Thursday, March 7, 2019

ReFoReMo Day 5: Author Heidi E. Y. Stemple Illuminates Story Voice



We talk a lot about voice in writing—is the voice authentic, does the author’s voice come through, is your dialogue strong and true to the character…

But, I would like to have you consider the story’s overall voice—the voice of the entire book that makes it special.

The books you that stick with you—from childhood, or that you just read but can’t get out of your mind—those books that you love most, are often ones with a unique story voice. This story voice can come from the tone of the story (Owl Moon’s voice is quiet) or the setting (Marvelous Cornelius’s story voice is informed by the rhythm of New Orleans). It can be happy or thoughtful, bouncy or quiet. The story voice informs the read aloud. Does your book have a story voice that makes the reader want to tap her foot (Jamberry) or lean in and whisper (Time for Bed)?  
Owl Moon: by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr
                    Marvelous Cornelius: by Phil Bildner, illustrated by John Parra
Jamberry: by Bruce Degen

Time for Bed: by Mem Fox, illustrated by Jane Dyer

Think of your favorite books. How do you read them aloud? How do they make you feel? How would you characterize the voice? Here are some books I think have wonderful unique voices:

A Bouncy Voice: Just Add Glitter by Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrated by Samantha Cotterill
            
This book is exuberant and rhythmic in the very best way.








A Wistful Voice: Always Remember by Cece Meng, illustrated by Jago
            
This gentle book about death and what loved ones leave behind, makes you sigh in the reading of each page.







A Precocious Voice: One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail
            
Without aging the character of this book out of picture book territory, this book uses elevated language and humorous rants to create a well-advanced-for-its-age voice that is both funny and age-appropriate.



An Expansive Voice: The Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ekua Holmes
            
This book seems to expand and contract as the story of creation and evolution (yes, both) grows and the reading of it makes you breathe those ins and outs.






An Iconic Voice: 7 Ate 9 by Tara Lazar, illustrated by Ross MacDonald
            
This book is told in the iconic noir detective voice, but for kids. It begs to be read like an old private eye film voice.







A Hopeful Voice:  Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
            
The text in this book pushes you forward, page turn by page turn, as you walk into the new life, filled with hope and promise with the two immigrant characters.







And a couple bonus older books:

A Quirky Voice: Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

The narrative of this book is told in instructions, giving it a very unique off-stage narrator’s voice.






A Loud Voice: Maya Was Grumpy by Courtney Pippin-Mathur

The voice of this text informs a crispy cranky read aloud (that, of course, softens by the end). I dare you to read it without a punchy pout.









Heidi is offering a signed copy of COUNTING BIRDS,  to one lucky winner. To eligible for prizes throughout the challenge, you must be registered by March 4, comment on each post, consistently read mentor texts, and enter the Rafflecopter drawing at the conclusion of ReFoReMo.


Heidi E.Y. Stemple is the author of more than 25 books, mostly for children. Her newest books are Couting Birds, illustrated by Clover Robin (2018, Quarto) and A Kite For Moon, co-authored by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Matt Phalen (coming in April, Zonderkidz). Talk books and owls with her on social media at:
Facebook:  Heidi Stemple, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, and Owl Count
Instagram and Twitter: heidieys
Or visit her website at: HeidiEYStemple.com



186 comments:

  1. What a great variety of voice examples! Thanks so much for these examples!

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  2. Understanding the concept of voice is something I have struggled with. I love this explanation of the overall story voice and am already thinking of stories I love and working out their voice. Great explanation, thank you.

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  3. I love these examples, Heidi. Thanks for mentor texts that demonstrate unique voice.

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  4. These are perfect examples for the many voices for picture books . Thank you for providing these great mentor texts, Heidi.

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  5. Great examples (as always) Heidi. Jamberry was a favorite that was quoted by our whole family while cooking, eating or doing almost anything. The entire list of books gives us the many facets of voice. Thanks for all the variety.

