The 2015 Best in Rhyme Award Winner!

 

Last year the RhyPiBoMo Group decided to honor one rhyming picture book as the Best in Rhyme and several honor books. The RhyPiBoMo Facebook Group nominated books that fit the criteria discussed in this post, The Best in Rhyme Committee narrowed the list to the Top 20 RPBs and then voted. This idea bloomed into a book award ceremony and RPB Revolution Conference in New York City last December. Thanks to many people in the group who volunteered many hours to make this happen. Stay tuned for nominations for the 2016 Best in Rhyme Awards!

Here is a link to the award ceremony with more thanks to Julie Gribble of KidLitTV who hosted us, recorded the conference and made it available for us to sell. This recording made it possible for us to have the conference and will help us prepare funding for future conferences. Please check it out! It’s only $49.99 for over 4 hours of video! You get to submit to the presenting agents and editors included with your purchase! Here’s more information about the conference recording.

       

Today I am honored to introduce our winner of this esteemed award. Her book THERE WAS AN OLD DRAGON WHO SWALLOWED A KNIGHT is exactly what we should all aspire to write. It includes a brilliant story, lots of tension, a surprising ending and has wagon loads full of poetic techniques that make it a true winner.

 I’m pleased to introduce

Author Penny Parker Klostermann

Author Penny Parker Klostermann

 

You Are the Band: The RPB Best in Rhyme

Award Rubric

A whole month devoted the rhyming picture books! Yes! Great rhyming picture books are pure entertainment.

I know. I know. We’ve all read rhyming picture books that aren’t pure entertainment. But notice I said “great” rhyming picture books. These are the ones that bring it all. That means that the author has done their homework and has paid attention to all elements that belong in a rhyming picture book. This is not an easy feat. As I was thinking about this, it reminded me of a one-man band. Think of one person playing all those instruments and producing music that entertains. Every note . . . every beat . . . must be just right or the audience will lose interest.

That’s why the committee for the Rhyming Picture Book Revolution Conference created a comprehensive rubric to score the books that were nominated for the Best of Rhyme Award. They wanted to make sure the books they chose to receive an award were hitting every note . . . every beat.

Take a look at the elements on the rubric.

Story/Plot/Structure – Clear arc with beginning/middle/end. Incorporates conflict and satisfying resolution that ties back to beginning

Character – Well-developed, active character(s) with distinctive traits and flaws, and a clear want or problem.

Rhyme – Consistently clever rhyme (not predictable) including the use of several multi-syllabic rhyming words. No slant, inversions, or forced rhyme.

Rhyming Pattern – Consistent.

Meter – Consistent meter. No variation, except intended variation for emphasis.

Appeal – Universal kid appeal and includes something for the adult reader

Verbs – Filled with action-packed verbs.

Concept/Theme (Message or Take Away) – Completely original concept or fresh take on old concept. Subtle message kids can grasp, universally relatable. Excellent use of showing versus telling.

Language – Uses 3 or more different poetic techniques with multiple occurrences of the following: alliteration, assonance, consonance,, onomatopoeia, Internal rhyme, metaphor, simile, personification, and has original and clever use of words/phrases, beyond poetic techniques  – wordplay, puns, & phrases including those adults will appreciate/enjoy.

Sentence Fluency – Highly effective sentence length variation or intentional yet highly effective non-variation (by design). Sentence structure enhances the rhythm. Use of repetition is highly effective and purposeful. Overall, word choice results in consistent rhythm. Economical use of words.

To view the entire rubric with scoring criteria click here.

Notice that seven of the ten elements on the rubric have nothing to do with rhyme or meter. Rhyming picture books have to include all the elements in a non-rhyming picture book, plus perfect rhyme and meter. Wordsmith-ing alone will not cut it. Rhyme and meter may get some toes tapping, but it won’t bring readers back to your book if there isn’t a story.

Therein is the challenge. If you decide to take the challenge and write your story in rhyme, remember you are the band. You have to hit every beat, every note. You have to bring every element in the rubric to your story. Yes, it’s challenging. Yes, it’s hard. But in the end, if you hit every note . . . every beat, the music you make will draw readers from all around to hear your story. You will be the band!

Bio:

Penny Parker Klostermann is the author of There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2015) and the upcoming, A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale, (Random House, 2017). There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight is one of fifteen books on the 2015-2016 Sunshine State Young Readers Award Jr. List and was also named Best in Rhyme 2015 in conjunction with the Rhyming Picture Book Revolution Conference.

Penny loves all kinds of books, but especially loves very silly picture books that make her laugh. She has been known to hug her favorite picture books and seriously hopes that someday her books will gain huggable status too.

 

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Thank You Penny!

PLEASE like our guest bloggers on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, go to their websites and express your appreciation for their time and wisdom! Many have generously donated multiple prizes and this event would not be successful without their support, so please support them! Oh…and buy their books too!!

To be eligible for today’s prize drawing by Random.org you must comment at the bottom of the page where it says “Leave A Reply” AND add your FIRST and LAST name in the comment. If I don’t have your name or how to contact you via email, you can’t win.

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The drawings will be done daily and announced on Saturday of each week.