There is a great bit from the (practically vintage now!) show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt where Titus straight-up leaves the audience to join the cast of Cats onstage, and 1) okay, itâs esp. hilarious because I have sat through Cats and definitely found myself turning to others in the darkened audience to assess who was actually enjoying it (so the premise that itâs just an ongoing theatrical scam makes complete sense!) and 2) who among us has felt so engaged during an awesome (non-Cats) Broadway show that they immediately daydreamed, say, of rapping about the American Revolution with Leslie Odom Jr.? (It CANNOT just be me.)
Now imagine you are a squirmy three to four-year-old at a book reading. You very much want to hear the storyâbut also, the fuzz on the floor might be a caterpillar! And also, you can somersault! LOOK, MOMMY! you yell at the âold people who need chairsâ section. MOMMYâWATCH ME!!
Now imagine you are reading to a GROUP of those three to four-year-olds. First, what an honorâthey are such a fun age! But second, ay-yai-yai-yai-yai, I hope you packed some bangers in your picture book bag because these kids do not suffer fools or boredom.
Itâs time to break outâŠa great book, with a great refrain.
With the power of refrain, you can harness this gaggleâs natural gigglepot energy into an adorable yet powerful picture book chorusâand best of all, engage them with the story AND the performance you are putting on for them! They will love thisâand, bonus: now youâve got the most enthusiastic story-hype-kids in the world! Itâs a win/win!
So, a refrain is a terrific tool for engagement. Much like a chorus in a song, the refrain invites the intended âaudienceâ to join in, and creates anticipation of when their âturnâ will be. Great!
But, as they sayâŠthatâs not all!
Here are just some of the other (many!) benefits of refrains:
For the person who reads the story, it increases readability (giving them a well-known landing strip so they can, for example, look at the audience instead of at the page the entire time).
For all those hearing the story, it increases memorability and comprehensionâboth literal and in terms of emotional impact. [Note: Because of this, itâs often best to pick a refrain that is simple and clear but also (ideally) both specific to the story you are working on and universalâso that each usage may add a new layer or angleâeven while using the same words.]
Refrains allow lap-sitting young readers to practice âreadingâ aloudâeven before they can read.
When a refrain is punchy and well done, it can often make a great book title! (And vice versa, a great book title can sometimes offer an excellent refrain opportunity!)
When the text is like a drumbeat, the refrain can act as a coach, cheering the reader to continue on the march. Similarly, in rhyming texts, a refrain can break up any âsing-songy monotony.â
Refrains donât have to be the same thing every time: in fact, creating and then breaking the refrain pattern for the final use (say, by changing one word) can lead to supremely satisfying picture book endings. One of my favorites, for example, is the shift in Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin from:
"Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety, clack, moo.â to
"Click, clack, quack. Click, clack, quack. Clickety, clack, quack.â (after the ducks get ahold of the typewriter).
What am I forgetting in this list? And, what are some of your âbanger picture books ft. refrainsâ? Let me know in the comments!
Your friend, your friend, your friend,
Elayne
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Yes! Sending out my refrain story today đ€