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  6. I love advice on voice. It is such a hard concept to take in, and I don't know why. These authors do it so well it looks easy. Thanks.

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  7. I have been told that I have a strong voice, and I assume it's the authorial voice. I love the idea of the totality of the book's voice! Such a multitude of voices from which to choose. TY for this post, Heidi.

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  8. A nice clear explanation of different voices and it's good to realize that an author's voice may change with each book depending on the mood of the story. Thanks, Heidi!

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  9. Wonderful examples Heidi. My kids LOVED Jamberry when they were young & I haven't seen it on many lists - thank you for including it & all of the other wonderful voice lessons!

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  10. Voice is always what makes a book a favorite for me! Thanks for this excellent post!

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  11. Thanks for sharing examples of well written voice. One of my favorite mentor texts for voice is Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse. I'm eager to read A Kite For Moon - very inviting cover art.

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  12. Great examples of voice....thanks so much!

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  13. Great variety of voice. Thank you, Heidi.

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  14. Thank you for these wonderful examples of voice. When working well, the overall voice certainly celebrates the story being told.

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  15. Thanks for the wonderful examples. So much to think about as we research and write!

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  16. Such delicious books. Could listen to them for hours, and I have :) Can't wait for A Kite for Moon. Wishing you all the best!

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  17. Thanks for reminding how important story voice is in our writing, Heidi.

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  18. What great examples of Voice. Thank you for taking the time to put this list together.

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  19. Great study on voice! And perfect timing too. Thanks so much.

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  20. Wonderful examples. Thank you!

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  21. What a great list! I've read Maya Was Grumpy and LOVED the voice, the pace, and the way it softened at the end, just like you said. :)

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  22. Love this list. I still remember reading Time for Bed to my kids. We had a board book version that got completely worn out and chewed on. The BEST. Thank you!

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  23. I love how you've told us how to listen to the story's voice. Great list. Thank you!

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  24. Thank you Heidi. Clear, concise and helpful voice examples. Much appreciated!

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  25. Thanks for the great assortment of voice examples and there were so many! This was so helpful!

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  26. Thanks for the recommendations, Heidi. Today my reading will focus on voice!

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  27. Thanks, Heidi. It's great how the different voices help the reader to understand the themes.

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  28. I love the variety of voices. Thanks so much, Heidi! I can't wait to read your newest.

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  29. Astghik (Astrid) KamalyanMarch 7, 2019 at 10:11 AM

    Thank you for the great variety of voice! The voice in some books makes me sing those instead of reading - and Time for Bed is one of those. It's like the book came up with its own lullaby melody.

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  30. My kids loved Jamberry! They would recite snippets whenever we spread blueberry jam on toast...

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  31. Thank you, Heidi, for sharing many excellent titles that depict voice in a variety of ways.

    Suzy Leopold

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  32. Wonderful examples of voice to explore and use as mentor texts. Thanks Heidi

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  33. I'm looking forward to rereading these favorites while paying special attention to the voice in each. Thanks!

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  34. Thank you for talking about the voice of each book and read alouds. Makes it fun to read it to someone or a group of them.

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  35. The universe must be sending me a message. This is the third blog post I've read this morning about voice (this one deliberately read, the others were stumbled upon). Off the revise a ms, and I'll see if I can label the type of voice it has -- and whether or not that label describes the voice I had intended the story to have. Thanks, Heidi!

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    1. I'm not "Unknown." (ha! No bragging intended!) -- Carol Munro

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  36. I love “Owl Moon” and “Jamberry”. I look forward to reading the rest.

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  37. Reviewing my mss and trying to assign descriptions of voice ... Love your examples, Heidi. Requesting Counting Birds from the library today.

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  38. Thank you for creating this wonderful list of mentor texts on voice!

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  39. Thank you for some great examples of voice in picture books!

