You’ll enjoy the full online Picture Book Summit program (7 hours of content, replay access until January 31, 2027, the private Facebook group, and an invite to the exclusive pre-Summit PJ Party), plus the opportunity to submit your manuscript to our SIX featured agents and editors after the Summit.
That’s $11.66 per submission when upgrading from the Summit Only ticket!
Regular price $367. SAVE $100 NOW!
Choose the Summit Only option to get our full day’s worth of Picture Book Summit online presentations (7 hours!), replay access until January 31, 2027, the private FB group, the best price to our 2027 Summit, dance parties, world-class writing instruction, and our exclusive PJ Party.
Our lowest-priced ticket is the perfect option if you don’t need submission opportunities.
Regular price $297. SAVE $100 NOW!
After the Summit, set your course for Discovering Your Picture Book Arc! Every successful story takes readers on a journey—one with momentum, emotional resonance, and a satisfying destination. Continue your voyage with 4 LIVE sessions designed to help you master the art of picture book storytelling.
This is an Add-on sale ONLY. Add a Picture Book Summit ticket to your cart and then add the Founders Sessions.
NYT Bestselling Author, Newbery Medal Honoree, National Book Award Finalist
From Crowns to Kings: How I Navigate My Own Authentic Lane in a Genre with So Many Beautiful Voices
When Derrick penned his first picture book, he was on the verge of stepping away from his dream of becoming a successful children’s book author. Even though he had published eight books in other formats, he struggled to find his voice in a crowded sea of talented writers. At Picture Book Summit, he’ll share how authenticity unlocks the treasure chest to writing for young readers and is the key to finding your unique gifts—as a person and a writer.
Golden Kite Winner, Crystal Kite Winner, NYT Bestseller
Free Diving: Following Your Ideas Below the Surface
A picture book writer descends deep into sometimes-murky water, then, with luck, brings back a pearl: something that will resonate strongly with kids (and often with adults, too). New York Times Bestselling author Deborah Underwood will talk about using curiosity and emotion to dive for ideas and to figure out what form those ideas want to take. Plus, she’ll share tips for polishing your story to give it the best chance of connecting with readers.
Caldecott Honor Winner, NYT Bestseller, Crystal Kite Winner
Reel Them In: Using All the Lures in Your Tackle Box to Engage Readers
NY Times bestselling author/illustrator and Caldecott Honoree Brian Lies (pronounced Lees) is ready to unveil what he’s gleaned over 30 years of creating and sharing picture books with young readers. He’ll reveal how to hone YOUR individual style and the power of adding unique details to your stories—all while not getting beached on ever-shifting career sands or sucked in by shiny whirlpools.
Crystal Kite-winning Picture Book Author, Picture Book Summit Co-Founder
Hook, Line, or…Stinker?
In today’s crowded picture book market, your manuscripts need compelling hooks (entry points) that will reel in readers (and agents or editors). In this session, Julie Hedlund dives into different types of hooks, including subject, theme, character, experiences, concepts, and more.
Learn how to identify kid-friendly hooks, layer them effectively, and avoid common pitfalls like underdeveloped, unoriginal, or mismatched hooks. Through examples and exercises (both with published books and your own manuscripts), we’ll explore how hooks keep stories swimming vs. sinking, er… stinking.
Picture Book Summit Co-Founders and Long-Time Picture Book Creators
Ebb and Flow: The Pull of the Page Turn
Just like the tides, page turns push and pull readers along as they flow through your story. In this session, you’ll see your manuscript as 13 transformational page turns, not 32 pages.
Emma Walton Hamilton and Katie Davis will take you on an expedition to explore the invisible space between spreads. You’ll learn to look beyond layout and instead ask the essential question at every turn: What is this moment doing?
You’ll enjoy the full online Picture Book Summit program (7 hours of content, replay access until January 31, 2027, the private Facebook group, and an invite to the exclusive pre-Summit PJ Party), plus the opportunity to submit your manuscript to our SIX featured agents and editors after the Summit.
That’s $11.66 per submission when upgrading from the Summit Only ticket!
Regular price $367. SAVE $100 NOW!
Choose the Summit Only option to get our full day’s worth of Picture Book Summit online presentations (7 hours!), replay access until January 31, 2027, the private FB group, the best price to our 2027 Summit, dance parties, world-class writing instruction, and our exclusive PJ Party.
Our lowest-priced ticket is the perfect option if you don’t need submission opportunities.
Regular price $297. SAVE $100 NOW!
After the Summit, set your course for Discovering Your Picture Book Arc! Every successful story takes readers on a journey—one with momentum, emotional resonance, and a satisfying destination. Continue your voyage with 4 LIVE sessions designed to help you master the art of picture book storytelling.
This is an Add-on sale ONLY. Add a Picture Book Summit ticket to your cart and then add the Founders Sessions.
The sea of submissions is pretty crowded these days. In this panel discussion, agents Carter Hasegawa of Tugeau 2 Art & Literary Agency, Julie Romeis Sanders of Steelworks Literary, and Rob Broder of Martin Literary Management will reveal what hooks them in a query, what treasures they’re currently seeking, and the hidden hazards that can sink an otherwise strong submission. Learn how to craft submissions that make waves. This pre-recorded panel is hosted by Julie Hedlund.
Our Featured Agents will be accepting submissions from attendees who purchase the Summit + Submission Ticket.
