BABYBUG is a listening and looking magazine for infants and toddlers ages six months to three years, published by the Cricket Magazine Group. It is the youngest in the family of magazines that includes Ladybug (ages 3-6), Spider (ages 6-9), Cricket (ages 9-14), and Cicada (ages 14+). Babybug features simple stories, Mother Goose rhymes, short poems, words and concepts, illustrated in full color by the best children's artists from around the world. The magazine is small, measuring 6-1/4"x7" and is 24 pages long. Nine issues are published each year. According to the submission guidelines, Babybug accepts: Stories: very simple and concrete; 4 to 6 short sentences maximum Poems: rhythmic, rhyming; 8 lines maximum Nonfiction: very basic words and concepts; 10 words maximum Activities: finger plays, parent/child interaction; 8 lines maximum Overview • "Kim and Carrots" recurring feature story written and illustrated by Clara Vulliamy (3 spreads). Kim and her stuffed rabbit play with blocks, cars, and trains. • "In the Stroller" (1 spread). 4 line poem about a child's experience of getting ready for a ride in the stroller. • "The Chorus" (1 spread). 4 line poem about the songs of birds. • "Truck Stop" (2 spreads). Simple prose story about a boy who likes trucks. He plays with toy trucks, watches real trucks in his neighborhood, reads about trucks at bedtime, and dreams about driving a truck. (63 words) • "H Was Once A Little Hen" by Edward Lear (1 spread). Classic poem. Many issues contain a classic children's poem or Mother Goose rhyme. • "The Egg" (1 spread). Very simple nonfiction story about a chick hatching out of an egg. (11 words) • "Dancing with Daddy" (1 spread). 4 line poem about a girl having fun while dancing on her Dad's feet. • "So Can I" (1 spread). Action rhyme. 6 short lines about a child copying the activities of a baby bird. Many issues include a simple action rhyme or finger play on the last spread. My Experience I've read a lot of Babybug over the years to my kids. It was my first rejection – and also my first sale. Since I started subbing in 2008, I've had three poems published and one more scheduled for the September, 2012, issue. Babybug works with top-notch illustrators, and it's been really fun to see my work in print and illustrated so beautifully. From the Editorial Staff Associate Editor Kathleen Andersen shared some tips about the kind of material that works well for Babybug. "Many of our favorite submissions reflect the playfulness and curiosity of babies and toddlers. We're always looking for writers with the rare ability to capture a baby's nearly constant discoveries in a few simple, concrete sentences. We're also very interested in poetry that pleases the ear and begs to be read again. Poems that can be turned into finger plays—giving parents and babies the opportunity to play a game together while reading—are especially welcome. Along with work that reflects babies' experiences and nurtures the young imagination, we seek stories and poetry that gently and imaginatively introduce very basic concepts (opposites, colors, etc.)." Helpful Tips My sense is that the editors like poems with multiple layers or "hooks" for young children. For example, in my poem "A Package from Grandma," some children receive a box of musical instruments from their grandmother in the mail, and make their own band. The poem had sound words (hook), mail delivery (hook), music (hook) and family relationships (hook). It also might have inspired a grandparent or parent and child to do something fun together – another plus for Babybug. The topics that appeal to young children don't really change (animals, food, seasons/weather, colors, music, etc.) but it helps to add a fresh spin and more than one layer to the topic, while still keeping it simple. And make sure to write from a child's perspective, not an adult talking down to a child. Make it fun to read aloud – many times over. A little humor — of the kind that would appeal to a 2- or 3-year-old — never hurts. And finally, keep it short! Look at an online sample of Babybug to get a feel for the magazine. You can also order back issues. Submission Guidelines are here. Editorial Director: Alice Letvin Associate Editor: Kathleen Andersen Writing for Children's Magazines, June 2012   Copyright Carrie Finison

Carrie Finison tries to read, write, and rhyme every day. She writes a variety of forms for children, and her poems and stories have appeared (or are forthcoming) in Babybug, Ladybug, High Five, and Highlights magazines, Stories for Children ezine, and in the anthology And the Crowd Goes Wild: A Global Gathering of Sports Poems (August, 2012). In addition, she writes and develops content for educational publishers. She writes from an ever-shrinking amount of space on her kitchen counter in Arlington, Massachusetts. Visit her online at www.carriefinison.com.