THE ART OF COLLABORATION
Editing and Designing Picture Books
August 7-10, 2025
Join editor Anne Schwartz, creative director Martha Rago, and author/illustrator Sophie Blackall, for a deep dive into the role that editing and design play in the making of great picture books. Using Milkwood’s extensive library as our source material, there will be presentations, guided projects, partnered exercises, and group discussions. As the world becomes increasingly digitized and virtual, we will emphasize the importance of hands-on, face-to-face collaboration and mentorship between editors, designers, and creators.
This workshop accommodates 10 people and is open to Assistant Editors and Editorial Assistants, Assistant Designers and Design Assistants, and aspiring editors and designers.
This Workshop is endowed by Anne Schwartz and there is no cost to attend. Accommodations and all meals are included.
To register for this Workshop, click here.
Anne Schwartz is Editor-at-Large of Anne Schwartz Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. She has a rich publishing history, and over the course of her career has edited and published books that have received numerous accolades, including two Caldecott Medals (for Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman, illustrated by Stephen Gammel, and A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka) and three Caldecott Honor books; four Coretta Scott King Awards, two Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe New Talent Awards, and four Honor books; a Newbery Honor; eleven New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books; and more. Among the picture book authors and illustrators whose career Anne has launched are Ian Falconer, Jerry Pinkney, Patricia C. McKissack, Brian Selznick, Candace Fleming, Deborah Hopkinson, April Harrison, Red Nose Studio, and Chris Appelhans. Anne’s roster of talent also includes such creators as Sophie Blackall, Briony May Smith, Chris Raschka, Daniel Miyares, Brian Floca, Eric Rohmann, Rowboat Watkins, Paul Zelinsky, Emily Jenkins, Ekua Holmes, Jonah Winter, and others.
Martha Rago is V.P. Executive Creative Director at Random House Children’s Books. Martha started in publishing at G P Putnam’s Sons as the assistant to the art director with the extraordinary good fortune of working right away with an incredible roster of talents, both established and new in their careers. Tomie de Paola, Eric Carle, Marc Simont, Ed Young, were just some of the artists who were encouraging to a young, unproven designer. Martha’s love of the picture book was nurtured in the following years at various houses where she won awards for her art direction and design work from The Society of Illustrators, The Bookbinders Guild, AIGA and Print Magazine. She’s contributed her skills to the best books in the industry, having worked closely with ALA award winners such as Peter McCarty, Kadir Nelson, David Small, and Denise Fleming, and was behind debuts from artists like Julie Paschkis, Dan Yaccarino, Randy Cecil, and Eugene Yelchin. Martha still makes time for design and art direction and treasures the collaboration with editor and artist to bring ideas to life in a perfect form -- a book!.
Sophie Blackall is the author and illustrator of Things to Look Forward To and Missed Connections: Love Lost and Found, and has illustrated over 50 books for children, including the New York Times best-selling Ivy and Bean series, the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner, Finding Winnie, and the 2019 Caldecott Medal winner, Hello Lighthouse, which she also wrote. She is the five-time recipient of the New York Times Best Illustrated Picture Book Award and has worked with UNICEF and Save the Children UK on global health and literacy initiatives. Originally from Australia, she now splits her time between Brooklyn, New York, and the Catskill Mountains.
DAILY SCHEDULE for WORKSHOpS
Thursday
3:00-6:00 PM — Arrival and check-in
6:30-7:00 PM — Appetizers and cocktails in the library
7:00 PM — Dinner in the dining room
9:00PM — Introductory assignment
Friday
7:00-9:00 AM — Breakfast in the dining room
9:00 AM-12:00 PM — Workshop
12:00-1:00 PM — Free
1:00-2:00 PM — Lunch in the dining room
2:30-5:30 PM — Workshop
5:30-6:30 PM — Free
6:30-7:00 PM — Drinks in the open-air pole barn
7:00-9:00 PM — Cookout dinner in the garden
9:00 PM — Dessert around the fire pit
Saturday
7:00-9:00 AM — Breakfast in the dining room
9:00 AM-12:00 PM — Workshop
12:00-1:00 PM — Free
1:00-2:00 PM — Lunch in the dining room
2:30-5:30 PM — Workshop
5:30-6:30 PM — Free
6:30-7:00 PM — Appetizers and cocktails in the upstairs bar
7:00-9:00 PM — Dinner in the hayloft
9:00 PM — Show & Tell by guests in the hayloft
These Show & Tell presentations are short, informal, and voluntary. This is your chance to preview new work, sing a song, tell a story, entertain or amaze your fellow retreaters. We have a projector, a screen, and a speaker.
Sunday
7:00-9:00 AM — Breakfast
9:00 AM-12:00 PM — Workshop
12:00-1:00 PM — Free
1:00-2:00 PM — Lunch
2:00 PM — Check-out and farewells