9 Picture Book Ideas and Themes for Writer Moms

Time can be your worst enemy, especially when you are a writer AND a mom. Check out these nine story ideas and themes that can help you get into a steady groove of writing without sacrificing your precious time with the kiddos.

Writing a children’s picture book requires time — time for quiet moments, time to organize your notes and thoughts, time to be creative, time to develop story ideas — and did I mention time? Writer-mom duties and time never seem to be on the same page. But being a parent gives you access to the best picture book ideas. And that’s because you are living it and when you are living it, you are able to write a story with a fresh perspective, reliving the emotions and actions behind the story.

Below is a list of picture book story ideas/themes, along with simple ways of structuring the ideas into a story.

#1 Fear

Fear is a common thing all kids (and adults) experience. Therefore, it’s super relatable and can be crafted into a story using all sorts of ideas. Try this:

• Make a list of things kids (and adults) are afraid of: bugs, strangers, the dark, etc.

• Choose one thing the main character will be afraid of.

• Create a story about the main character who’s trying to meet a goal, but the fear is the obstacle that’s attempting to block the character from meeting the goal.

  
  

#2 Bullying

Bullying is a common theme, of course, especially with school-aged children. So, this theme will definitely resonate with readers (or listeners). Try this:

• Determine if the main character is either the bully or the victim of bullying

• If the main character is the bully, you can write a story about how the bully enjoyed bullying others until they realized, through interactions with others or being bullied themselves, it wasn’t nice.

• Or, if the main character is the victim of bullying, you can write a story to show how either the victim found ways of standing up to the bully or how the victim helps others stand up to a bully.

#3 Using the Potty

Whew! Potty training is not for the weak —  for the kiddo and the parent. But with a little creativity and strategy, potty training can help kiddos feel more at ease when they go and can help reduce the parent’s stress — a little bit. Potty training books make great board books, which are usually up to 100 words. So, try these ideas:

• Board book idea: Show the main character’s process of learning to use the potty, such as including illustrations of an adult leading them to the potty, showing them the parts of the potty, how to go, etc.
  

• Picture book idea: Show the main character being confident in anything and everything (examples: eating their vegetables, going down the big slide at the playground, putting all their toys away, etc.) --- except using the potty. Then you can write a story about their fear of the potty (or simply deciding not to go, which is often the case). Let the illustrations “show” why they don’t want to go AND show how they overcome it.

#4 Confidence

Confidence is a pretty broad theme, but there’s so much you can do with it! Try this idea:

• Create a main character who isn’t quite confident in performing an activity (ex: singing, dancing, leading, speaking in front of an audience, etc.)

• Narrow it down to one activity.

• Create another character, preferably a human antagonist, or some thing (ex: fear, past experience, etc.) that attempts to block them from performing the activity.

• Use a secondary character (preferably another child or a character that is child-like, not an adult) to encourage the main character to keep going.

• The ending can show the main character defeating the obstacle and showing how they gained confidence.

#5 First day of school

The first day of school for kiddos can be filled with a whirlwind of emotions, new and fun experiences, unfamiliar environments, and just plain awkwardness. Therefore, this theme is a fun one to explore as it can be written in all sorts of ways. Try this:

• Start with the main character being excited about the first day of school.

• Then show how they start to experience one bad experience after another (ex: trips and falls as they walk into their classroom and everyone laughs, sits alone at lunch time, etc.)

• Now, the story could go in two ways:

  The main character can become sad and disappointed as the day goes on but has that one experience (where they encounter another student, thing, or activity) that helps the main character completely change their perspective.
  

  or The main character stays optimistic despite the obstacles they experience but sees another student (or maybe teacher) having a hard time and makes it a goal to help them get through the day and see the positive in it all. A good example of this in the children’s picture book, Willow by By Rosemarie Brennan and Denise Brennan-Nelson.

#6 Siblings accepting differences (primarily regarding disabilities)

At an early age, children start to notice how other people may be different from them —  and it may even start at home with siblings. Whether the sibling has been diagnosed with autism, down syndrome, ADHD, or other disability, the home can and should be the first place to start a conversation about differences and disabilities, and writing and publishing a picture book about it is a great start! Try this:

• Explore creating a story from the sibling’s perspective (who does not have the disability)

• You can write a story showing how the sibling doesn’t understand why their sibling with the disability does not perform the same things they do. For example, let’s say the sibling has autism, does not play with their sibling, and avoids certain foods.

• As the story moves forward, your story can show how the sibling without the disability begins to learn how to communicate and interact with their sibling with autism, ultimately showing how they’ve learned from one another and have bonded.  

#7 Embracing childhood

At some point during childhood, kiddos want to be grownups. And the grownups want the kiddos to enjoy being a kid. Writing about embracing childhood can go in some many directions, which makes this theme pretty fun to write about! And the great thing about this theme is that you can promote and incorporate the importance of outdoor play, something children just don’t do as much anymore. Try this:

• Start with a main character who really wants to be a grownup.

• You can show this by creating scenes of the main character copying what the grownups in their life do, such as talking or playing on their phone, attempting to shave, trying to cook, etc.

• But at some point, the main character experiences something that makes them rethink adulthood and their perspective changes.

#8 Bedtime

There’s nothing like ending the day with a fussy or energetic kiddo who doesn’t want to go to bed. This story theme is pretty common, of course, but writing a story about bedtime could be a fun and encouraging way to get them to go to sleep. Try this:

• The main character can be experiencing one of the following: They may want to go to bed but can’t due to various obstacles (younger sibling crying and bothering them, scared of the dark, etc.) Or They don’t want to go to bed because they have tons of energy and want to play

  
  

• For both main characters, you can write a story that shows the main character finding creative ways of going to bed or making bedtime fun.

  
  

#9 Opposites Attract

You may have two or more kiddos or have nieces, nephews, or students who are completely different from one another. But they each have unique qualities and skills that can complement each other to complete a task. Themes like this one can allow writers to create a story with two main characters with opposite personalities and strengths to develop a wonky plot that’s fun, quirky and unpredictable, which is great for engagement! Try this:

• Create two main characters that are completely different from each other. (Tip: To help you figure out how to create characters, check out the How to Create Characters, Conflicts, Plots & Settings eBook quick guide, which includes a worksheet on how to create a Character Study for each character.)

• Write a story that shows how these two characters always clash and have never been able to get along.

• Create a plot that shows them realizing each other’s strengths and weaknesses and coming together to accomplish a goal or defeat an obstacle.

For more writing tips and strategies, visit BirdsLovePublishing.com.