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  40. Heidi, I was very interested in the adjectives you chose to describe each picture book’s voice. Your statement: “But, I would like to have you consider the story’s overall voice—the voice of the entire book that makes it special,” challenges me. Thank you for giving us questions to answer to help us in discovering each book’s overall voice. I will start asking myself these questions as I read mentor texts and as I revise my stories.
    I, like you, love birds and will definitely check out your website and new book, COUNTING BIRDS!

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  41. This is so true and really resonates for me. Thank you for these mentor texts!

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  42. Thank you for these wonderful mentor texts, and for so clearly naming these different voices. People talk about voice so often, but don't explain what they mean by it. These are great examples!

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  43. Thank you Heidi for these great examples of voice! Can't wait to read Maya was Grumpy with a punchy pout to my kids. :-) Congratulations on A Kite for Moon - looking forward to reading it!

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  44. Thanks for sharing, Heidi! These books are wonderful mentor texts to study.

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  45. wonderful examples of voice - putting both the reader and listener in a particular mood.

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  46. Thanks for this great collection of books. I love how you connected overall story voice to how it makes me feel when I read it.

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  47. This is wonderful! I love the blend of old and new books and a variety of voices for us to read and listen to. Thank you for this great list of mentor texts!

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  48. Voice is so important to talk about. Thanks for this great list.

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  49. Thanks for the variety and labeling the voice used for us. Very helpful.

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  50. These examples of voice, and a style connection for each, is most helpful as we all work to describe and achieve appropriate "voice" for our stories. Thanks, Heidi!

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  51. Thanks, Heidi, for these wonderful examples of voice. Voice does set the mood and the books you chose show that.

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  52. Thanks Heidi! I love how voice makes a story. You are awesome!

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  53. Helpful explanation of voice.

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  54. Thanks for this great post, Heidi! And I can't WAIT for A Kite For Moon to come out (I got to see you and your mom's sneak peek at the RUCCL conference and I'm already in love with it). Other books I love that I think have great overall voice: LOUD LULA by Katy Duffield, YOU DON'T WANT A UNICORN by Ame Dyckman, DEAR SUBSTITUTE by Audrey Vernick, THE ROAD HOME by Katie Cotton and I LOST MY TOOTH by Mo Willems.

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  55. Heidi, I love this post. Sometimes it's easy to be so focuses on the character's voice. Thinking about the story/book's voice really made think this morning. Thanks.

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  56. Voice is one of my favorite topics in writing for children or adults, something I focus on quite a bit. I often think of this before I read a book to a child, so I can adjust my "voice" accordingly. Love the variety in this list. Thank you!

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  57. Wonderful examples. Thanks so much.

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  58. Heidi-Thank you for sharing these mentor texts to study voice.

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  59. I appreciate these great examples of mentor texts. I always enjoy reading Jamberry aloud to my little ones. Thanks for the post!

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  60. I absolutely loved Marvelous Cornelius! Many of these books, I have never read before. So loving the suggestions!

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  61. Such an interesting way to look at Voice--the micro and the macro. Thanks for highlighting this through a rich selection of texts!

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  62. Thank you for this informative post!

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  63. Wow, thanks for the wealth of examples! Great post--this is a topic that I really want to investigate more.

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  64. Thank you, Heidi, for these great examples of voice in picture books.

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  65. Thanks so much for this post. I'm going to check those books out. Owl Moon is one of my favorites.

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  66. Great examples and lots to think about. Thanks!

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  67. Great post, Heidi! And I've been blessed to hear you read some stories with your amazing reader's voice.

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  68. This is a great group of mentor texts. Thank you!

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  69. Thanks for all of the great examples. It makes sense that the overall voice is what draws us back to a story for many reads!

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  70. Thank you for these exemplary books.

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  71. There was some very different examples of voice, from the character's POV to a how-to narrator style, like Vampirina Ballerina. And each was quite unique & lovely. Thx for the solid examples, Heidi!

