7 Picture-Book Pitfalls (and how to avoid them) 📖

One of my favorite parts of this job is how many manuscripts I get to see in the early stages—and I have to tell you, these seven pitfalls show up in almost every first draft I see (including mine!), so let’s call them out and free you to revise with confidence and clarity. (Psst! Want this guide in a free printable version? Click here!)

Andddd if you find these tips helpful, you’ll love the Manuscript Masterclass—it’s where we go even deeper into story structure, character development, and revision techniques to help you take your manuscript from “good idea” to “ready to publish.” The LIVE class is returning in October and November, so mark your calendars!

Alright, let’s get into it.

Pitfall: Using adult logic, pacing, vocabulary, or themes—then wondering why young readers drift.

How to Fix It:

• Think reader-first: Who’s the child on the other side of this book? Write from their eye-level.

• Let pictures carry weight: With limited words, show, don’t tell—and let illustrations do descriptive heavy lifting.

• Read it aloud (often): If you trip, kids will too. Adjust for flow and clarity.

💡 Mini Exercise: Read three award-winning picture books aloud. Note where the page turns and where illustrations “speak.” Imitate that rhythm in your draft.

Pitfall: Moralizing—stating the lesson so plainly the story evaporates.

How to Fix It:

• Lead with story, not thesis. Use the gospel story (Creation–Fall–Redemption–Consummation) to inform the arc, not to lecture the reader.

• Trust the reader. Let theme emerge through character choices and consequences. Resist recap lines like, “And that’s why we should…”

• Aim for good, true, and beautiful. Theology that’s solid + craft that’s delightful.

💡 Mini Exercise: Cut every “teaching” line. If the theme still comes through, keep it out.

Pitfall: Adults swoop in, kids spectate. Stakes vanish.

How to Fix It:

• Agency: The child drives action, makes decisions, and changes (or changes their world).

• Character work: Understand yourself what your main character wants, fears, values, and how they talk/move. Specificity will help you understand your character, even if it doesn’t make it into the book.

• Transformation: What shifts from page 1 to the last spread? Tie that arc to your gospel-informed theme (need → grace → growth) without announcing it.

💡 Mini Exercise: Ask yourself: “What choice must my child character make that no adult can make for them?”

Pitfall: Too many words per spread; not enough momentum between spreads.

How to Fix It:

• Write first, paginate later. Draft freely—then lay it into spreads and feel the rhythm.

• Engineer page-turns: Use “But…,” “Until…,” or visual reveals to invite the flip. Every spread should add new information, emotion, or surprise.

• Cut mercilessly: If a sentence doesn’t move the story or voice forward, it gets cut.

💡 Mini Exercise: Read aloud. If you can’t say a page in one breath, tighten it up.

Pitfall: Forced rhyme and clunky meter that collapse aloud.

How to Fix It:

• Rhythm first, rhyme second. If meter doesn’t scan, switch to lyrical prose.

• Use repetition/refrain to create musicality without forcing rhyme.

• Stress test: Read to a child or another adult cold. If they stumble, revise.

💡 Mini Exercise: Record yourself reading. Adjust your draft to match natural pauses.

Pitfall: Topics without tension, endings that “teach” rather than land.

How to Fix It:

• Name the need. What specific problem (internal or external) must be faced? Build to a small but felt climax.

• Choose an ending type: Aww (tender closure), Aha (surprising insight), or Ha-ha (earned humor) or echo your opening by mirroring your first line/image to signal wholeness.

• Avoid the “Now remember kids…” type tag. Let the final image/line carry the meaning.

💡 Mini Exercise: Revisit your 2/3 point. Can you add a beat of honest fear, loss, or choice to heighten impact?

Pitfall: Beautiful heart, unhelpful packaging—editors can’t see the gem.

How to Fix It:

• Know your category types: Narrative nonfiction, expository, Q&A, action/participation, imaginative retellings—pick one intentionally.

• Comp research: What exists? Where does your book fit and differ? Note tone, design, audience promise.

• Quality control: Strong vocabulary (still context-clear), active voice, cut filler (really, just, that), and verify theology with Scripture/citations and wise readers.

• Design matters: Even self-publishing should aim for good, true, and beautiful—cover, trim size, paper, illustration clarity. Kids can tell.

Not sure if you’ve hit a pitfall? Give this list a once-over and make sure your manuscript checks all the boxes.

• I wrote from a child’s POV with age-fit word count.

• My gospel-informed theme is felt through story beats, not told.

• The child protagonist makes the key choice.

• Each spread advances story + invites page turn.

• Rhyme scans—or I chose lyrical prose.

• The ending satisfies without a sermon.

• My manuscript matches its category’s norms + cites Scripture accurately.

Which of these pitfalls have you wrestled with most? Drop a comment below and tell me—I’d love to cheer you on in your revision process.

P.S. If you’re ready to take the next step, join us for the Manuscript Masterclass — our signature course for writers who want a clear path from first draft to final polish. While you can get it now, it’ll be open with LIVE coaching in October and November. Watch out for the sign ups coming in a few weeks!