Parents who read books to very young children will be familiar with concept books. This kind of picture book often deals with counting (The Very Hungry Caterpillar), shapes (This is a Book of Shapes), letters of the alphabet (C is for Caboose), colour (Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?) or opposites (Big Bear Small Mouse).
Concept books can also include such topics as trucks (Planes, Cars, Trucks and Trains ), or animal babies ( Baby Animals Playing), or bedtime routines (Goodnight Moon). They can include stories about homes across the world, as in Goodnight World . Books about feelings have increased in number too. Many of these early books also come in rhyme and rhythm and many in board books, such as Moo, Baa, La La La!
Recently, through Children’s Book Insider interviews with authors, I learned, and also observed, that the lines are blurred in concept books. Publishers are producing books for older children, either with insets or back matter, for the child to learn more. An example of a book with added details on the story page is Outside, You Notice.
If you write a concept book for a preschooler, the back matter—information added in the back of the book—may be as simple as an illustrated map of the country as in Carson Crosses Canada or a double page spread, with illustrations of the homes shown in the story and where they’re found in the world (In Goodnight World ).
On researching concept books, I realize that my picture book, Harry’s Trees, could also be considered a concept book since it deals with trees across the seasons. There the back matter is simply a description of how the book came to be.
If you plan to write a concept book that extends beyond the preschooler, consider adding that detail to a non-fiction book proposal, all the more if you’re an expert on a subject, such as a dog trainer, botanist, or specialist in an area that fascinates children.
As with writing for children, it’s important to study books on the market. When I began to write for children, conference workshop leaders suggested reading hundreds of children’s books, and especially of the kind we wish to write.
Have fun writing and keep on learning.
Until next month, stay safe, stay well… and keep writing!