The Sensory Experience in Picture Books
Think back to your favourite childhood books. What do you remember the most? The pictures? The sing-songy phrases? The magical sweets and treats they had?
Can you see the similarities between those things?
That’s right - it’s the five senses! And today I want to get into why they are so essential to include in your story books.
In fact, they are one of the very reasons so many see the great Canadian Robert Munch as such an expert writer. He plays into all five senses that make his people, places, and problems just jump off the page. That method also creates all that laughter and fun we want a child to feel!
Sensory elements are so important for children to experience. While you don’t need to use all five senses in every scene, it’s a good idea to have some sprinkled about your story. Here’s how you can start doing it in your work and make your story invaluable for your young audience.
The Power of Sight
One of the largest and loudest senses we have is sight. We are using our sight 90% of the time - our only exception is sleep! That’s why sight is the number one element you should include in your story. But I don’t mean illustrations.
While, of course, you will have illustrations, your written descriptions bring the world you want to life. You don’t want to rely too much on the illustrations to show your story. Because it is your words that direct your editor, illustrator, and designer to add in the other visuals and create the ultimate picture book you envisioned. Your words have to be able to stand on their own to paint the picture of your story.
One good example of this is Diana Zalucky’s story. In Peyton and the Magical Compass, Peyton is laughed at by the other kids for her vivid imagination. But when she finds a magical compass she learns to trust in her unique way of seeing the world. Zalucky uses those opportunities of imagination to scatter descriptions everywhere, and to turn “stones into spaceships”. Even small phrases like this can create a whole new vision of the world and infuse a story with the delight of descriptions and sight.
Tip: Try to use descriptive words that evoke specific images or emotions. One exercise you can do is the replacement test: write down a list of cliches you’ve heard and try replacing the descriptive words or nouns in the phrase with something new. For example, instead of “shine bright like a diamond” you could say “shine clear like a crystal” to make it fresh.
The Magic of Sound
Next to sight comes sounds. This sensation is just as important as the first. It is a key to make your story more dynamic and engaging, especially for when it’s read out loud. It can also become a tool to help young children practice sounds and learn language.
While you can list things characters hear with verbs (for example “people are talking”, or “music is playing”), there is another major way children’s book authors incorporate sound. It’s called onomatopoeia. These are words that when you say them, they mimic the actual sound they describe. Think of the word sizzle. It sounds just like what we hear when our food is cooking on a hot pan. You want to make sure your words flow when they are read out loud - so make sure you are reading your own writing too!
You can hear this happening in Do You Have a Rhythm? by Joanne Gallahager. Joanne truly uses sound to her advantage, taking all the sounds of the animals and putting them together into a medley that makes the words just a joy to read aloud. Here’s a small snippet from her work so you can see just how she uses sound.
“Peep! Peep! Peep!
Did you see baby chick?
He is on an adventure!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
He is looking for the rhythm of life!
Oink! Oink! Oink!”
Let us go!
Can you hear it?
Can you see it?
Can you say it?
Tip: Make a list of three onomatopoeia sounds whenever you go out. What do you hear in nature, in a cafe, in your home, at a store - any place you find yourself? This can be a great reference for later when you’re writing!
The Significance of Smell
Smells are one of our strongest senses tied to memories and emotion. So when it comes to writing your book, it’s a must to transport your reader to a specific time and place.
A good way to write with smell is to close your eyes and envision all the things that would surround you in the scene you’re writing. Any elements that smell are good contenders to add! It’s also important to remember that smells don’t have to just be food or people, they can include things like the weather, materials, or even just a room.
Stacy Taylor’s Moose’s Nose Knows does this really well. Using a dog as her main character, the author uses the hunting-dog as a perfect excuse to get kids thinking about “all sorts of smells—some yummy, some yucky”. It also helps them think about what we associate with the familiar and safe, and what is strange and new.
Tip: consider what smells remind you of specific memories, moments, people, or places and write them down to use later!
You want to write, but when pen hits paper, the words won’t come.
The solution? Free Guide! 7 Writing Prompts for When the Words Won't Come
Writing a children’s book can feel next to impossible when you’re staring at a blank page.
So I've put together 7 writing prompts not only to spark your creativity, but to prove that, in as little as 5 minutes, you can come up with a relatable story idea for young readers.
The Feeling of Touch
Describing textures and the feelings of physical things are another good way to connect your young readers to your world. Not only do they create a physical space for the characters, but touch can also show the intended emotional state of the story.
When including touch in your writing it’s a good idea to get out there and handle physical objects. You’ll want to get a sense of what things feel like so you can accurately capture things like weight, texture, temperature, and moisture. We want to include more language than just soft or hard!
The Sweet Fishing Secret by Jennifer Statz does just this! Statz’s main character Kaitlin wants to out-fish her father and brother, but doesn’t like the worms, so she finds another secret way to win. In learning how to fish, Statz has her character interact with the “ushy gushy” worms and invent another “sweet secret” to win instead. Having two very different sensations not only makes the work tangible, but shows the two emotions of Kaitlin - being upset about missing out, and finding joy in finding a way through her obstacle!
Tip: consider different types of touch: sensations, temperatures, textures - now see if you can find one or two objects your character would interact with in the real world and go out and touch them! Write down what they feel like.
The Delight of Taste
While this scent is not as common, it is no less important. Taste is an excellent element to add to show joy, culture, and family and friend connections! Nothing brings people together like a good meal!
When writing about taste you can be direct, or you can add in some metaphor. It doesn’t always have to be super specific. And don’t forget the important step of conveying what that taste may mean. Because it is a more rare sense to use, you want to make sure your reader understands why it’s important!
Luz Dang wrote a picture book that captures this exactly. The Sweet Play Date Club is all about “two friends [who] gather for a playdate. They discover the joy of cooking and sharing sweet treats from different cultures.” By sharing their flavors they are not only working as a team, but building their friendship and understanding of different cultures!
Tip: for a couple days catalogue the taste of every meal you eat and list all the descriptive words you could use for each dish.
In those simple ways and practices, you can implement the five senses into your writing. While having them is an excellent way to engage your young readers and bring things to life, remember you don’t have to include all of them all the time! Just a little bit of seasoning can go a long way.
And when it comes to cooking up great, creative work, I’ve got just the recipes to get you started - my 7 Writing Prompts for When the Words Won’t Come. With this free resource, in as little as 5 minutes, you can come up with a relatable story idea for young readers, and engage all those 5 senses. Stay inspired!
