10 Picture Books That Go the Extra Mile: Beyond Short and Sweet
Are Shorter Picture Books Limiting Our Children?
Picture books are getting shorter. A century ago, the average picture book was a thousand words. Today, it’s around 500. Not only are picture books shorter, but there’s less variation in length. While classic picture books varied wildly in word count, from hundred-word stories to two thousand, half of today’s picture books are under 400 words—and many publishers won’t even consider anything over 700.
That’s a problem because, while more books are being published than ever before, stricter word counts mean less variation in the choices available to parents and children.
Bloated picture books might be a thing of the past, but are anemic word counts any better?
It’s hard to tell a good story in under 500 words, much less 300. Clever authors can do it, but it’s hard, and for every Sandra Boynton, there are a dozen “nothing books” without a compelling story.
Interesting characters, plots, and themes: these things take space. They need room to breathe.
Brevity Is Good, But It’s Not Everything
Don’t get me wrong. As a disciple of Strunk & White, I consider brevity a virtue second only to clarity.
But word count alone doesn’t tell the whole story. A 500-word Disney syndicated book is too long if it has nothing to say, and I’ve read 1,000-word picture books that needed more meat on their bones.
Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that he make every word tell.
— ”Elementary Principles of Composition”, The Elements of Style
How many picture books have you read that feel more like an outline of a story rather than the real deal? Does every word in the picture book tell? Or do miserly publishers condemn the market to a glut of “nothing books” without a story?
So, How Long Should a Picture Book Be?
Well, it depends.
Every story is unique in its requirements. There are great picture books that are thousands of words long and those with no words. Rather than confine the genre to strict industry standards, what’s needed is more diverse word counts.
Larry Mcenerney, who was director of the University of Chicago’s writing program for 30 years, says, “Concision isn’t the number of words on the page, it’s how long it takes readers to process what’s on the page”
This is as true of picture books as it is of academic papers. What makes a picture book great isn’t the word count. Some stories simply require more words than others to tell, and to tell well. Are these stories too long to be read aloud to young children? Or is there a place for the stories that take more than 5 minutes to read? Stories that stretch our underutilized attention spans and provide something deeper than the “nothing books”?
According to Strunk and Mcenerney, good storytelling requires clear and purposeful writing, regardless of word count.
The Value of Variety in Picture Books
Short picture books like board books are great when reading aloud to my 2-year-old. But my 6-year-old isn’t interested. However, neither is she able to read to herself yet. Her preferences have grown faster than her abilities, and long-form picture books are perfect for her. They provide a more complex story but are still fun to read aloud together until she’s ready to read independently.
While shorter picture books are here to stay, there’s value in variety, and longer picture books offer several advantages. For example:
- Plots and characters are more complex
- They can explore dilemmas and themes that shorter stories can’t
- There is more time to savor the pictures (and, therefore, pictures can be more detailed)
- There is space for more beautiful or flowing prose
- There is more room for extras like humor and detail
- They exercise attention spans and prepare kids for “real” books
10 Picture Books That Don’t Skimp in the English Department
To celebrate longer picture books that go beyond minimalist word counts, here are ten picture books that offer a richer, deeper reading experience:
Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran. Word Count: 853 Read Time: 4min
Marian called it Roxaboxen. It looked like any rocky hill with nothing but sand, rocks, and old wooden boxes. But it was a special place. All you needed to go there was a long stick and a soaring imagination.
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. Word Count: 999 Read Time: 5min
Duncan loves to color. Whether it’s red fire trucks or purple dragons, Duncan is always coloring. That is, until his crayons go on strike.
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen. Word Count: 1,001 Read Time: 5min
Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is a stickler for rules. No running. No shouting. But when a lion comes to the library she doesn’t know what to do. There aren’t any rules about lions in the library.
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. Word Count: 1,243 Read Time: 7min
Alice made a promise: make the world a more beautiful place. She grows up. She travels the world. But still, she hasn’t fulfilled her promise. Then, a seed of an idea is planted and blossoms into a beautiful plan.
Strega Nona’s Magic Lessons by Tomie dePaola. Word Count: 1,245 Read Time: 7min
In this story by Tomie dePaola, Big Anthony disguises himself as a girl in order to take magic lessons from Strega Nona.
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. Word Count: 1,276 Read Time: 7min
Sal and her mother pick blueberries to can for the winter. But when Sal wanders, she discovers a mama bear preparing for her own long winter. Meanwhile, Sal’s mother is being followed by a small bear with a big appetite for berries! Will each mother go home with the right little one?
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. Word Count: 1,621 Read Time: 8min
“I know some new tricks,” said the Cat in the Hat. “A lot of good tricks. I will show them to you. Your mother will not mind at all if I do.”
A rainy day takes an unexpected turn when the Cat in the Hat appears.
The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl. Word Count: 2,871 Read Time: 14min
The Enormous Crocodile is a horrid, greedy, gumptious brute. He has secret plans and clever tricks to guzzle up little boys and girls. But the jungle animals have had enough of his nasty ways, so they scheme to get the better of this foul fiend once and for all.
Cars and Trucks and Things that Go by Richard Scarry. Word Count: 2,880 Read Time: 15min
The Pig family drive their car to the beach to have their picnic. Along the way, they encounter every kind of car imaginable, from station wagons to tow trucks to bulldozers to the broom-o-cycle. There’s even a car made out of a pickle.
Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman. Word Count: 12,377 Read Time 61min
A father goes on an adventure through space and time, braving aliens, pirates, vampires, and more. His mission: to return home with the milk for his children’s breakfast cereal.
With about an hour of read-time, Fortunately, The Milk isn’t so much a picture book as it is a book with pictures. Nevertheless, it will be well worth your time.
The Impact of Shorter Picture Books on Children’s Literature
In a world where brevity often reigns, it’s essential to remember that great storytelling isn’t defined by word count alone. While short picture books are perfect for younger readers with limited attention spans, there’s immense value in longer picture books that offer richer plots, deeper characters, and themes that can resonate across ages. These stories not only captivate children but also nurture their developing minds and expanding attention spans.
Whether your children are ready for a quick read or an immersive tale—you can find stories that inspire, challenge, and stay with them long after the final page is turned.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Join other homeschooling parents at our Homeschool Connections Community or our Facebook group to continue the discussion!
