JoAnn Early Macken

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Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move by JoAnn Early Macken Illustrated by Pam Paparone ISBN: 978-0-8234-2043-8 Age Level: 3-6

Look for my newest picture book, with gorgeous illustrations
by Pam Paparone, in stores now!

Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move
With a gust of wind a dandelion seed takes off soaring through the sky. Who knows where it will land? Seeds use ingenious methods to travel to new places, from bobbing along through waves to spinning like green helicopters. A glossary is included.

Order Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move from Holiday House

Gary Paulsen: Voice of Adventure and Survival

Gary Paulsen: Voice of Adventure and Survival by JoAnn Early Macken ISBN-13: 978-0-7660-2721-3 ISBN-10: 0-7660-2721-X

This biography of author Gary Paulsen was published in 2007 as part of the Enslow Publishers series Authors Teens Love.

Order Gary Paulsen: Voice of Adventure and Survival from Enslow Publishers.

Sing-Along Song
Busy buzz, dizzy fuzz!
Bumble like a bee does!
What's that you hear? From a robin chirping in the morning to a lazy dog snoozing on the kitchen floor, from a squirrel's chitter chat to Daddy's home-at-last footsteps in the evening, everyday sounds can inspire the sweetest melodies.

Vibrant illustrations and a toe-tapping, sing-it-out-loud story are sure to make this a young child's favorite book any time of the day.

Sing-Along Song by JoAnn Early Macken Illustrated by LeUyen Pham ISBN: 0-670-05890-4 Age Level: 3 & up

Look for Sing-Along Song, illustrated by LeUyen Pham, in bookstores now!
Illustration copyright © LeUyen Pham 2004.

Cats on Judy
Within the pages of this book, Judy and her fabulous furry felines will fill your heart with fun and frivolity. Join in on this hilarious romp through a day in young Judy's cat-filled life.

Cats on Judy
by JoAnn Early Macken
Illustrated by Judith DuFour Love
ISBN: 1-879085-73-9
Illustration copyright © Judith DuFour Love 1997.

More Biographies
Easy Biographies
Scholastic, 2007 (coauthor)
Abraham Lincoln: Road to the White House
George Washington: Founding Father
Abigail Adams: Young Patriot
Elizabeth Blackwell: First Woman Doctor
Paul Revere: Son of Liberty
Ben Franklin: Extraordinary Inventor, Brave Leader
Daniel Boone
Davy Crockett
Babe Ruth
Roberto Clemente

Easy Biographies
Scholastic, 2006 (coauthor)
Thomas Edison: Incredible Inventor
The Wright Brothers: The Flight to Adventure

Science
Ecosystems: Full of Energy (Grade 6)
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, 2006

Invertebrates: Life without a Backbone (Grade 3)
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, 2007

Auroras and White Nights: Light at Earth’s Poles (Grade 4)
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, 2007

Beginning Readers
Construction Zone series
(Capstone Press, 2009)
Building a Bridge, Building a House
(Capstone Press, Spring 2008)
Building a Road, Building a Skyscraper, Construction Crews, Construction Tools, Demolition!, Digging Tunnels

Seasons of the Year series
(Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2006)
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter

Animals That Live in the Mountains series
(Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2006)
Bighorn Sheep, Condors, Cougars, Elk, Golden Eagles, Mountain Goats

Things with Wings series
(Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2006)
The Life Cycle of a Bat, The Life Cycle of a Cicada, The Life Cycle of a Dragonfly, The Life Cycle of a Flamingo, The Life Cycle of a Hummingbird, The Life Cycle of a Moth

Where on Earth? World Geography series
(Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2006)
Deserts, Lakes, Mountains, Plains, Rivers, Seas

Animals That Live in the Desert series
(Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2005)
Coyotes, Gila Monsters, Jackrabbits, Rattlesnakes, Roadrunners, Vultures

Water Habitats series
(Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2005)
Beaches, Coral Reefs, Lakes, Ocean Floors, Rivers, Wetlands

Animals That Live in the Forest series
(Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2005)
Black Bear, Deer, Moose, Opossum, Owl, Porcupine

After-School Fun series
(Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2005)
Art Classes, Bike Riding, Gymnastics, Karate, Music Lessons, Swimming

Animals That Live on the Farm series
(Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2004)
Chickens, Cows, Goats, Horses, Pigs, Sheep

Let’s Read About Pets series
(Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2003)
Goldfish, Guinea Pigs, Kittens, Parakeets, Puppies, Rabbits

People in My Community series
(Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2003)
Mail Carrier, Nurse, Sanitation Worker, School Crossing Guard, Teacher, Veterinarian

Animals I See at the Zoo series
(Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2002)
Bears, Camels, Elephants, Giraffes, Hippos, Lions, Monkeys, Penguins, Sea Lions, Snakes, Tigers, Zebras

Animal Worlds series
(Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002)
African Animals, Farm Animals, Polar Animals, Rain Forest Animals

All content on this site copyright © 2007 by JoAnn Early Macken except as otherwise noted.
Please do not copy without permission.

Do You Want to Publish a Children's Book?

Getting a children's book published by a reputable publisher typically requires huge amounts of research, hard work, perseverance, and luck. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts--most authors work for years before having a manuscript accepted. Here are some tips that might help you speed up the process.

1. If you are not already a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), I urge you to join. Tons of information about publishing and publishers is on the web site (www.scbwi.org), and even more is available to members only. Local chapters often host meetings, conferences, and other networking opportunities. You may even be able to find other members who are interested in forming a critique group. Another helpful web site is The Purple Crayon (www.underdown.org).

2. Only submit your very best work. Know the requirements for the genre. Revise, revise, condense, pare down, and make the text as close to perfect as you can. Join a critique group so you can get input from other writers. Then revise again.

3. Prepare your manuscript properly. Editors are so swamped with submissions these days that they will not seriously consider a manuscript that is improperly formatted or full of typos or grammatical errors. Take your time and make yours look good. For instructions on how to format a manuscript, see "Manuscript Format Basics" at www.underdown.org/manuscript-format.htm.

4. Read lots of recent children's books, understand what is being published today, and decide which publisher's books seem to match your style.

5. Check those publishers' web sites to find out more about the kinds of books they publish. Study their catalogs and look for writers' guidelines.

6. Use a market guide such as the annual Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market to find submission requirements for publishers. (Some publishers require agents, some require exclusive submissions, some require query letters, etc.) You can also find a list of children's book publishers and their preferences at the web site of The Children's Book Council: http://www.cbcbooks.org/about/ourmembers.aspx.

7. Different editors can have very different tastes. Try to find the name of an editor at each company you plan to submit to, and then research what kinds of books each editor has worked on. You can do this by studying SCBWI publications and attending conferences. You might also find this information from author web sites, by general web searches, and in the books you read.

8. Don't give up! If you love to write, enjoy the process for its own rewards. Practice really does improve your writing and your chances of publication. Good luck!

Freelance Writing
Partial Client List

Anthology, Inc.
Black Rabbit Books
BrainWorx Studios
Capstone Press
CTB/McGraw-Hill
Enslow Publishers
Gareth Stevens Publishing
Harcourt Assessment
Mazer Creative Services
Pearson
Quarasan
Scholastic
Time for Kids
Weekly Reader Early Learning Library