Do you DREAM of publishing a Picture Book?
I can help! Come and cook up a picture book
with an expert editor.
Why work with me?
• I am an expert editor with 30+ years' publishing experience nurturing debuts and publishing bestselling authors and illustrators.
• I understand the creator's journey – I am a published author.
• I can empower you to create a child-centred picture book that resonates - I am an early years educator, qualified in Montessori and Developmental Psychology.
"I have been on many courses linked to picture books before, but this one of the best ones I have ever taken! It delved deeper and is relevant no matter what previous experience you’ve had. It is jam-packed with actual examples and opportunities to reflect on your script or start to shape your ideas from scratch. It is designed to literally take you on a journey with tangible ideas and examples. A big thank you from me. I now regularly refer back to the elements I have learnt."
Natalie, Jericho Prize Course Participant
"Natascha's deep knowledge of the kidlit world and her ability to navigate its many facets make her a trusted guide for any writer. Working with Natascha is more than just a learning experience—it’s a meaningful investment in yourself and your career. I’m incredibly grateful for her expertise and support, and I can’t recommend her highly enough!"
Anna Orenstein-Cardona, Author of The Tree of Hope and Founder & CEO of Wear Your Money Crown
BEGINNER/INTERMEDITATE
Picture Book Creators
6
Sessions
12
Weeks
7 January 2025 START
(with breaks for writing)
My signature Cook Up a Picture Book method equips you with all the TOOLS you will ever need to create a picture book in JUST 6 SESSIONS:
SIX COMPREHENSIVE LIVE-TAUGHT WORKSHOP MODULES take you from IDEA to SUBMISSION-READY picture book pitch:
Webinar style and practical hands-on exercises, with lots of time for exploration and questions with a picture book expert and published author, MBE.
Is this you?
I am a beginner author or illustrator, who would like a more structured learning experience:
• You have never written a picture book, but it sounds FUN!
• You have a notebook of ideas or doodles in a sketchbook, and WANT TO HAVE A GO!
• You want to independently publish your book idea, and firgure out how to make it COMMERCIAL!
I am an intermediate creator who wants to level up:
• You've spent years writing drafts, dream of being published, and are GETTING NOWHERE!
• You are an illustrator and aspire to write and illustrate your OWN picture books.
• You keep getting REJECTIONS. Why, oh, why?!. . .
I am an educator or a parent and I want to have a go:
• You read stories in the classroom and at bedtime and think, yeah, I'd like to do that!
• You watch your kids at home and at school and the ideas keep coming at you.
• You'd like to learn the nuts 'n' bolts of picture book craft so you can finally make yours happen.
HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF PICTURE BOOK CRAFT
CREATE STORIES WITH STRONG CHARACTERS AND PLOTS
GAIN INSIDER KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
DISCOVER YOUR UNIQUE STYLE AND VOICE
Course TIMINGS AND Breakdown:
TUESDAYS, 7-9 PM on ZOOM
Session 1: 7 JANUARY 2025
Figuring out your story – what makes a commercial picture book? Formats, genres and universal themes.
See you next week!
Session 2: 14 january 2025
Understanding your characters – what makes a memorable and child-centred character?
See you next week!
Session 3: 21 JANUARY 2025
Putting it down on paper – creating a sound picture book structure and developing your premise.
BREAK - fine-tune premise
Session 4: 11 February 2025
Top tips on leveling up your plotting, pacing and rhythm.
See you next week!
SEssion 5: 18 February 2025
Creating an opening that grabs, an ending that delivers, and vivid scenes in between.
BREAK - writing time!
SEssion 6: MARCH 2025 tbc
Tightening up your story – tips on nailing your hook, revision, and submitting to agents & editors.
You did it!
Dont' take my Word for it . . . Check out WHAT
STORYSHAPING Clients ARe SAYING:
"My career in children's publishing started with Natascha. Her expertise has been crucial in the many projects we have worked on together. Her vision and passion for children's books makes the journey from idea to publication creative and enjoyable.”
Garry Parsons
Bestselling Picture Book Illustrator
"What I loved the most about Natascha is that she gave me skills and tips to learn how to be independent and develop my story by asking myself the right questions."
Nadine Kadaan
Author of Tomorrow
“Natascha has a wealth of knowledge and will help to guide your story ideas while helping you to find your own unique writing voice."
