Picture books are an average 600 words. That’s shorter than this blog post! So how do you create vibrant characters and tell a story with a beginning, middle, and an end—and work in description?

First, don’t think of it as description, per se. Half of a picture book’s story is told through illustrations, so there’s no need to devote any of those 600 words to something the illustrator will show. Remember, too, that a good illustrator will tell a parallel story on each page. This means it’s important to leave room for them to bring your story to life as they see it.

Your job is to make every word count, and bring the story to life by connecting with the reader’s senses. A picture book is designed to be read aloud. Carefully consider how each word sounds, and its impact. The words create the story’s tone. What mood are you trying to strike? Now, if you were writing a novel, a paragraph describing the setting would show the mood. In picture book, this is done without adjectives or adverbs. Every word you choose has to be considered in terms of story impact and how it plays on the ears.

Use Sound Words in Picture Book Descriptions

In picture book, onomatopoeia is your friend. In a novel, the truck blares its horn. In picture book we reduce that to one word: Beeep! Or if it’s a traffic jam, Beep! Honk! Squeeeal! You want to choose words adults can have fun with as they read the story aloud. The more animated the reader can get, the better.

Consider the Reader’s Voice

A few years ago we had a trip planned to Universal Studios in Orlando, specifically to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. My older son whizzed through the first book and moved on to the second. The younger one was more of a reluctant reader, so I decided to read book one aloud to him. I read it the way I read anything to him, by giving different voices to each character. This became problematic around page 75, when I pretty much went hoarse from doing Hagrid. And then he asked if Ollivander and Dumbledore were the same character … because they had the same voice.

In picture books, in under 600 words, picking a few voices for each character is simpler. Readers can go high or low with tone, or add different accents. Your job as the author is to write text that lends itself to this. Show what each character might sound like. Does one voice rumble like thunder? Does another cut through the noise like a foghorn? Both of these examples use imagery to show character. It’s also imagery that offers tips to the illustrator as to what the characters might look like without dictating their appearance.

Dialogue as Picture Book Description

The dialogue between characters also creates the mood and tone of the story. It’s important that the characters sound like children, which will mean short sentences:

            “Hello, Frog.”

            CROAK.

            “Is your mud warm today?”

            Squish, squish. CROAK.

            “Ooh, it is! And it’s deep. Look, Frog, I can fit my whole arms in!”

            CROAK. Ribbit, ribbit.

            “Thanks for sharing it with me. Next time we can play in my sandbox.”

In this example, we can picture an entire scene with a child and a frog, with minimal modifiers. It engages multiple senses: we hear the croak and the ribbit, and feel the warmth and the mud. We can picture a child plunging their arms into deep mud, then pulling them out covered. The illustrator has plenty to work with, and can show facial expressions and the frog’s reaction to the child interrupting a good mud bath.

When Creating Picture Book Tone, Remember to Add Magic

Not all picture books are fantasy or have elements of magical realism. But they are about children, who see the world through a lens of endless possibility. That frog could be talking. The forest they’re walking through could be enchanted. They see things we don’t. Remember this as you create scenes, and try to incorporate well-crafted metaphors that will trigger their imaginations.

Avoid physical clichés, like hearts pounding or feet thumping. Instead brainstorm with abandon every way you think a child might relate to an action. For them, the clouds above are pirate ships and whales and castles. The trees speak to each other. Rock formations are sleeping trolls. Let go of your concrete thinking, and engage the voice of your inner child.

Stuck? Try Reading Poetry for Picture Book Inspiration

All picture books are short, whether in verse or prose. Reading poetry can help engage your mind with short phrases that also tend to tell a story. I highly recommend Mary Oliver for this, because much of her poetry is about the natural world. The compilation Devotions is a good book to have on hand, if you read poetry like I do, looking for divine inspiration by flipping through and reading wherever I land. Sit with a few poems for a while, then read a few more. See how the words feel as you read them out loud. Notice the cadence, how the lines flow together. Picture books written in prose also need to flow. Avoid choppy sentences and dissonant phrases.

 Need a hand? I’d love to edit your picture book! You’ll get detailed feedback on all of the above and more.