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  72. I really enjoy exploring voice through reading different books -- thanks for a few more that I didn't know about. It's really fascinating and such an art to see how different words and rhythms can create a compelling way to tell the story.

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  73. Thank you for including older and more recent examples of voice. The voices of Owl Moon and Jamberry still sing in my mind. Have you seen Melissa Stewart's recent post on voice? She quotes Linda Sue Parks."Here’s Linda Sue’s astonishingly clear, simple definition of voice:
    voice = word choice + rhythm
    She then broke down “rhythm” in an equally clear and simple way:
    rhythm = punctuation + sentence length"
    You can find the blog post at
    http://celebratescience.blogspot.com/2019/03/what-is-voice.html

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  74. So happy to read 'Jamberry' again! I had the board book of it on my shelves here and I read it many times to my children when they were young. But every single one of these books I could exclaim about - 'Owl Moon' is an all time favorite, read again and again and the new 'Dreamers 'I have to get a copy of it, I think it is incredible! Your comments about story voice give me much to think about. and until now I would say that voice was something I couldn't quite put my finger on, I'm beginning to understand it! Thank you! (Also happy to find a fellow bird lover and will look for your Counting Birds!

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  75. Thank you for this unique information on voice. I struggle with this, so I appreciate your example Carmela McCain Simmons for your definition. I will check out Melissa Stewart's post. She is so good, as is Linda Sue Parks.

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    1. I agree. Both Parks and Stewart are amazing authors and very generous with the time the spend mentoring others.

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  76. I'm always wanting to learn more about voice! thank you.

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  77. These definitely have voice and then some. Great list!

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  78. Great List. 7 Ate 9 is a fave. Thank you!

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  79. Great to study "voice" because it's such an important part of PB writing. Hope to one day "discover" mine! Thank you for this awesome list of texts to study!

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  80. I've checked out a lot of these in the past. Thank you for this 'voice' study - I need all the help I can get.

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  81. Great examples of how voice can make a story. Thank you.

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  82. Thanks Heidi for the great examples. This can be a hard concept so I appreciate the suggestions.

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  83. Voice can always be challenging, thank you for these great examples!!

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  84. Everything Heidi writes is golden! Thanks so much for the post!

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  85. Voice can be elusive, so I appreciate these excellent examples which help us to get a grip on it. Your post was both informative and insightful, and I appreciate your sharing these mentor texts to help us grow as authors.

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  86. A Precocious Voice: One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail - ha! Love discovering new reads!!

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  87. Owl Moon has always stuck with me. Definitely a favorite! Thanks for sharing your insights on voice

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  88. I loved reading this blog post http://celebratescience.blogspot.com/2019/03/what-is-voice.html in conjunction with yours. Keeping word choice + rhythm in mind as I read the titles you suggest. Thanks for the inspiration!!

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  89. Great examples of different styles of voice! Thanks for sharing!

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  90. Love the voices in all of these! Thanks for sharing, Heidi!

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  91. Comparing books in this way really helped to hear the voice. Thank you!

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  92. I have loved reading today. These are great stories.

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  93. Great practice listening to the voice of books. Thanks so much for the wonderful list of books. :)

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  94. Today's texts are incredible examples of the possibility and diversity of voices in picture books. I love this study! It's like a mini-course...so valuable! Thanks, Heidi!

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  95. Great selection of mentor texts. Voice is such a confusing concept - I love the explanations of the various types of voice from the quiet voice in Owl Moon to the Iconic voice in 7 Ate 9 and the precocious voice in One Word from Sophia. This will be so valuable in my writing.

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  96. The Stuff of Stars-- simply, WOW!

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  97. That will be a big help for us to define our own voice and find comps

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  98. My first time reading all these books They were a great variety of books showing different types of voices. Thanks for the suggestions.

