The Anatomy of A Great Children's Book

Can I share something with you?

When my son was in pre-school, he had his go-to-books. The ones with the worn pages or missing cover. The ones he slept with. The one he chose every night, though I just bought him a new set of books from the school’s book fair. If you have children or deal with them often, you’ve experienced this multiple times. 

 What makes these books so special? 

During a November live on my Facebook page, my friend Andy Evans, teacher and PaperPie (formerly Usborne Books) consultant, shared a plethora of information on providing children with interactive reading experiences. Andy noted four things to connect with a child. These four things are not only great advice for interacting with children, but also a solid formula for choosing children’s books.  

1. Eye contact — Is your child able to relate the main character of the book? Are the illustrations professional and eye-catching?  
2. Touch — Does your child care about the character and the problem (s)he faces in the story? 
3. Present — Does your child care what happens next? Does the story use the five senses to pull your child into the story? Is it written in an age-appropriate way with important and teachable lessons 
4. Playful — Are the characters funny? Is the story humorous? Do the illustrations complement the story?  

I hope you will use this formula each time you are looking for that special book. And during your search, please don’t forget my books, featuring diverse characters, colorful eye-catching illustrations, and engaging and age-appropriate stories for children between the ages of three and nine. 

Tracé Wilkins Francis

Creating Diversity with social and emotional lessons that matter for parents/educators of children from ages 3 to 9.