Creating Kids’ Picture Books
It’s easy to look at a kids’ picture book and think that, compared to fiction for adults, they are simple and effortless to create. They require only simple language and very little text, with a lot of the story being carried and conveyed by eye-catching pictures instead. I won’t deny that these stories are definitely less complicated to write than a full-length novel, but writing a good kids’ picture book isn’t quite as straightforward as stringing some rhyming words together and handing things over to your artist of choice.
The media children consume plays a significant role in the development of a child. Stories, especially when read aloud, help develop neural pathways relating to language and pattern recognition. Stories also play a key role in the development of imagination in children and the establishment of an emotional connection to the world around them. That’s why, these days, there is a much greater emphasis on picture books that are educational or informative in some way. Parents and (especially) teachers look for books that can not only aid in the learning of language skills and in emotional development, rather than those that are just entertaining. That is why many kids’ picture books are parables, communicating important lessons such as the importance of sharing or empathy. This is also why those aimed at particularly small children will aim to introduce sounds or words to them or expand their vocabularies.
Of course, it isn’t enough for your picture book to simply be educational. Few things will stifle a child’s interest in learning something more than dryness. A good picture book is engaging not just because of the bright, colourful illustrations but because it encourages a degree of interactivity. In those aimed at particularly young kids, the story will likely prompt them to engage in attempting to identify colours, sounds, animals or objects to help establish a mental connection to those ideas. Picture books aimed at slightly older kids will encourage discussions of the ideas in the book with parents and teachers - what do they think will happen next? Is the main character being kind? Why is empathy important?
Luckily, adult literature isn’t the only kind that has benefited from the advent of the internet. There is now a vast selection of kids’ picture books readily available online and it is easier than ever to contribute to that pool of stories if you have something to add. Stories are an integral part of developing as a person and children should be exposed to as many quality books as possible.
You can find my own kids’ picture book, The Lonely Wizard, on Amazon or right here in my store. I’ll likely write more picture books in the future and, if this post does well, I will probably write more about children’s literature in the future too.
