Picture This - Writing the Picture Book

Happy June!

I hope your writing has been going well. Today I'd like to discuss something dear to my heart: the picture book. My second picture book is about to enter the illustration phase! So, let's talk about these magical books.

The Beginning

The first picture book was published in 1658, titled Orbis Sansualium Pictus, (Visible World in Pictures), written and illustrated by Johann Amos Comenius. It was filled with a variety of subjects from nature to music and cooking for young, school-aged children. The book contained text plus 150 woodcut illustrations. In the 1800's, advancements had been made (color printing) bringing us wonderful picture books by Randolph Caldecott and Beatrix Potter.

Today's Picture Book

There's a vast difference between then and now for picture books. No more woodcut illustrations! Today's books are illustrated by traditional hand-crafted media or with digital software. Illustrations plus text come together to tell a story. They are written for children, ages 3 - 7 and the length is usually around 32 pages. The sweet spot for word count: 500 words.

Structure

Picture books have a certain formula for plot structure and character growth. Below you'll find a list to guide you with structure.

• The protagonist/setting are introduced, and the problem/dilemma is stated on the first page.
• Three attempts are shown to fix/solve the problem; tension building with each try.
• The plot is kept simple without complicated subplots.
• Because illustrations are half the story, think of illustration possibilities as you write.
• The main character must solve the problem by themselves, showing character growth.
• The ending should be satisfactory, leaving the reader/listener with a feel-good moment, or laughter if it it's a humorous book.

The Art

Illustrations are extremely important when it comes to picture books. They can set the mood and tone of your book with just the use of color. Also, it's the artwork that brings the characters to life. Besides following the text, illustrations can add hidden surprises to your story.

The Magic

After you've completed your book, you can experience the magic by creating a picture book dummy. Take sixteen blank pages and staple them together, making a 32-page book. (Do a little research on the front matter that goes into the beginning of a book.) Divide your text with the thought of making inviting scenes and page turns for your readers. Paste your cut-up text onto the pages of the dummy. How does it read? Can you envision the illustrations on each page? The picture book dummy is the best tool for a writer!

Writing picture books for children is not easy. If you want to challenge yourself, try writing one. if you're not sure how to go about it, spend some time reading picture books. Before long, that spark of an idea will hit you and then you can make your own magic.

Happy creating!