What I am learning about writing children’s books

Discovering the fundamentals about writing successful children’s books: an explainer to myself

Shawn Seah

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Artist’s impression of kampung children at a school funfair in the 1950s (inspired by Montfort School). Painted by Jeyasoorya on a commission for Shawn Seah.

What is a picture book?

A picture book is written for children between two to eight years old. The best picture books can be considered beautiful works of art, where words and pictures work together to tell a coherent story. They require an author to have both an intuitive sense of child appeal and a strong command of language.

They are typically 32 pages, including cover pages. However, some have page counts of 24, 40, or 48 pages. Most picture books are below 1,000 words in length.

(I am aiming for 32 pages and 800 words; between 50 to 70 words per spread, where spread means two pages.)

According to research, successful picture books are designed with young readers and their parents in mind. What does this mean in practice?

What successful picture book writers typically do

Write simply. Include simple dialogues.

Write short, descriptive sentences and paragraphs. Each word needs to serve a purpose.

Design with a tablet in mind. (Very 21st century advice!)

Create an exciting title and subtitle that interests buyers, shows what your story is about, and is easily searchable on Google. Have energy in the title, either through action words or setting up a mystery.

Prepare a logline or elevator pitch, a one- or two-sentence description of the overall idea to explain your book concept. A good logline leaves something to the imagination.

Write stories both parent and child can relate to on some emotional level. We all share a thirst for adventure; we all have similar family issues; and we all want to be amazed. Remember to entertain adults too.

Be unique. Tell a new story or an old story in a new way.

Create one or more likable protagonists with a relatable problem to solve. Kids like to read about kids just slightly older than them, so develop a character two or three years older than your target audience.

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Shawn Seah

Singaporean writer and public speaker, passionate about education, social issues, and local history and community stories.