Beyond the Book: How to Create Engaging Companion Materials that Kids, Parents, and Educators Love
The KidLit Creator’s Chronicle – Issue #18
Hi,
I hope May and the change of season is treating you well. Here we are, at edition 18 of the KidLit Creator’s Chronicle already!
Authors often ask me, “Should I create printables or extras to go with my book?” And it’s a smart question, because companion materials can genuinely increase a book’s impact.
I’ve seen how often parents, teachers, and librarians appreciate having something to do with the book, whether it’s a simple colouring page, a themed activity, or a few discussion questions.
Sometimes, authors only realise the value of it after someone asks, “Do you have anything else to go with the book?”
That one question can be a lightbulb moment.
Companion materials can make your book more memorable and more useful, and they show you understand what your readers (and book buyers) actually want.
Why Companion Materials Matter
A great picture book can absolutely stand alone. Many of them do.
But if you want to increase the impact and engagement, and offer added value to parents, educators and librarians, companion materials can help you do just that.
Printables, crafts, activities, discussion guides, cmotion cards, story starters… These aren’t just cute add-ons. They are valuable tools and they:
- reinforce your book’s core message or themes.
- encourage re-reading and deeper engagement.
- help your book get used in classrooms, libraries, and therapy settings.
- give parents and educators a reason to recommend (and remember) you.
Whether your picture book is fiction or nonfiction, serious, fun or somewhere in between, adding the right companion materials can boost your reach and longevity.
They can also increase your success and profit: by helping you grow your email list, get discovered by educators, create additional products to sell, or even attract school visits and partnerships. Done well, they can turn one book into a sustainable author platform.
Not Just For Nonfiction
Companion materials aren’t just for nonfiction authors.
Many fiction writers assume this only applies to educational or curriculum-aligned books. But that’s a huge missed opportunity.
If your book is funny, silly, or imaginary, that’s perfect for crafts and playful printables, because kids want to interact with the world your book creates. And any story has many possibilities for learning, like word searches, locations, character traits, and so on.
If your story features a pirate, create a “Design Your Own Treasure Map” activity. If it’s about a picky eater, make a “Try New Foods” sticker chart. If it’s about emotions, offer an “Emotion Wheel” kids can spin.
Every great story has room to extend into activities.
How to Create Companion Materials for Your Book
Here’s how to create simple but effective companion materials for your book:
Step 1: Identify Your Book’s Key Themes or Hooks
Before deciding what to create, get clear on what your book is really about, not just the plot, but the underlying concepts, feelings, or learning points it touches on. These will guide what kinds of companion materials will feel natural and genuinely useful.
Ask yourself:
- What message or takeaway does my story offer?
- What kind of conversations might adults want to have with kids after reading this book?
- What actions, activities, or emotions are central to the story?
Here are some common themes and how they might translate into companion content:
- Friendship or Kindness → Create a kindness challenge, friendship bracelet craft, or “ways to be a good friend” checklist.
- Emotions or Social Skills → Offer an emotion wheel, feeling flashcards, or a “draw how you feel” worksheet.
- Counting or Numbers → Develop a themed counting game, number tracing pages, or find-and-count printables using your characters.
- Science or Nature → Make a mini fact booklet, scavenger hunt, or experiment log tied to the topic (e.g. bugs, plants, space).
- Problem-Solving or Creativity → Add a simple maze, a “what would you do?” scenario sheet, or a story-building prompt using elements from the book.
- Imagination or Fantasy → Include design-your-own character pages, make-your-own-map templates, or pretend play props.
Even if your book is primarily silly or playful, that’s still a hook! A humorous book is a perfect fit for printable jokes, dress-up masks, or a silly challenge page.
Once you’ve identified the core themes and hooks, choosing the right types of companion materials becomes much easier and more effective.
Step 2: Know Your Audience
Who are you creating this for?
- Parents want meaningful activities that are easy to use at home.
- Teachers look for curriculum-linked materials that reinforce learning.
- Librarians value storytime resources and group engagement tools.
