Why reading children’s books could improve your content

Reading The Gruffalo to your little one for what seems like the millionth night in a row may feel like a chore, but fear not! It’s actually making you a better writer…

Writing insights and inspiration come from all sorts of unlikely places. And as all scriveners know, the most reliable way to improve your writing is to read, read and read some more.

With an almost two-year-old at home, most of my reading material currently consists of board and picture books. Many of these titles have been delighting young bookworms – and, presumably, the adults who are compelled to read them over and over – for decades. Some of them are absolute dross.

But what is it that makes a book written for small children successful? While the criteria vary, ideally, it will be engaging (for both the child and the adult), amusing and memorable. Bonus points if it’s educational, which, I hasten to add, doesn’t mean sticking a load of facts on a page. It also has to stand up to scrutiny – kids are the harshest critics and excellent spotters of inconsistencies.

All of which is to say that our goals as content writers aren’t a million miles from those of children’s book authors. Don’t get me wrong, I doubt anyone is reading corporate press releases aloud six times before bed, but I’ve been wrong in the past.

So, what lessons can we learn from children’s books to make our content shine? 

The three Rs: rhythm, rhyme and repetition

How many nursery rhymes are etched into your memory? Chances are you can still recite the rhyming words even if the lines in between are a tad fuzzy. You’ll be glad to know I’m not going to suggest you write your next company newsletter in rhyming verse, but there’s a simple reason that so much writing for children uses rhyme: it’s memorable.

Similarly, repetition is often used to add emphasis or build tension. Think about the way Eric Carle repeats the same phrases in The Very Hungry Caterpillar – “On [..] he ate […] but he was still hungry” – to drive home the point that this is one ravenous larva. Meanwhile, Janet and Allan Ahlberg’s Each Peach Pear Plum is a great example of the use of anadiplosis (repeating the last word or phrase of a line at the start of the next) to create momentum.

Rhythm makes for memorable writing because it echoes the way we speak. It’s the reason we find it easier to remember lyrics or poetry in metre than prose. Broadly speaking, rhythm in writing can be achieved through varying sentence length and paying attention to stress and emphasis, but this BBC Maestro blog explains it better than I have space to here.

Obviously, Julia Donaldson is an absolute master of all three techniques; that’s partly why she’s a multimillion bestseller. To give just one fun example of her careful attention to rhythm, rhyme and emphasis, from What the Ladybird Heard Next: ‘The heap collapsed and Hugh said “Yuck! We’re covered head to toe in muck!”’

Big words, big ideas, big feelings

Don’t be scared to include long words, important ideas or strong emotions in your content. Whether they’re 4, 44 or 84, your reader can handle all of the above when they’re deployed appropriately.

Children learn new words by hearing them used, so while we may associate children’s books with simple language that kids can understand, some of the most popular titles use vocabulary that pushes that understanding. ‘You could hear the cacophony all over town’, writes Lynley Dodd in Hairy Maclary’s Caterwaul Caper. Not a word you use every day, but the perfect word for the sound of a cat stuck in a tree encircled by excited dogs. And a reminder that context is key.

There is a subtle distinction here between simple language and plain language, defined by the US government as: ‘Writing that is clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other best practices appropriate to the subject or field and intended audience.’ What the best children’s books do – and what your content should do – is distil ideas down to their essence. That essence can still encapsulate a range of emotions, complexity and even conflict. A great example we’ve been reading lately is Benji Davies’ The Storm Whale, which gently invites young readers to think about loneliness and grief.

In short, never underestimate your reader.

There’s no need to preach

On a similar note, there’s no need to patronise your audience. Children’s books show that it’s possible to share important messages in a fun and engaging way.

In Zog and the Flying Doctors, Donaldson demonstrates by example that women – even princesses – can be whatever they want to be, including doctors. Elmer, David McKee’s much-loved patchwork elephant, teaches that differences are to be celebrated rather than hidden without explicitly stating the same.

As content writers, we can employ similar techniques to convey complex themes or topics in a digestible and absorbing manner.

Pay attention to plot

We talk a lot in our blogs about the importance of storytelling, and plot is arguably the essence of storytelling. It is how we connect cause and effect.

Although titles for the very youngest readers tend to focus on shape and colour rather than story, even the simplest eight-spread board books can introduce a basic narrative. One thing that most storybooks for toddlers have in common is a single storyline, and many content writers could benefit from sticking to one simple thread.

Some authors have even tried to classify all possible plot types – a list that might be useful for your next case study?

Connect through characters

Winnie the Pooh, Peter Rabbit, Paddington Bear. These are characters who’ve stood the test of time, and while it’s fair to say your CEO probably won’t approve a company blog from the perspective of a small mammal, there’s a lesson here.

It’s a lesson about getting your potential customers or clients emotionally invested. Far easier said than done, you might say, but if your product or service really solves a problem, that problem will be relatable. To return to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, who hasn’t got carried away at the buffet and given themselves a tummy ache? Who doesn’t want to believe they can transform into a flashier version of themselves?

People identify with other people (in the loosest sense of the word; the one that includes stuffed bears), not with companies.

Creativity transcends the barriers society would have us believe divide marketing and advertising from children’s literature. The beauty of books for kids is that they often delight in breaking the rules, and the same could be said of stand-out content.

So, don’t lose the plot, but give yourself permission to break the rules and have fun!

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