Do you need to illustrate books aimed at young children?

There's no doubt that pictures add value to books for young children; they provide opportunities to:

• Introduce unfamiliar environments, real or fictional, to children. This might include places, animals, cultural practices or people. 
• Reduce any fear a young child might feel when about to engage with a new experience such as attending nursery or flying in an airplane.
• Link objects to words. This is useful for both extending the vocabulary of young children and also supporting children when they are learning to read.
• Increase engagement with books and reading. Young children enjoy looking at images.
• Provide opportunities to extend the reading time beyond the words on the page. Parents and children can discuss the images beyond the actual story.

However, using illustrations is not essential. Young children enjoy the experience of being read to and the attention given to them during this time with or without pictures. 

Many books are now read from a mobile device such as a mobile phone, iPad or Kindle. All of these devices will support pictures however the parent, or other reader, may not be sharing the device with the young child, they may choose to read aloud in a cafe or car whilst facing, or perhaps not even looking at, their child.

In short, if you have a great idea for a children's story but are worrying about the illustrations then go ahead a write it anyway. Read it aloud to ensure it works as a "words only" story and then publish it.

For an example of this type of book have a look at George and his Dragon, available on Amazon.

Click here to view.

Happy writing.