Beginnings and Endings!

By Donna Cangelosi

'Tis the season of endings and new beginnings. As picture book writers, we know that there is nothing as elating as writing the opening sentence for a picture book. Except, of course, wrapping the book up with the perfect last line. Whenever I start a new story, I re-read my favorite picture books to get ideas for starting up and ending. Here's a few of my all time favorite opening and closing lines. If you haven't read them, treat yourself!

​BEEKLE
Written & Illustrated by Dan Santat

Book jacket description:
This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an increadible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and- at long last- is given his special name: Beekle.

Beginning: "He was born on an island far away where imaginary friends were created. Here, they lived and played, eagerly waiting to be imagined by a real child."

Ending:  "And together they did the unimaginable."

The opening line establishes the setting, hints at the problem, and raises tension. Will Beekle be chosen? With the help of Santat's beautiful illustrations, the reader falls in love with Beekle. The lyrical language further promises a magial story.

The ending provides a happily ever after feeling, uses lexicon to wrap up the story, and extends the theme to leave the reader wondering what Beekle and his friend will do.

LEAVES
Written & Illustrated by David Ezra Stein

Book jacket description:
The young bear has neer seen leaves fall off a tree before. Should he try to put them back? Or take a nap in them? He is getting sleepy...

Beginning: "It was his first year. Everything was going well until the first leaf fell."

Ending: "He felt the sun and saw the little buds on the bare arms of the trees and the tiny leaves that had begun to unfold. "Welcome!" he cried. And, he thought, the leaves welcomed him."

The beginning sets the mood. A happy bear explores a new world. Then a leaf falls and the mood changes. The reader is eager to read what will happen.

The ending re-establishes the happy go lucky spirit of the bear and brings the story full circle. The bear has grown and now understands the cycle of nature.

BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade
Written & Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Book jacket description:
Every Thanksgiving morning for more than eighty years, mammoth-size balloons have risen to the skies to wobble and sway, sally and shimmy, up and down the canyons of New York City.

Just how did this beloved tradition come to Broadway? Who first invented those wondrous "upside-down marionettes?

Meet Tony Sarg: the boy who loved to figure out how things moved- the boy who became the puppeteer of Macy's parade!

Beginning: "From the time he was a little boy, Tony Sarg loved to figure out how to make things move. He once saide he became a marionette man when he was only six years old."

Ending: "Tony Sarg- The puppeteer who loved to figure out how to make things move- had set the stage, with a little rigging, for a puppet to be anything anyone could imagine it to be."

The beginning introduces Tony Sarg and informs the reader that the story is about his fascination with making things move.

The ending uses repitition to show haw Sarg's fascination helped others to explore the art of puppetry.

JIMI SOUNDS LIKE A RAINBOW A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix
Written by Gary Golio
Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe

Book jacket description:
Jimi Hendrix was many things: a superstar, a rebel, a hero, an innovator. But first, he wa a boy named Jimmy who loved to draw and paint and listen to records. A boy who played air guitar with a broomstick and longed for a real guitar of his own. A boy who asked himself a question: Could someone paint pictures with sound?

Beginning: "Electricity ripped through the air. A flash lit up the room. Thunder rocked the house. Jimi's hand jumped and a rainbow of colored pencils went tumbling to the floor."

Ending: "His playing became bold as lightning. Wild as waves. Free as the wind through the trees. Dressed in the colors of the rainbow, he played for audiences far and wide, joining sounds with tender feelings and painting the world with his songs."

The beginning introduces Jimi Hendrix, shows that he's an artist, and lets the reader know that the story is about sensory experiences.

The ending extends the initial theme and shows how Jimi's music was influenced by sensory experiences and how his music touched the world.

The Takeaway: When writing picture books, ask youself: Does the opening introduce the character and setting, build tension and convey a promise to the reader? Does the ending bring the story full circle, extend the them, or launch the reader to explore further?

Wishing everyone satisfying endings & new beginnings in 2017!

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