate links)

View comments

KS2 English: Write A Poem

Naomi: Hi, I'm trying to pick a card for my friend's birthday.

Naomi: Its so hard! I can't decide if I prefer this one…

Naomi: 'Your birthday is a day to do exactly as you please, its your day, you call the shots so spend it at your ease.'

Naomi: Or maybe this one, Flappy birthday! Its funny, but its not really what I need!

Naomi: I'm looking for a card that puts into words how I feel about my friend, and lots of these cards use poems to express feelings.

Naomi: Poetry is a really great way of putting into words the things that we hardly ever say in everyday life.

Naomi: For example, when was the last time you said to your Mum…

Naomi: 'I thank my lucky stars for you and all the caring things you do.'

Naomi: Other cards use playful poetry…

Naomi: 'You really are fantastic, its something you can't stop, in the awesomeness awards, you always come out top!'

Naomi: You might not have thought about it before, but there are people whose job is to write poems for cards.

Naomi: They use their creativity to dream up all the words that the rest of us want to say.

Naomi: Wish I could do that today… well here is someone who will definitely be able to help me out!

Naomi: Joseph Coelho is an award winning performance poet!

Joseph: Writing poems can be a fantastic way to play words, language and to have a bit of fun.

Joseph: There are loads of ways that language to enhance your writing.

Joseph: You can use language for effect with poetic devices like onomatopoeia, rhyme, assonance, alliteration.

Joseph: These devices are also fantastic ways of expressing your emotions, how you feel inside.

Joseph: When the sun is bright, I feel alright.

Joseph: But when the baking clouds are loud, they make my tears fall down.

Joseph: My challenge for you is to write a poem for a greetings card. It can be for anyone so you can get as creative as you like.

Joseph: Just remember to have fun.

Joseph: Alright, get creative!

Naomi: Playing with language! Sounds like fun! So who's going to be taking on this challenge then?

Naomi: First up, its Tori and her super powered imagination makes her feel like she can fly!

Naomi: Next, its Jess who is super stretchy! How does she get her leg up there?

Naomi: Finally, we've got Pearce, who has an amazing painting finger!

Naomi: Right guys what do you think of this challenge then?

Pearce: Does it have to be a serious poem or can it be funny?

Naomi: Well, that's up to you – it depends who your card is for and what you might like to say.

Naomi: I've brought along a few cards here. Read the poems in there and that might give you some inspiration.

Naomi: And while you have a look at those, here are some things you'll need…

Naomi: A pen or pencil…

Naomi: Some paper…

Naomi: And some cards for inspiration!

Naomi: Right then, are you ready to start your challenge?

Children: YEAH!

Pearce: Okay then! Let's get creating!

Naomi: Oi! That's my line!

Naomi: Ok then! Let's get… well I don't need to say it now, you've said it.

Naomi: Do you all have an idea of what you want to do for your greetings cards?

Naomi: What's your plan, Jess?

Jess: I'm going to do an acrostic poem.

Naomi: What's an acrostic poem?

Jess: Say you were doing friend, you put down the word friend, for 'F' you would do 'fun', for 'R' you would do respectful…

Naomi: I see, so you do a word for every letter you've written in that column.

Naomi: Good idea! Alright, what are you going to do?

Pearce: I'm going to write a silly and sarcastic poem for my mum!

Naomi: Does that sum you up?

Pearce: Yep!

Naomi: And Tori?

Tori: A silly poem for my sister!

Naomi: Nice! OK, should we get started then? Lets do it!

Naomi: Try using words that have similar sounds, or start with the same letter!

Naomi: Use an image to describe a thought or feeling. Don't forget that the rhythm of the poem is important too!

Naomi: Are we all done? I think we are. Who would like to share their poem with us?

Naomi: All of you? Who would like to start?

Pearce: My mum plays piano and I like to sing along when I do something bad she tells me I'm in the wrong.

Pearce: I think you're really fun, especially when you run, there's nothing better than a day out with you in the sun!

Naomi: If you enjoyed this challenge there are loads more over on the BBC Teach website.

Naomi: You can write a script, tell a story or design a costume.

Naomi: So go on, get creative!

The Secrets Of Writing An Essay To Get To The Ivy League

If you're reading this, chances are your goal is to get into an elite school such as Stanford, Yale, or Harvard. A quick investigation into these schools reveals that the increasing number of applications leads to stricter admission guidelines and lower acceptance rates.

In fact, acceptance rates have been everything but encouraging in recent years. For example, this year's admissions cycle had the lowest rates in history at all except one Ivy League school.

Just look at these facts:

The acceptance rate at Harvard — 4.59 percent — was the lowest in several decades.

Yale's acceptance rates for classes of 2018 and 2020 were just 6.26 and 6.27 percent, respectively.

