BOOK WINNERS:

Hi Julie Fruitticher Schroeder, this is hilarious. This is what I came up with for your story. But first I'd like to give my usual disclaimer, which is: As many people who see your work or ideas, that's how many opinions you'll get, so take what you like and leave the rest. And please feel free to take or adapt anything you like.

Your kid really is adorable and very creative, so I came up with this title:

Zack Maverick's Guide to Making Chores Fun

or

Zack Maverick - Chore Entrepreneur

I like the 2nd title better.

This could be a plot driven book where Zack is constantly in trouble for not doing his chores and he tries and fails so many ways of getting out of doing them until he finally figures out a way to do them and have fun. Or it could be a concept book about a super creative kid who is sick of doing boring chores. So, he comes up with a scheme to make each chore a whole bunch of fun. For example, taking the garbage out - boring. Instead, he creates the garbago-scooter, which enables him to effortlessly take the garbage out and have fun doing it. In fact, he starts up a little business doing it for all his neighbors as well. 

Zack rigs up a fancy DIY make-your-own-bed-omatic with a pulley system and strong pegs or clamps that makes the bed and pleases his parents no end. He sells these to his classmates and suddenly becomes very popular. 

And the doing-the-dishes dispenser, which is a contraption that slides the dishes from the counter to the dishwasher where he then arranges them neatly.

You'd make a list of chores that a kid the age of your protagonist (I suggest 6 or 7) would do. Here's a list of some right here: https://www.thriftyfrugalmom.com/chores-for-6-7-year-olds/  and then you'd come up with inventions and fun solutions that he then monetizes. A possible ending could be … Eventually he comes up with solutions for his parent's chores and they retire and live happily ever after until Zack's contraptions start going haywire and he realizes that sometimes the old ways are best. Or ….

Dr. Mira Reisberg is an Editor and Art Director at Clear Fork Publishing's children's book imprint Spork, and the Founding Director of the Children's Book Academy. So far, her students have published or contracted over 670 children's books! She is excited to be hosting the 2021 Picture Book Palooza featuring 26 presenters, prizes and giveaways, worksheets and handouts, and some fantastic submission opportunities all, currently for only $59 right here:

https://bit.ly/PBPalooza2021   

In a former life, not too long ago, Mira was a literary agent and a children's literature professor. She has a PhD in Education and Cultural Studies with a focus on kid lit. Find her at the Children's Book Academy at https://bit.ly/CBA-KidLit or on Twitter @ChildrensBookAc

If you'd like Mira, agent Charlotte Wenger, or a fabulous mystery editor to help you find your picture book magic, consider joining her in the size-limited and time flexible Craft and Business of Writing Picture Books e-course. We'd love to help you publish wonderful books! Please, check us out here: https://www.childrensbookacademy.com/cbwpb.html