“Picture Books” by Enokson is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

When I worked at my church’s preschool, I discovered the magic of reading aloud to children. Little voices asked questions, little hands clapped, and little feet wiggled with excitement. As we sang, laughed, and played together, I learned that the best picture books were more than great stories – they were interactive experiences.

Here are ten things I’ve learned about writing an interactive picture book:

Sing a Song. You don’t have to be a great rhymer to come up with a funny tune! The kids in my classroom loved singing along with Skippyjon Jones and Pete the Cat. Your song can be silly (“My name is Skippito Friskito”) or simple (“I love my white shoes”), but it should have a steady meter. That’s what makes your song singable!

Write a Catchy Repeater Line. I discussed this in my post about Click, Clack, Moo, but it bears repeating here. Your refrain also doesn’t have to rhyme. For example, in Pete the Cat, the author swaps out “white shoes” for other colors as Pete steps in different foods; red strawberries, blue blueberries, etc. This creates a pattern kids can predict and “read” with the reader. Try coming up with a fun pattern for your repeater line.

Sound Off With Onomatopoeia. Kids love to repeat silly sounds – just look at Click, Clack, Moo! Play with alliteration, consonance, and assonance to find your book’s sound. Be careful not to turn your line into a tongue-twister. They’re fun to write, but painful for grown-ups to read!

Take Action! Some stories include fun actions that a child can copy. Can they hop around like a bunny? Flap their arms like chicken wings? Alternatively, your character could ask the child a question to provoke a response, like Mo Willem’s Pigeon. It could be open-ended (“What do you like to do at school?”) or it could propel the plot forward (“Can I drive the bus?”) to create further engagement.

Spark Curiosity. Great picture books make young readers curious about what happens next. Think of The Monster at the End of This Book. Grover doesn’t want to face the monster at the end of the book, but readers are never told who said monster is. The suspense builds until we find out the monster is really Grover! The brilliance of this story isn’t just the twist, but the story’s re-readability. Once you’ve finished reading the book, children become reassured and confident, eager to read it again since they know how it ends. If you want to set up this type of story, make sure your dialogue and descriptions are vague. In your illustration notes, mention important things that are hinted at in the illustrations, but aren’t conveyed in the text. This keeps your ending a surprise!

Write a Chatty Narrator. In my preschool classroom, I read Dragons Love Tacos nearly every day because the kids LOVED it – and I did, too! When I flipped it open for the first time, I was taken aback with its opening: “Hey, kid! Did you know dragons love tacos?” The text is coupled with a picture of a boy and a dog staring right at the reader. Whenever there was a new child in the classroom, they would snap to attention, believing the narrator was talking to them.

The narrator is an excellent character. He’s respectful of his audience, but he’s also hammy, especially when the boy accidentally gives the dragons spicy salsa (“You didn’t read the fine print?!”). If your story has a narrator, think of them as a character, even if they’re just describing the scene. How does he tell the story? Is he goofy? Sassy? Does he stretch the truth? Children are part of a conversation with this character, so he should be memorable!

Create Detailed Illustrations. In her Old Bear series, author/illustrator Jane Hissey adds tons of background details to her illustrations. Readers can count marbles in a bowl or spot hiding stuffed animals. This works wonderfully for a concept book that teaches letters, numbers, or colors. As a writer, you may not have a say on what your illustrations look like, but you can mention essential details in your illustration notes. Let your pictures complement your text, instead of depicting the text word-for-word.

Write Your Character as the Reader’s Friend. In one of my favorite children’s TV shows, The Upside Down Show, main characters Shane and David pass an imaginary TV remote to the viewer at the start of each episode. This remote lets viewers “control” the action on-screen. For example, when you hit the fast-forward button, Shane and David speed up. If you hit the upside-down button, the screen would flip upside down.

While kids’ TV has played with “meta” concepts for years, I’d love to see writers push this concept more in picture books. What if your character needs the child’s help? Maybe they don’t understand a concept that the child knows plenty about, or they’re sad and they need the reader to cheer them up. What if a book character could really be a child’s friend? Nothing beats the satisfaction of turning the page and realizing you’ve affected the plot, so experiment and see what you can come up with!

Have Your Characters Play a Game. Kids love to pretend they are their favorite characters, and you can add to their playtime by creating a game that your characters love to play. Maybe it’s a made-up sport like Calvinball, or a magical event the characters take part in. When you create a game, make sure it is safe for children to imitate in the real world, no matter how fantastical it is. Millions of kids love quidditch but would hate to fall off a broomstick!

Include a Craft or a Recipe. Sure, you can add this to the back matter, but it’s even more fun to include a craft or recipe as a plot point in your story! When your characters bake cookies or make friendship bracelets, the steps could be depicted both in the text and illustrations to create a clever how-to – but make sure your story comes first. It’s even better if the activity is something parents and kids can do together!

Writers, what tips have you learned to make your story more interactive? Let me know in the comments! Happy writing! 😊