With so many wonderful children’s books available, it can be difficult to choose which ones to read to your children, or ask them to read to you, but what makes a great children’s book?
Reading is one of those fantastic hobbies which brings people both joy, and education, and encouraging children to read for pleasure from an early age is a great way to give them a love of books which can last a lifetime, so choosing the right books to start their journey with is important.
Strong characters
When the characters in a children’s book are strong, easy to identify with, and able to evoke emotions, the story itself will be wonderfully engaging and will give the child plenty to think about too.
If a child cares about the characters in the book, they will be more likely to ask questions, and will have a greater interest in what is going to happen to them throughout the story.
Characters can take many forms, including people, animals, or aliens, but as long as they have personalities and traits that children understand, they will find their way into their hearts.
Teaches lessons
There’s a whole variety of lessons that can be taught via books, and a lot of the time it is not even obvious to children that they are learning as they read.
Although books which teach children how to identify letters, numbers, and colours, are easy to recognise as educational books, there are others which subtly teach children about life skills, such as manners, diversity, and acceptance, which are extremely valuable.
Engaging illustrations
Eye-catching illustrations are a great way to keep young children engaged when they are reading, and they really help them to use their imagination and understand the story and characters.
Children’s books with bold pictures are often popular, but fussy illustrations can be a bit overwhelming and might distract from the text, so choosing a book with more simple drawings may be the best option.
Structured plot
The best children’s books are those which have a solid structure to the plot, and include characters moving towards an end goal.
Selecting books for your children which have a strong beginning, middle, and end, including an obstacle that the characters need to overcome, a problem to solve, or something that they need to achieve, are sure to keep them entertained!
This will also help them to understand how books are structured, and how stories are formed.
As you can see, there are a variety of factors which can make a great children’s book, but the most important thing is that your child enjoys them, as everyone has different preferences when it comes to their favourite reading material!
The BuZZy Friends children’s books tick off each point on this list as the include a ‘BuZZy Code’ which teaches children how to be lovely people, includes bold illustrations by the talented Nick Owen, and they each see the friends going on an adventure, and learning along the way!