This article discusses the role picture books play in helping young writers. Third-grade students were read engaging picture books for the sole purpose of noticing and naming different features they encountered during the read-alouds. Students were able to recognize the tools many authors and illustrators use such as onomatopoeia, varied font styles, and ellipses by looking at books from a writer's perspective. The teacher also had the class discuss why different authors and illustrators make the choice to use different features in their books. Students began to mimic popular story books by using the features discussed during the read-alouds. These strategies helped motivate young authors to produce thoughtful and creative writing as opposed to a lackluster prompt response.