Skip to main content

What makes a good chidren's story / book?

There is no interview with an SFC Team Member today. Instead I have a wonderful guest post to share from World of Ink Tour Guests Tom Listul & Heather Listul Hewitt.


What makes a good chidren's story / book ?

Every children’s story that I have enjoyed has had some main ingredients. 

Interesting Characters and Story Line
First and foremost, it is important to have interesting characters and an interesting story line that will hold the reader’s attention. Children need to be able to relate to the story and have fun reading it. 

Wording
The words in a children’s story are the core of the book, but the illustrations are also very important. The overall feeling of a story can change dramatically depending on how the words are depicted through pictures. 

Artwork/Illustrations
I think a good children’s story has illustrations that match the message that the words are trying to depict. It is also fun to see illustrations that are unique and colorful, because they will capture a child’s attention. 

Rhyme, Patterns or Hidden Messages
Some of my favorite children’s books are ones that have unique rhymes, patterns or hidden messages. People enjoy seeing and reading something different than what is already on the shelves so it is good to take chances. 


Tips on Writing for Children
  • Think like a kid. 
  • Use your imagination. 
  • Try to remember what you enjoyed reading about as a child. 
  • Ask children you know for their input or to rate your idea. You might be surprised with how they respond.
  • Simplify what you are writing depending on the age group you are targeting. 
  • The most important thing is just to have fun with writing and to enjoy the process. It is likely that children will enjoy it if you had fun with it and were creative.   



About the authors:
Tom Listul wrote Monkey Made Dream with his daughter, Heather Listul Hewitt, when she was eight years old. A farmer from southwest Minnesota, he is also a singer/songwriter. Listul made Monkey Made Dream into a children’s song and has sang it at numerous coffee houses and children’s classrooms. Hewitt is now a speech-language pathologist, who works for a school district with students of all ages. She enjoys helping children develop literacy skills and a love for reading.

Learn more about Tom Listul and Heather Listul Hewitt at their World of Ink Tour Page!


Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Interview Friday: Natasha Yim & Gretchen Maurer

Natasha Yim is a children's book author and freelance writer. Her first book, Otto's Rainy Day was published by Charlesbridge Publishing in 2000. It was selected as a Kids' Pick of the Lists. She has written for Highlights for Children, Appleseeds and Faces magazines, and her new picture book biography, Cixi, The Dragon Empress was released by Goosebottom Books in October 2011. Gretchen Maurer's writing has been published in Frances Mayes' The Discovery of Poetry, and in Adventure Cyclist and Highlights for Children magazines. She also co-wrote a short film, Alma, that has won multiple awards. Mary Tudor, "Bloody Mary" is her first picture book. She lives in Northern California with her family. Natasha Yim’s current book, Cixi, The Dragon Empress and Gretchen Maurer’s current book, Mary Tudor, “Bloody Mary” are two of the six books (all written by different authors) in Goosebottom Books’ series, The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Dastardly Dames. The seri...
Read more

Special What is Success Show on Blog Talk Radio

It's Oscar night for Virginia S Grenier, Marsha Cook and Bennet Pomerantz . Join them on Wednesday February 27 10 PM EST 9 PM CST 8PM MT 7PM PST for a lively discussion about the Oscars. If you missed the Oscars they will fill you in on everything that happened and everything that didn't. It's going to be a fun packed show. It will be an open show for callers. Bethany Cross will be there to open the chat room. Call in to speak with the hosts (714) 242-5259 Feel free to call in with your questions or opinions on who should have won or shouldn't have. If you've ever thought of writing a screenplay this would be the show for you. You might just come away with the inspiration to write one! for more info http://www.worldofinknetwork.com http://www.michiganavenuemedia.com http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A2F7CCPK4QL359 Listen in at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2013/02/28/special-what-is-success
Read more

Unmasking Narcissism: Lessons on Healing, Boundaries, and the Human Condition

  When I first sat down with Dominick to interview Stuart Wood, neuroscientist and author of Escaping the Void: How to Support Victims Out of Emotionally Abusive Relationships , I thought I knew what to expect. I’ve been a victim advocate for years. I’ve sat with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and I’ve seen the way emotional abuse erodes someone from the inside out. But there was something about this conversation—something about tying narcissism not just to relationships, but to culture at large—that resonated with me on a personal and professional level. Stuart came to the topic of narcissism the way so many of us do—not through clinical theory at first, but through experience. He supported a friend through four years of leaving and healing after an abusive narcissistic marriage. And from there, he wrote a book that demystifies the confusing behaviors and manipulations so often minimized or dismissed, even by victims themselves. Why Narcissism Hits Home I come ...
Read more