The Backyard Animal Friend
Create a tale about a young girl who befriends a magical talking animal in her backyard. What adventures do they embark on together?
Suggested length: A picture book: 300 to 800 words
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Read it out loud as you write. If it doesn't sound good, change it.
- Give every page or scene one picture worth drawing.
- Use one silly sound word kids will want to say.
Writing children's
Ages 0 to 8: books made to be read aloud, again and again.
Children's books run from board books and picture books for the youngest to early readers and chapter books for kids reading on their own. Every word counts, and the adults reading aloud are an audience too.
What readers expect
- Simple, rhythmic language
- A child's point of view
- Room for the illustrations
- A satisfying, often gentle ending
A tip before you start
You don't need an illustrator. Publishers pair picture book writers with artists, so leave room in your text for the pictures to tell part of the story.
More Kids prompts
- The Animal in the BackpackYour main character discovers a talking animal hiding in their school backpack. The animal urgently needs their help to return to its magical…
- A Day at Magic SchoolWrite about a school where instead of regular subjects, students learn magical skills like potion-making and spell-casting. Describe a typical day for…
- Colors Across the SkyImagine a world where every time you learn something new, a color splashes across the sky. Describe your character’s day from sunrise to sunset as…
- The Bird's Backyard TreasureA young child discovers a talking bird in their backyard that claims to know the location of a hidden treasure. Together with their best friends, they…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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