📌 On 180° Character Changes in Picture Books
And why smaller character changes are just as powerful--if not more so.
Crafting believable, dynamic characters is one of the biggest challenges in storytelling. After all, relatability emotionally draws a reader into the story—to care about it. Demonstrated and earned character growth gives the story energy and helps it stand up to multiple re-readings.
But, so much of what has been written about character arc in craft books comes from a novel-centric view of the literary world. And it’s true that in long-form stories (novels, movies, etc.), the protagonist most often undergoes a pretty substantial switcheroo—sometimes bordering near-miraculous, à la Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.
But even miracles need to be earned to feel fully satisfying (something that definitely comes through with our old pal Ebenezer). The earned part—how we scaffold a character’s journey so that it’s both nuanced enough to be believable but also dynamic enough to be interesting—is hard enough even in a novel with (at least, to me, a picture book writer) a shocking amount of word-and-page-count bandwidth at one’s disposal.
So, naturally, telling this kind of full-bodied story in picture book form only makes this challenge more acute. Not ONLY does a picture book need a dynamic protagonist (dynamic ENOUGH to catch the interest of the world’s harshest audience when bored), but the protagonist’s journey must also be believable in 12-15 spreads, give or take! Further, the change must be substantial enough to be felt, but nuanced enough to be believably achieved by a character who may, themselves, be very young and relatively inexperienced. It’s nothing if not complex. And therein lies the dismay when the picture book character change feels contrived and the magic when it feels just right: so much potential, stacked up against such a tall order!
Certainly, it’s not impossible to nail a 180-degree character arc in a picture book (though, I don’t think it’s any coincidence that many picture books that manage it tend to be ones with higher page counts—The Grinch Who Stole Christmas has 64 pages, indicating it’s not just the Grinch’s heart that grew several sizes to lead him to such a big character turnaround). I will note that Tomi Ungerer’s The Three Robbers does it in 40…which is super impressive and one of the reasons I love that book so much!
Still, while not a “hard rule,” in most cases I think the form of picture book form, as well as their audience’s discerning demands, inform a “less BUT more” approach to character change.
Some stellar examples that come to mind include:
Big’s child protagonist lets herself cry, and tells the people who hurt her that they, well, hurt her—and rejects their false beliefs in the process.
My Best Friend’s first-person child protagonist explains all about her new playground friend, realizing her new friend is actually her best friend—and that she wants to invest further in their relationship—in the process.
I Want My Hat Back’s bear protagonist gets his hat back, becoming a little less naive (and a little more full) in the process.
In fact, the more I think about it, this higher focus on the incremental and important may be one of the biggest reasons picture books are so, so satisfying, because:
There is nothing more believably earned than incremental change. After all, it’s how even adults—who should (at least in theory) be the most experienced of all children—change. And childhood is where lifelong habits frequently take root, as habit-forming activities are already a big daily focus for the audience.
Small can be life-alteringly profound. After all, children are small and profound! Even something as “simple” as an apology or offering to share a toy can be truly sagacious, with context.
Optimistic worldview that honors humans’ messy reality. Optimism is always welcome in children’s books; lies aren’t. When a book ends with a bully, 12 spreads later, entirely realizing the error of their ways and never bullying again, such deceit will be seen for what it is. Instead, as children’s book creators, we are gifted with the task of finding the good we CAN promise—for example, in a bullying book, finding at least one ally to confide in may not change a bully, but will help the victim. (Related: It’s not just the protagonist character change that needs to feel believable—all character changes should feel earned.)
Stronger plot that feels possible, even if technically impossible. In a story with a more nuanced and believable character arc, the character’s actions influencing the story's events are similarly more believable and seamless; even if the plot details are complete fantasy, they will feel more realistic.
Healthy change modeling. I hope to never have a hand in a story that makes a child feel that the only “good” growth to celebrate is a complete personality overhaul. What are the implications of signaling the “level” of change needed in a children’s book protagonist is a complete 180?
In summary, I believe we’re better off showing an important incremental change in our character than something dramatic and (frankly) unbelievable. As the SNL Romano Tours sketch points out, that’s laughably unrealistic, as genuine turnarounds are "a job for incremental lifestyle changes sustained over time.”
So, there we have it: one of the many picture book challenges. As for the advice of what to do about it, it’s the same as ever: let the character, through their unique journey, have some realizations and act upon them—without resorting to stating, in writing, what the character has learned.
Essentially, show—don’t tell. Which you knew already, and I guess I did, too. Still, like a nerdy mathematician, sometimes I like to work out for myself why.
Your “ch-ch-changes1” friend,
Elayne
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This is one of the songs Bowie didn’t play at the 2004 concert I went to; however, I can hardly complain, as the set list WAS pretty great. 👨🎤🎸🤘
Yes! Character arcs are my Achilles heel. Thank god for critique partners, my agent, and editors. Lol