Kate Read
Author of “One Fox” and “The Big Bad Bug”
"The level of detail given to enable me to shape my story in this course is excellent!"
“The depth of information and the many areas the session spidered out into made me feel like my current ideas aren’t the only ideas I could have!”
“It opened my eyes to areas I had not thought about at all and aspects of writing a picture book that I never understood the importance of.”
Paula, Lola and Hiwot
Jericho Prize Course Participants
“Working with Natascha is like going on a treasure hunt and ALWAYS finding gold. With good humour, generosity, empathy, and an unerring instinct for a good story, she sifted through the shifting sand dunes of my writing and pulled out gems. From her, I have learned to trust that the story will reveal itself, to extract the extraneous, to listen to the audience, and to show instead of tell. In Natascha, I have found not just an extraordinary editor, but a mentor and a friend who shares a deep delight in stories, recognizes the power of storytelling, and always laughs at the right moment!”
Elizabeth F. Hill
Author of “Cotton Cloud Refuses to Rain”
"Natascha has an unerring instinct for what makes a good book and is an astute and thoughtful editor with all the right connections. There can be no-one better placed or more qualified to help authors and illustrators raise their work to the next level. I have no hesitation recommending her.”
Jane Clarke
Bestselling Children’s Book Author
"Natascha's many years experience in picture book creation and development shone through as she took us through the essentials of how to develop a picture book. She was excellent at explaining so many elements of the journey and her warm and patient nature was well-suited to the many questions that I had. Through Natascha's tutelage, I have gained a lot more confidence and feel sufficiently equipped with the tools to create additional work. I highly recommend Natascha as a picture book course coach."
Marva Carty
Jericho Prize Course Participant
"Natascha’s course has the right ingredients and instructions to create the perfect recipe for developing both beginner and intermediate writers. Writers of picture books and early reader children’s books will benefit from her course which has the perfect mix of showing and telling, using a range of prompts and picture book examples. Natascha's teaching allowed me to uplift my writing, taking it from a good idea in my head to notes on a page to a manuscript. Her advice and editing encouraged me to see, create and add new layers to my work making it a solid manuscript ready for querying. Thank you Natascha, I will continue to use the recipe
I learned from you to create engaging, compelling, diverse books for children." –
Venessa Taylor
Jericho Prize Course Participant
Ready? You don't need years to create your picture book. You can do it in just 6 Sessions.
Take the first step toward achieving your dreams in this fun, interactive course.
Get Unlimited Access to All Lessons until December 2025
HURRY and grab Your Special Early Bird Price
£1500 £997
(payment Plan available)
FAQ:
About Your Tutor
Natascha Biebow is a picture book expert and the founder of Blue Elephant Storyshaping, an editing, coaching and mentoring service for authors and illustrators, both published and pre-published. Natascha has 30 years’ experience commissioning and editing award-winning picture books, pre-school and novelty books, non-fiction, early readers and young fiction for major publishers and independently published authors. She is an experienced tutor, who has run a number of picture book webinar courses for Write for Kids, and the Editorial Director of Five Quills. In 2018, she was awarded and MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in recognition for her services to children’s writers and illustrators, and the Stephen Mooser SCBWI Member of the Year in 2019. She is the longstanding Regional Advisor (Co-Chair) of SCBWI British Isles and a member of the SCBWI Advisory Council.
Natascha’s favourite job is collaborating with authors and illustrators at all levels to shape and find the heart of their stories. She is the author of the award-winning, bestselling THE CRAYON MAN: THE TRUE STORY OF THE INVENTION OF CRAYOLA CRAYONS.
As an author herself, she understands just how challenging it is to dream up ideas, revise and finesse your book, pitch and hope to get published, deal with rejection and re-imagine, stay motivated and keep up with the business, fit being creative into your life, and constantly work to become a better writer or illustrator.
TOGETHER we will go on a storyshaping journey. I can’t wait to meet you and your stories!
Want a Baking Buddy?
LIMITED TO SIX SLOTS ONLY! I will provide you with tips and written feedback to help you fine-tune your picture book premise (after session 3) so that you have a stand-out foundation on which to build your picture book draft, plus provide a Detailed Editorial Review of your first draft (after session 6) once you complete the course. This option will be offered to you once you purchase the course.
Want More Personalized Feedback?
Discounted prices ONLY for you!
