How to Write Meaningful Children’s Books
by Mary Kole | Former literary agent, now a freelance editor, writing teacher, and IP/story developer for major publishers and creators.
There’s a very specific difference between writing meaningful and timeliness picture books that capture readers and moralizing to them, or preaching a predetermined lesson. You have to thread this needle very carefully, especially in today’s competitive picture book market.
Meaningful Children’s Books Don’t Preach
Picture books that present clear-cut lessons without much finesse often make agents and editors squirm. Writers would do well to forget their soapboxes and life lessons when writing meaningful children’s books. If you’re explaining too much, or operating from a clear agenda, you are getting in the way of storytelling. Of course, that doesn't mean that meaningful children’s books that teach life lessons don’t exist. Sure they do, they’re everywhere. But the difference is that the best ones contain universal ideas and book themes, giving readers an emotional experience and sparking realizations that the characters and readers arrive at themselves.
The contrast between masterfully crafted and meaningful children’s books and those authored by writers with an ax to grind is that the former manage to communicate their message without resorting to moralizing. For instance, if you were to attempt a picture book about a pig-headed girl named Tally who eventually learns that compromise can be beneficial (what parent wouldn't relish the chance to teach their children this moral?), it should not read like this.
Tally realized she could give her sisters the opportunity to choose a movie sometimes and it would be even more enjoyable!
If you want to write meaningful children’s books, the moral you’re going for should not be explained on the page–this goes back to the old writing maxim, “show, don’t tell”. These words should be created as ideas inside the reader, rather than appearing anywhere in the manuscript. If you hit someone over the head with a lesson, the message won't land as effectively.
Subtlety in Meaningful Children’s Books
So how do you do this right? Show a character having an experience, and give the reader the opportunity to come to their own realizations without being prompted. To decide whether the lesson in your picture book works, try this simple experiment: if you take away the lesson, does the story still make sense? Is there enough substance there for the book to stand on its own two feet?
As an example, if Tally's entire picture book is about her refusing to compromise and then being surprised when her first compromise works out well, then the plot clearly serves up the lesson, but it’s subtle. There’s still a story, and nothing is explained because readers have participated in the learning experience. It might be time to focus on crafting story characters with dynamic personalities who develop as the story progresses, rather than laying out a moral lesson.
Let the reader make the connection between a character's journey and the message, rather than explicitly expressing it. Imagine this scenario: being a kid and having your parents dictate or preach to you. Not a very pleasant feeling, right? That's probably how literary agents, editors and children feel when they read books with an overt moralizing tone, so stories like these are becoming less and less popular. It's best to simply tell your story without giving your readers a lecture.
The Importance of Story in Meaningful Children’s Books
At the heart of a great picture book is a captivating story—a memorable, believable character facing and overcoming conflict, and emerging realistically changed by the experience. The big idea and moral are then underpinning the events of the story, supporting and enhancing the narrative. But if the plot lacks depth and the book serves only to preach a point, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board on your attempt at writing meaningful children’s books. Put the focus back on the story.
No doubt, there are some exceptions. Certain books that impart life lessons work well for some institutional publishers, as they are used as teaching tools. Of course, non-fiction writing allows one to be an educator. This advice on writing meaningful children’s books is specifically aimed at story-driven picture books for the trade market.
Here’s another bonus tip for writing meaningful children’s books: it's no secret that some editors adore stories featuring animals and objects as protagonists—take Little Blue Truck, for instance. But not all editors feel the same way—many will let out an audible groan when presented with anthropomorphic animals or personified objects. So, when thinking of picture book topics for meaningful children’s books, really think about your choice of protagonist.
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