Key Elements that Create Exceptional Children’s Stories
Reading is a school subject that many students struggle with. When young children are in the early stages of learning how to read, the problem isn’t that they don’t enjoy reading, it’s that they haven’t found the right book yet. Once a child has found a book that’s interesting to them, they’ll never want to put it down!
What are some key elements that create some of the best children’s stories? Once you know what to look for in a book or how to put the book together, you can then create a children’s book that’ll fly off the shelves.
Are you ready to get creative? Here are several elements you children’s book should have.
An Attention-Grabbing Title
What’s the very first thing you look at when searching for a new book to read? The title is one of the very first things readers will see and many readers will gather their first impressions based on the title. To ensure you’re gaining the interest of your audience, come up with an attention-grabbing title.
The title should also keep the same tone as the story. Use alliteration, assonance, and rhyme to make a catchy title. You can also consider using the main character’s name in the title or a phrase that’s used throughout the book.
For example, if the main character says, “watch out brother” throughout the story, then this could be a good idea for your title. If you put in a lot of effort in your title selection, then you’re already grabbing your audience’s attention before they even open the book.
A Child-Centered Theme
When writing a child’s book, it’s important to have a child-centered theme. You want to appeal to your audience, which is young children. Find a theme that they can relate to in order to keep them interested.
For example, there are children’s bedtime story books centered around the idea of bedtime. There are children’s books about new siblings, the importance of sharing, and why we need to brush our teeth. These are just a few child-centered themes to consider.
Factor in the age group you want to appeal to and then write about something that age group can relate to.
A Problem, Conflict, and Resolution
A good story should have a narrative plot with a beginning, middle, and an end. When there’s a problem in the story, readers will want to continue reading to see what happens due to the problem (possible conflicts) and the solution.
Give your young readers a satisfying ending by solving the problem at the end. In many children’s books, there’s a life lesson to be learned that the child reading can then keep with them.
For example, in a book about siblings, a problem could be based on sharing. The conflict arises when two siblings don’t share a toy and it ends up breaking. The solution might be the two siblings come together to fix the toy they both love and learn to share so it doesn’t break again.
The ending should tie the entire story together, making it feel complete.
The Point of View
When writing your children’s book, the point of view is a key element to decide on. The point of view you use (1st person, 2nd person, or 3rd person) should be decided based on the type of story you’re telling. How do you want your readers to connect with the book?
Is the book speaking to the reader or speaking about characters in the book? Take your time when deciding on the point of view you want to write in and make sure it fits the story well.
A Fun Setting
One of the greatest things about children’s books is they have fun settings. Some books even switch back and forth between different settings, which makes it even more fun to read. Settings are a great way to set the mood of a story and help a child become more involved.
Because it’s a children’s story, you have more flexibility when it comes to the setting you create. Children are more willing to accept a variety of silly, unusual, and unheard-of settings than adults. Have fun with it and place your story in a setting that children will love to imagine.
Interesting and Relatable Characters
Building your characters is another essential step in creating a children’s book. Your story’s characters should be interesting, unique, and relatable to your readers. How old are your characters?
What age group will be interested in reading about these characters? Think of silly and memorable names to give your characters that children will love saying. Take into consideration the type of lifestyle they live as well (family, pets, school).
A Specific Voice for a Young Audience
What will the voice or tone of your book sound like? Remember to keep your audience in mind. You want a voice and tone that’s specific for a young audience.
Some tones to consider are a silly tone, an energetic tone, and more. Discover a tone that not only works well for young readers but works well for your story as well.
Sentences That Read Aloud Beautifully
Because many children’s books are read aloud by adults reading them to young children, the book should read aloud beautifully. The words and sentences should blend well with one another and should fall off the tongue with ease.
Some things to keep in mind are the rhythm of the words, onomatopoeia, repetition, the flow, animal sounds, and so much more. As you write, read it aloud to yourself to hear how it sounds.
High-Quality Printing
High-quality printing and the right illustrations are not to be forgotten when making a fabulous children’s story. What would a children’s book be without quality illustrations? The illustrations should keep the words on the page in mind without creating an image of exactly what’s being said.
The colors, font styles, ink choices, paper choices, and layout of your book as a whole are also important to keep in mind and are why you should choose a reputable book printing service.
Great Children’s Stories Have These Key Elements
Some of the greatest children’s stories are ones that include these key elements. Will your children’s book contain the elements and features listed above? Be sure to keep this guide in mind and then find a book printing service that can help you bring the final product to life.
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