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  99. Heidi,
    I loved your explanation of voice by showing us all these varied examples. I loved the stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer. It gave me chills and Dreamers was at once personal and universal. I'm enjoying Fly with Me: A Celebration of Birds through Pictures,Poems and Stories. Check it out if you haven't seen it yet.

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  100. I'm so pleased to see Owl Moon on this list. I dug through my old books and found it! I read it to my 4 year old at bedtime, not quite knowing how she would like it because the book is so quiet. When the book ended she asked me if we could go Owling, but during the day when it's not dark out :) I also loved Dreamers illustrations from this list.

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  101. I'm a huge fan of voice--thanks Heidi for choosing to highlight this crucial component of story.

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  102. Great post, Heidi! Thank you for sharing these the wonderful examples of voice

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  103. Thank you for the amazing post filled with terrific texts and explanations. So helpful and inspiring! Owl Moon is a favorite:)

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  104. Wonderful post! I don't often think about the voice of the entire book. I tend to focus more on a character's voice coming through. I'll consider both from now on!

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  105. Thank you Heidi for an insightful look at voice. As I read, I realized that by our word choice we are influencing how a parent will use their voice to read the book. I one manuscript that does this and it makes the book so fun to read. When I give it to someone new to read, its fun to see how their voice quickly adapts to the urgency and frantic pace I intended.

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  106. Voice is so important and fun to play with at storytime. I recently heard Melissa Manlove of Chronicle Books talk about how all book are autobiography and all the books we read at autobiographical as well. So the voice of the storyteller, story artist,the story reader and story listeners become partners in creating that voice and giving the story so many levels of meaning, emotion, and character. Hmm, that makes me think that books and stories continue to last, not so much for the overall story, but what the combined voices create in our hearts and minds.

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  107. Loved the examples! A friend in my bookclub recently passed away from cancer and the rest of us met for drinks the other night to sign copies of Always Remember to give to her 4 children (high school to college aged). We wrote quotes from books or authors inside and hope that the kids will cherish these books as reminders of their mother who loved nature and animals and will one day share them with their own children. Beautiful book!

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  108. Heidi, thanks, this is great go-to list for nailing voice in all its possibilities.

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  109. Heidi, as always, I value your thoughtfulness and perspective -- and am excited to reread these great books with an eye toward story voice and the feelings they evoke.

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  110. Thank you, Heidi, for giving us so many texts for exploring voice and to help recognize and develop our own voice. Nancy Ferguson

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  111. This is a topic I LOVE to study. Voice is so much in all of our stories, and it is great to look at variations of it with these texts. I am incredibly impressed by not only the voice of these stories, but the meaning behind the words. Some of these are new to me, and I am blown away by these book selections. Such powerful meaning, such strong voice.

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  112. enjoyed this post on voice, thank you!

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  113. Thank you, Heidi, for sharing this beautiful selection of books with unique story voices.

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  114. What a great guide for exploring voice! Thanks.

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  115. These are awesome examples of voice and they're all so different from each other.

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  116. All of these are great examples. It is so true how the voice of the story guides the way it is read. I had not put it in this context before. Great post!

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  117. Thank you for this varied list of overall STORY voice vs your character's voice, which can be quite different concepts. I enojyed some of these new titles I hadn't seen before!

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  118. I got to read almost all of these books and appreciate the voice that comes through. Thanks for this list.

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  119. Thank you Heidi! Thoroughly enjoyed your selections! Just Add Glitter made me want to run straight to Walmart and buy ALL the glitter! Always Remember made me... remember <3
    And One Word From Sophia is an absolute favorite of mine! I've checked it out so many times I'm starting to get funny looks from the librarian!

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  120. Frank Wilson McCollMarch 9, 2019 at 1:09 AM

    These are great, thank you!

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  121. This a a great variety of examples. Thank you!

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  122. These are wonderful examples of stories with authentic voice. Thank you so much for your post!