Tugeau 2 Art & Literary Agency
Carter Hasegawa has been in the children’s book world for nearly 20 years—as a book seller for various indies across the US, as an editor at Candlewick Press, and now, as a literary agent. Why kids’ books? It began in the late-90s with Andrew Clement’s Frindle, became a solid go-to genre with Jerry Spinelli’s Maniac Magee, and finally, it became a wished-for career with Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief. “The thing I’ve always loved about children’s literature,” he says, “is that beyond the sheer range of incredible stories, it’s always served as a sort of testing ground for me: of new ideas, of new experiences, of new viewpoints, of emotional extremes.”
Carter is incredibly proud of the work he did while at Candlewick, but he’s especially looking forward to finding and developing new talent – authors, author-illustrators, illustrators – and having a hand in crafting some of the best books out there.
SteelWorks Literary
Julie Romeis Sanders is a Literary Agent at SteelWorks Literary. She brings 25 years of diverse experiences to this budding community of writers and illustrators. Julie started her career as a founding member of Bloomsbury USA in 2001, helped launch Chronicle’s first fiction list for older readers in 2009, and edited their first Caldecott Honor, Flora and the Flamingo, in 2013.
Her keen eye for debuts including Rick Yancey, Victoria Jamieson, Aaron Reynolds, and Jennifer “JC” Cervantes has led to many creators getting started on stellar careers. Through it all, Julie has honed her eye for books kids love along with a passion for supporting creators throughout the publishing process.
Martin Literary Management
While selling chocolate in New England, Rob Broder had the idea of starting a children’s picture book publishing company. Learning everything from the ground up, he founded Ripple Grove Press, which went on to publish award-winning and starred reviewed books.
After reading hundreds of picture books and thousands of submissions, Rob began writing his own stories. His work has been published by Simon & Schuster, Sasquatch / Little Bigfoot, and Blue Star Press, and he has collaborated with Patagonia on their first two picture books as both author and developmental editor.
Rob Broder served on the Board of the Independent Book Publishers Association and has a Certificate of Public Librarianship from the Vermont Department of Libraries. He is an Editor-at-Large at Wayfarer Magazine and was honored to serve as Poet Laureate of Shelburne, Vermont, the town he calls home.
Your first lines carry the power to pull an editor in—or leave them stranded on the shore. In this panel discussion, editors Catherine Laudone of Beach Lane Books, Mabel Hsu of Stonefruit Studio/Sourcebooks, and Sara Sproull of Abrams Books for Young Readers evaluate real first pages from Summit attendees and share what’s working, what’s not, and why. Discover how to sharpen your opening, establish voice, and create an irresistible current that keeps readers turning pages. This pre-recorded panel is hosted by Emma Walton Hamilton.
Our Featured Editors will be accepting submissions from attendees who purchase the Summit + Submission Ticket.
Beach Lane Books
Catherine Laudone is a senior editor at Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. She primarily acquires and edits picture books and middle grade titles (both fiction and nonfiction) with a special interest in underrepresented voices and stories featuring neurodivergent and disabled main characters. Catherine has her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a published children’s book author.
Catherine currently serves as an editor advisor for The Writing Barn’s Verge program and an advanced PB and MG workshop leader for Inked Voices.
Stonefruit Studio/Sourcebooks
Mabel Hsu is an Editorial Director at Stonefruit Studio, an imprint of Sourcebooks. She publishes board books through young adult novels, with a passion for books that intertwine art, text, and production. She focuses on narratives that transform genre tropes, feature intersectional representation, and–most of all–makes reading a pleasure for every type of reader.
Mabel is also a co-chair on the Brooklyn Book Festival children’s committee and was a mentor in POC in Publishing.
Abrams Books for Young Readers
Sara Sproull (she/her) joined ABRAMS in 2018 and now works remotely from her home state of KY. With a focus on picture books, she’s always looking for fresh nonfiction as well as stories with big heart, offbeat humor, a slice-of-life feel, read-aloud appeal, bilingual texts, folklore/mythology/fantasy elements, and/or spooky vibes.
Her past lives as a bookseller and children’s library assistant inform her love of books that open the imagination and speak directly to kids, especially readers who don’t often see themselves reflected. Sara enjoys binge-watching, guzzling coffee, playing rugby, and guzzling more coffee.
You’ll enjoy the full online Picture Book Summit program (7 hours of content, replay access until January 31, 2027, the private Facebook group, and an invite to the exclusive pre-Summit PJ Party), plus the opportunity to submit your manuscript to our SIX featured agents and editors after the Summit.
That’s $11.66 per submission when upgrading from the Summit Only ticket!
Regular price $367. SAVE $100 NOW!
Choose the Summit Only option to get our full day’s worth of Picture Book Summit online presentations (7 hours!), replay access until January 31, 2027, the private FB group, the best price to our 2027 Summit, dance parties, world-class writing instruction, and our exclusive PJ Party.
Our lowest-priced ticket is the perfect option if you don’t need submission opportunities.
Regular price $297. SAVE $100 NOW!
After the Summit, set your course for Discovering Your Picture Book Arc! Every successful story takes readers on a journey—one with momentum, emotional resonance, and a satisfying destination. Continue your voyage with 4 LIVE sessions designed to help you master the art of picture book storytelling.
This is an Add-on sale ONLY. Add a Picture Book Summit ticket to your cart and then add the Founders Sessions.
We are proud to announce that our 2026 Charity Partner is Barbershop Books! Find out more here.
We are not your typical conference. Picture Book Summit welcomes all authors and illustrators who want to improve their craft and hear from the industry’s best and brightest— without the hassles and cost of travel! Attend by logging in to our online web room from anywhere in the world with a solid Internet connection!