Design each companion piece with one primary audience in mind. A single resource that clearly solves one group’s problem is more valuable than something vaguely for everyone.
Step 3: Choose Companion Materials That Match Your Book
Here are some examples tailored for the 3–8 age group:
General Printable Activities
- Colouring Pages: Use your book’s characters or settings. Especially effective for ages 3–5.
- Cut-and-Paste Crafts: Turn characters into puppets or create story-themed crafts (e.g. a kindness jar).
- Printable Games: Matching games, scavenger hunts, spot-the-difference sheets, mazes, sequencing cards, bingo sheets, simple board games, or roll-and-colour activities.
- Emotions Charts: Help kids identify and talk about feelings.
Literacy-Focused Printables
- Word Searches: Highlight key words from your book.
- Crosswords: Use simple clues to reinforce vocabulary.
- Fill-in-the-Blanks: Reconstruct sentences from your story.
- Story Scrambles: Rearrange scenes or sentences in the right order.
- Label-It Pages: Label parts of an image or setting.
- Rhyming Word Matchups: Match or find rhyming pairs.
- Simple Mad Libs: Let kids build silly sentences using your world.
Learning Extensions
- Lesson Plans or Discussion Questions: Ideal for curriculum or theme-based books.
- Read-Aloud Companion Guides: Add questions or activities to deepen the reading experience.
Step 4: Keep It Simple (But Beautiful)
- Use free tools like Canva or PowerPoint.
- Stick to one or two fonts.
- Use your book’s illustrations (if you have the rights), or commission simple new line art.
- Make sure the files are easy to print at home (PDF format, A4/US Letter).
Step 5: Make It Visually Cohesive
Your companion materials should feel like they belong with your book.
- Match your book’s art style and tone.
- Use consistent fonts, colours, and design elements.
- If you own the rights to your illustrations, reuse them. If not, stick with a simple, kid-friendly visual style.
- Tools like Canva and PowerPoint are perfect for beginner-friendly layout and design.
Step 6: Offer Them Strategically
- Add a link or QR code inside your book.
- Offer them as a freebie on your website in exchange for email sign-ups.
- Send them directly to teachers or librarians.
- Upload them to platforms like Teachers Pay Teachers or Etsy.
Companion Materials Can Come First
Many authors think of companion materials as optional extras — something to add later if there’s time. But in some cases, they can actually be the first thing that gets your book noticed.
A themed scavenger hunt, colouring page, or lesson plan is often easier to share, search for, or pin on Pinterest than a book listing. It can show up in classroom blogs, parent groups, or librarian newsletters — giving your book a chance to reach people who might never have found it otherwise.
In fact, some readers will discover you through a resource they can use right away, before they’ve even read your book.
So rather than treating these materials as just a post-launch bonus, consider their potential as part of your visibility strategy. They can create early traction and long-term reach — not just for your book, but for you as an author.
Real Examples
- Peter H. Reynolds created printable posters, activity guides and educator resources for The Dot and Ish, turning them into global classroom tools. See examples of activity kits and teachers’ guide here.
- Tara Lazar has worksheets and games for many of her fiction titles used widely in schools.
- Karen Beaumont’sI Like Myself! often appears with SEL (social-emotional learning) activities created by teachers.
And you don’t need to be famous. Many Children’s Book Mastery students have grown their email lists significantly, some going from zero to hundreds or even thousands of subscribers, simply by offering a thoughtful printable like an activity book.
Over to You!
Take a moment right now:
What’s one simple printable or activity you could create to go with your book?
Just one! A colouring page? A question prompt? A matching game?
Reply and tell me what you might create!
You wrote a book that children love, and that alone is something to be proud of.
But if you want to reach more readers, grow your audience, and build momentum around your work, companion materials can help you get there.
They are not just for adding value to the reading experience. They are a smart marketing tool, a way to grow your email list, offer practical resources to schools, and create assets that make your book easier to share, recommend, and remember.
You do not need a full classroom pack or a dozen downloads. Start with one printable or activity that aligns with your story and your goals as an author.
You have done the hard part. Now let’s help it work harder for you!