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  123. Thank you for making voice more understandable.
    Darcee Freier

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  124. Thank you! I appreciate seeing these clear examples of story voice, and so many of the texts I already own! This overall voice is giving me another view of my current WIP.

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  125. Thank you for sharing all of these different books all with different voices :-).

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  126. I see that in order to make a PB character memorable, the author must eavesdrop on children. (Or think like a five-year old. Heidi, thanks for the voice mentor texts.

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  127. A new file has been created entitled VOICE mentor text. You can view and add to this list here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/reforemo/voice-mentor-texts/2359530587624615/

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  128. Thank you, Heidi. Great examples!

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  129. One of my favorite exercises is reading for voice. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and this list, Heidi!

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  130. Thanks so much for these examples with unique voices!

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  131. These are wonderful examples of different types of voice. Thanks for gathering them for us to explore!

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  132. Thanks for these! I hadn't thought in terms of the voice of a book before, thanks for pointing it out with such a range of examples.

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  133. The act of reading aloud goes hand-in-hand with picture books, so I think that when the voice of the story is strong and infectious enough it can have the effect of transmitting some of that power to the teller. I just recently read an article about an introverted, decidedly non-theatrical mother who found herself turning into a full-fledged performer when reading stories to her children before bed. Good picture books have that sneaky ability of working into your skull that way—when you hear that strong voice in your head you recognize it for what it is, and when you give shape to those words by speaking them aloud it can very much be like an act of magic.

    Look at OWL MOON, for instance. Doesn’t need to be read aloud because even just processing the words on the page with your eyes can instill that feeling of enchanted slumber, of the world standing still for a frozen moment of time while you as that young child attempt to plumb one of life’s small mysteries with a mixture of awe and reverence.

    And then on the other end of the spectrum you have 7 ATE 9. Like Heidi says, it is impossible to read this picture book without letting those bad Humphrey Bogart and Peter Falk impressions fly high and free. This is a voice that tickles you as you read the text, a voice that invites you to come out and play—no matter how silly you might look in the process.

    I also enjoy voices like the one employed in VAMPIRINA BALLERINA. While it would be tempting to write just a straight narration of the narrative for a story occupying this world—monsters and the undead, oh my!—I love the restraint that Anne Marie Pace uses here. She curbs the desire to lovingly describe her character’s moldy crypt and the horrified reactions of her dance team and instead goes for the impassive, objective voice of a narrator offering instructions. This I think actually sharpens the effect of the illustrations; the narrator’s voice comments on the events of the story in a more indirect and sly way, setting up a one-two punch of droll textual delivery and morbidly jubilant artwork. I think voices like this can give authors the most bang for their buck when it comes to the art of picture book storytelling.

    Also, Heidi gave a great description of the voice from THE STUFF OF STARS. Expands and contracts. I would not have thought to phrase it that way, but that’s absolutely right. How fitting that a story of birth should have the controlled ins and outs of mediated breathing during its telling.

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  134. I guess I never thought of the read aloud voice as the voice of the story before- a new way to look at voice for me! Thanks, Heidi!

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  135. Thank you for this list of moving picture books. The meaning stays with you long after you read them.

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  136. I enjoyed reading these books out loud to myself. Read-A-Loud ability is very important.

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  137. Voice is something I feel I struggle with, these are great examples of unique voices. I love how you classified the voices, it gives me something to think about. Thanks!

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  138. Thank you for this list of books with varied voices. I loved "Marvelous Cornelius".

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  139. Thank you Heidi. I love seeing different voices. It makes the writing of a picture book more enjoyable...and finding my own voice as well.

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  140. Great examples of Voice in picture books. I love it when the voice is so strong the reader can't help but read it how the writer intended.

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  141. So many fantastic mentor texts! I'm trying to catch up with my reading. Voice sells books, so this post is one I need to re-read and re-read.

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  142. Thanks for the excellent selection of story-voice mentor texts.

