Share Your Smile: Raina’s Guide to Telling Your Own Story

Bestselling graphic novelist Telgemeier encourages readers to tell their stories and offers “tips, tricks, and inspirational kick-starters for getting your story down on paper.” Integrating sketches and sample art from her bestselling comics (as well as a few childhood photos), she describes her creative process, from building out her ideas and creating thumbnail sketches to inking, digitizing, coloring, and creating a cover. When translating the experience of losing her front teeth into the book Smile, she explains, “As I wrote and drew the story, I was able to look back and actually laugh at some of my more painful experiences.” Blank panels provide space for readers to create their own drawings, while prompts and pro tips invite them to reflect on family, school, and friends (“If you feel scared or embarrassed, how do you make yourself feel better?”). An encouraging and compassionate guide for budding comics creators. Ages 8–12. (Apr.)