Picture Book Market: Silly PBs

I don't think I understand the question. Can you clarify?

I can tell you who I see buying at the bookshop, and what they go for, if that's the sort of thing you're after.

Yeah, not at all sure what you're asking.

I'm a teacher, and sure, times are hard, but we do still buy books.

I think you already answered your own question: people who know and work with children buy picture books.

In the book shop...

Parents with children make up the biggest group. Both mums and dads take the children book shopping. The children are often asked to choose and it's mainly based on the cover, with the expectation that the contents will match. Mad-as-a-hatter covers are the clear winner, with cute animals coming in second. Quiet pictures of children doing everyday things don't rate at all (and there aren't many books like that on the shelves currently).

Parents without their children choose similar books, but are more likely to go for marketing pushes and new releases. They may want books about a specific thing (first day at school, lost first tooth) and will most likely ask the staff if that's the case. Message books have died a papery death in the UK, though there's still some room for teaching books (how to count, etc). However, most parental purchases are general fun stuff, rather than useful stuff.

Adult picture book readers give themselves away by spending longer looking at the text. Writers are in this group, but not all adults who read are writers (I've read picture books for years, but only recently tried to write them). Don't worry about this group, as they'll buy the same stuff as children.

Other relatives of children are the odd fish. They vary in how well they know the child. This crowd may buy realistic books of children doing boring things, as they think children like that. Or pick a book off the shelf at random. There's no predicting what they'll do.

The book shop doesn't get librarians and teachers, as they'll buy through their official channels. I do know my local children's library has a decent range of picture books, including bestsellers and recent releases. I've also seen picture books in restaurants, banks, dentist waiting rooms... anywhere that expects to have bored children.

As a teacher, I buy books of all shapes and sizes.

1) Books that children can learn to read. They don't have to be labeled Easy Reader to fit in that category. Something like Rocket Learns to Read or Ten Black Dots, where the pictures support the simple text. Where Will Fat Cat Sit? is another favorite.

2) Silly books. I can get 30 hyperactive knuckleheads mesmerized if the book is goofy enough. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Imogene's Antlers, I Ain't Gonna Paint No More... I buy a ton of those.

3) Books related to the themes and concepts I teach. So, good ABC books, good counting books, simple but accurate books about plants and animals, multicultural books that go along with my study of a different continent each month. Books about weather and the seasons. Bear Snores On and the rest of Karma Wilson's Bear books are great for that--there's a delightful story, rhythmic language, charming characters, plus I can use them to illustrate the changing season. So I get double duty out of them.

I echo what Polenth said about "message" books. I won't buy them, and if someone gives me one, I find an excuse to give it away when they aren't looking. It's my job to teach, not to preach.

I also have a few special requirements. I specialize in teaching children who speak another language at home (mostly Spanish and Mixtec), so I won't buy a long or complex PB, no matter how beautiful it is. So I don't have Stella Luna or Verdi or some of those other classics, because too many of my kids just wouldn't get the story.

RexZentah said:

One interpretation of this is to figure who buys in my genre. What makes them buy. 'Silly' sounds like a great category for me.

What kind of 'silly' do PB book buyers like?

Click to expand...

You'd be better off posting follow-up questions as a new reply in the thread... I only just noticed you'd changed the original post to a new question.

As for what kind of silly, picture books range from the mildly silly (inviting a tiger to tea) to extremely silly (slugs wearing doughnuts as shells). Imaginative ideas with striking imagery tend to stand out the most. Think about the stuff you make-believed when you were a child, and you have the silly category.

The best way to get a feel for it is to read picture books. See what your bookstore stocks and find things at the level of silly you'd like to write. We also have a picture book club starting in this sub-forum (shameless plug, but it is for the greater good and all that ). The October book is a quieter one, but November and December will bring the silly.