Simple Picture Books? Anyone can write those. But can they?

1,121 words
PICTURE BOOKS: ARE THEY FOR YOU?

Picture books have always attracted more than just children. Parents, teachers, and children-at-heart find themselves reading stories they’ve read a million times and admiring beautiful, often hilarious, illustrations. To the eye, picture books appear simplistic, almost too easy because of verbiage and short sentence structure. “I can do that,” you say. But can you?
Picture books are usually no more than 32 pages, and most of that space is reserved for pictures. Why do you think they call them “picture books”? Text should not exceed 1,500 words, and is sometimes as little as 25 words. They can be fairytales, folk tales, funny stories, serious stories, self-help, fiction, and non-fiction.
Non-fiction themes need to focus on certain highlights of broader subjects, such as the solar system, weather, government, ecology, and so on. Remember, a child can absorb only so much information. Be creative with facts. Yes, science, geography, and history can and must be very entertaining. Instead of writing about Thomas Jefferson’s famous inventions, write about his dumbwaiter. No, not the one who waited his table. Alexander the Great made his troops shave their beards and hair so that during battle the enemy couldn’t grab and pull. How about a picture book on spit? I know. It’s gross. But kids love it. And the mouth produces about a quart of saliva a day. That’s a lot of spit. These are interesting, distinctive subjects that children will love.
Children are in early learning stages. Talking about quasars, and the splitting of atoms will be like saying Q2 to the second power is equal to X4 squared times two. Start with primary information, the basics if you will, and introduce a subject. A picture book respects children intellectually, and attempts to take what they know, and teach another fact. The older the child, the more information a writer can share. Two-year olds need lively, but very simple information. For instance, a toddler book can be an alphabet about things that fly (A is for angels who live on high: B is for birds that fly in the sky). Three-year-olds can handle a bit more complex details. Four-year-olds are ready for answers to their many questions. Write simple facts about birds (A bird has feathers. Feathers help birds to fly and swim.) Five and six-year-olds are excited about their world and anxious to learn about it (Do you know that most birds lose their feathers twice a year? This is called molting.) Why not utilize your research and write more than one picture book? Purchase a good children’s writer’s wordbook. It will be indispensable.
Take trips. At the beach analyze scenes around you, the tide rolling in, its rumble, the screech of the gulls. What interests a two-year old? A three-year-old? Four-year-old? And five-year-old? As well as you can, separate the children on the beach according to age. Make notes. You’ll discover they do different things, or do the same things in different ways. Now what? Get to work. Why does the ocean roll? Are all beaches made of sand? Write about crabs. Seashells. Jellyfish. Tides. Seabirds. Lifeguards. Sandcastles. You can survey forests, mountains, fields, and your own backyard.
What about fiction? Children love escaping their world of adults, rules, chores, and entering a world where horses and dragons fly, and children save the world. Retold fairy tales and folk tales have remained popular with children. My daughter’s favorite book is still The Stinky Cheeseman. Actually, it’s mine, too. Humor is a big hit with kids, but be sure it’s their humor. What’s funny to you most likely won’t be funny to them. Read as many picture books as you can. Ask your librarian what the popular books are and then study them.
Tying shoelaces, potty training, using manners, and bedtime are old subjects, but ones that children face today. Find a new twist. Instead of a book about the child learning manners, why not have the grumpy grandfather come to stay, and the child teaches him manners?
Children love poetry. I know. Publishers veer away from rhyme. Well, actually they veer away from bad rhyme. Rhyming is not something every writer can do. It must flow, make sense, and not be forced. Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss not only knew how to rhyme, but how to be kid-funny, and their books will never be outdated. Watch cartoons. Yes, those old Bugs Bunny, Coyote, and Roadrunner reruns. I watched those as a kid and my kids loved them as much I did. Study the humor and storylines. Make notes as children watch them. What do they laugh at? Ask them why they like Rugrats, Little Bill, and others. They’ll be happy to tell you.
Concept books and essays are wonderful in helping children face obstacles and issues in their lives. These books are written in prose and share roller-coaster emotions children experience during life changing events. Issues may be intense, but text must be simple enough that the child understands what you’re trying to get across. Your prose may be beautiful, but if it’s unintelligible to the child what does it matter?
Novelty books—pop-up books, special shaped books, books with specialty items, etc.—are popular with children. However, it’s expensive to publish and produce these books, so a large audience is a must. Investigate the market, and know the publishers who specialize in novelties. Why is your novelty book important? What it the selling point when you approach agents and publishers? Is the novelty item necessary for the sale of the book? Does it draw a child’s attention? Is it too much like other novelty books? What makes this novelty book unique? Will it be easy for little, inexperienced hands?
Remember, you are writing picture books, so visualize as you write. What scenes does your text create? You can have a picture book without text, but it’s impossible to have a picture book without pictures. Your text should be so powerful that an artist will have no trouble painting many different scenes. If you must detail your scenes in writing to the publisher, this means your text isn’t vivid enough. Each page of scenery should flow with powerful verbs and nouns.
It is acceptable to send pictures or magazine cutouts to publishers and agents if your piece requires special clothing or scenes relating to history or cultures, and if the picture needs to reveal a surprise. The best illustrators take your text and create details that neither you nor your publisher thought about. That’s their job, so allow them to do it.
Lastly, have fun. Enjoy writing and sharing with children. Imagine the sound of crisp pages as they open your book, and the magic inside lighting up their faces. Isn’t it absolutely wonderful?


Picture Books are the most beautiful, but most difficult, books to write. Saying a lot a so few words is a challenge. Is it a challenge you want to take?