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  143. It makes sense that the voice of the story will give the story interest, relevance etc but getting it right isn’t easy. Seeing the examples given here is very helpful.

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  144. Sometimes I struggle to understand overall voice. I love the idea of paying attention to how I read a book aloud to discover its voice. Thanks!

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  145. What great descriptive words and examples. Thanks!

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  146. Makes me want to volunteer at story time and bring this pile of books!

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  147. Great list--thank you! Interesting to think about the story voice in the context of a read-aloud.

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  148. I love how the examples demonstrate so many varied voices. Thank you Heidi for sharing these books and why each has an authentic and unique voice.

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  149. Great list! Voice is so important and so hard to find sometimes. These mentor texts will be a great help in my writing. Thanks!

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  150. Thanks, Heidi. Always such great insights from you.

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  151. This is a great list. Thank you. I've read 7 Ate 9, and the Dreamers. Waiting in line for others at the library.

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  152. Voice can be so difficult, especially in PBs. Thanks for these examples, Heidi!

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  153. Great examples of voice in writing! I love the view of a child owling with her papa, the voice of letter I as a detective, and in Dreamers the story is told so beautifully with lovely illustrations.

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  154. Such great examples and so true!! This is a post to keep coming back to, thank you!

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  155. Voice is the part I struggle most with in writing. I am thrilled to have these examples to study.

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  156. The voice evokes atmosphere. It brings the reader into the environment of the book, whether that be the quiet sharing of Owl Moon or the gruff defiance of Maya Was Grumpy. Loved this post; thank you Heidi.

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  157. Fantastic mentor text examples. Looking forward to your new book!

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  158. What a wonderful set of books. Now in love especially with Dreamers and Stuff of Stars - new to me. Loved this day of books. Thank you!

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  159. Ah, Owl Moon. My whole family loves that one. We also had fun with 7 Ate 9 and found Dreamers breathtaking beautiful. Thank you for this post about voice and how it can show up in picture books.

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  160. Great list of a bunch of unique voices.

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  161. Had read Dreamers and Owl Moon. Both lovely books, but I identify with Dreamers.
    I read One Word from Sophia and was laughing page after page. Always Remember,is next.

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  162. I love these voice examples! Excellent list.

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  163. Thank you for these wonderful and varied examples of voice.

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  164. Yes! It is quite helpful to think about the overall story voice and characterize it in our minds. Thank you!

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  165. Sometimes it's difficult to find the right voice for a story. Thanks for the informational post.

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  166. What a great list of classic favorites and newbies! And I'm excited to put A Kite For Moon on my want to read list!

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  167. A great list of books separated by the type of voice they have. Must read and reread them.

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  168. Voice can be difficult to master, so having great mentor texts to study helps. :) Thank you!

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  169. Ahh yes...the definition of "voice". :) I hadn't thought of the STORY having a voice - thank you for that. So many wonderful voices!

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  170. I appreciate this post so much, since what jumps out the most are the sarcastic, sassy voices. I think this is because those are the easiest to imitate, yet I find they can come quickly become tedious if not done well.

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  171. Of course Owl Moon and Time For Bed! Just beautifully evocative. And now Counting Birds!! The most wonderful voice in these books and the others for today. Thank you, Heidi!

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  172. Thanks, Heidi! I remember reading Jamberry to my kids when they were little. I saw it the other day in the bookstore and was taken back to those precious days.

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  173. I love a good voice and the characters and stories that stay with you when they are done well. Thank you for a great list.

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  174. I loved your take, Heidi, on each book's voice. So helpful.

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  175. Great post on voice with some wonderful examples. Thanks Heidi!

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  176. It's easy to spot voice in fun, spunky read alouds like One Word from Sophia and Vampirina Ballerina, but I love how you also pointed out more subtle but equally masterful examples as well. It makes sense that voice can also be hopeful, expansive, etc. Thank you for a great list of mentor titles to study!

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