The Saturday Slash
Don't be afraid to ask for help with the most critical first step of your writing journey - the query.
I’ve been blogging since 2011 and have critiqued over 200 queries here on the blog using my Hatchet of Death. This is how I edit myself, it is how I edit others. If you think you want to play with me and my hatchet, shoot me an email.
If the Saturday Slash has been helpful to you in the past, or if you’d like for me to take a look at your query please consider making a donation, if you are able.
If you’re ready to take the next step, I also offer editing services.
My thoughts are in blue, words to delete are in red, suggested rephrasing is in orange.
Elli’s classmates go missing! Should this be "are going" since it's an ongoing situation? One on Monday, One on Tuesday then Two on Wednesday. Because of the numbers, this made me wonder if it was a counting book - and why they weren't escalating with the days of the week By Thursday Elli’s worry turns into curiosity and she is forced to either finish all of her classroom chores on her own since those that were assigned to help are not there or investigate the world around her to solve the mystery of the missing classmates. This is a long and awkward sentence - but also, it makes it seem like the incentive for her to find her classmates is so that she doesn't have to do all the chores on her own, which isn't exactly the most considerate angle.
A curly-haired, fashion-forward, brown-skinned 7 year old girl, Elli is no ordinary 2nd grader. Unbeknownst to her classmates, she’s a brilliant Health Educator I'm not sure what it means to be a Health Educator... as a child? who can see and talk to germs. Oh, man! This needs to be your hook! Move this all up! While adjusting her rainbow colored glasses something bright red catches her eye and her Germoscopic lens begins flashing to alert her that the bright red be careful you're not using the same phrases twice (bright red) thing is a germ! With the help of her Big Rainbow Germ book, Elli realizes that she just stumbled upon the most common classroom germ which that is singlehandedly keeping her classmates home sick! Elli aspires to discover the truth about all the germs in her classroom and teach her classmates how to protect themselves.
I SEE GERMS IN COLOR WITH ELLI THE EDUCATOR is a non-fiction Children’s Picture book complete at 604 words, with series potential. It celebrates curiosity like ADA TWIST, SCIENTIST and has a literal yet memorable teaching hook like DOC MCSTUFFINS.
I am an active member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. By integrating my experience as a Registered Nurse & a Nurse Educator, I’ve developed this Picture Book to teach children health-related concepts in an imaginatively fun way. In a recent Teacher & Principal School Report, results revealed an increase in their desire for books that serve as mirrors where children can see themselves while learning. I've accepted the responsibility to hold the mirror for brown children all over the world because when brown children SEE themselves, they BELIEVE in themselves and set out to ACHIEVE great things that will have a lasting impact on others!
This is a fantastic bio!
Overall, I think you need to get the idea of the germs and her being able to see them to the forefront, since that's the focus and it's non-fic. Otherwise this opens up reading more like a mystery and fiction. Something like, "A curly-haired, fashion-forward... who can see and talk to germs. When one of Elli's classmates fails to show up to school - and attendance drops as the week continues - Elli suspects that germs are at the root of thep problem..." Tie these two paras together in that way (or a simliar manner).
I should add that I'm not a picture book author and by no means am I the most adept at critiquing a picture book query, and it would be smart to seek other opinions as well!