I don't know. I've never belonged to a writers' group. I do have an agent. Nowadays it's almost impossible to sell a book to a publisher unless it's via an agent. I like writing for children because its much harder than writing for adults.
Children are far more critical.
I constantly talk with children and they tell me what they'd like to read about. If so, which comes first - the words or the pictures. I don't do my own illustrations. The story comes first and then my illustrators draw the pictures. Talk with children.