Stanford was the most selective Ivy League university with the lowest acceptance rate of 4.3 percent.

In fact, here's a chart showing the trends in Ivy League schools' admission rates that The Crimson compiled in April.

Since all of the students applying to Ivy League schools have overwhelming academic achievement and impressive scores, it's easy to come to the startling realization that your academic performance may not be enough to get accepted.

Therefore, the main thing that can help you stand out from the fierce competition is the admission essay. That's why we're going to see what it takes to craft a personal statement that beats others by speaking to admission professionals in a unique and personal way.

Let's begin.

1. Write About Something That is Deeply Personal

Grace Kim, a former Stanford admissions officer, said in a recent interview with CNBC that she has encountered hundreds of essays about a short but rewarding experience. The sheer number of works written about these experiences made them a cliché in the college admissions community.

Instead, Kim advises writing an essay about something personal:

"We always said when I was an admissions officer, we want it to be so personal to the student that you couldn't put anyone's else name on that essay and have it still be true about that other student."

These essays are the best for determining personal values and personalities of students, which are critical requirements for universities.

So, avoid writing essays about short experiences and try to come up with a topic that has a profound personal importance to you. Admission officers will appreciate that.

2. Avoid a Detached Style

Many applicants write their admission essays in a detached style — a style that makes the reader feel disconnected from the author of the essay or the person described there. This is not a good way to go about essay writing.

If you go with a topic that doesn't matter to you, it won't matter to those reading it.

Simply explained, writing an essay in a detached style won't make admissions professionals fall in love with you. On the other hand, if you get personal and show that there's no other candidate like you applying with the same kind of passion, strengths, and characteristics, your chances of getting accepted will increase dramatically.

How to make admissions professionals fall in love with you? Before you even begin writing an essay, think of a topic that you really want to write about. If you go with a topic that doesn't matter to you, it won't matter to those reading it. Don't be afraid if the topic is complex — a great topic is always complex!

3. Don't Try to Be Funny

Of course, there are some examples when a humorous essay helped students get into an Ivy League university, but the truth is, not everyone is funny. And it's totally okay! Just think about this: how would it feel to read an essay where an applicant is trying too hard to be funny?

Right, it would be a cringe-fest.

While experimenting with different styles of essay writing is strongly encouraged, don't write a humorous essay just because you think that admissions professionals will appreciate it. Humor can make your essay unique, but it can also make it memorable for the uncomfortable experience someone had while reading it.

4. Essays Succeed or Fail in the Details

One surefire way to engage readers and transport them into your story is to give vivid details. For example, tell them about the weather, your feelings, or the look on someone's face. Make them taste that delicious apple pie you had on the 4th of July this year.

This essay writing technique is called imagery and it allows the readers to see the world through your eyes and cheer for you in situations you faced. In other words, it introduces you as a human being, not just another applicant. So, be descriptive about the situation or the moment you're addressing in your essay, because the admissions officers will want to smell it, touch it, and see it.

A good example of using imagery to get accepted to an Ivy League university comes from a student from California, referred to as Bobby in a recent review, whose descriptive writing scored him an acceptance to Harvard. In this review of his essay, The Crimson Brand Studio writes that imagery was one of the most prominent facets of his writing:

Use of imagery in the introduction: "It is first utilized to bring the reader into the piece and make the introduction pop, with "Late evening rays [...] casting a gentle glow…"

Use of imagery in the body of the essay: "Bobby's use of imagery brings his essay to life…" Also, it illustrates "the contrast between his organized, type A persona and the abstract art he eventually creates."

Read the full review using the link above to get all details on Bobby's use of imagery that got him into Harvard.

5. Proofread, Proofread, Proofread

This one goes without saying: an Ivy League application essay should never be a one-and-done deal. Even a small piece requires a lot of proofreading (checking for spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes).

Remember — only one, simple grammar or spelling mistake will get you in the reject pile immediately.

Don't rely on your text processor's spell check function — make sure to proofread it by yourself. When you're done editing, ask your English teacher or even a friend to proofread some more. Remember — only one, simple grammar or spelling mistake will get you in the reject pile immediately.

Be careful when giving your essay to others, though. Keeping the number of people you ask for proofreading is a great idea because having too many people giving you advice may result in your voice getting lost.

Conclusion

As acceptance rates in Ivy League schools showed, your overwhelming academic performance may not be a deciding factor. To increase your chances of getting accepted, you have to write a superb essay that follows the best practices. Use the ones above to guide you to the success and help to beat stress associated with writing application essays.

{related id=1338746 type=sponsored caption="Read more from The College Admissions Series."}

The Crimson's news and opinion teams—including writers, editors, photographers, and designers—were not involved in the production of this article.

---