Theme: What Your Picture Book Is Really About
The KidLit Creator’s Chronicle – Issue #24
Hi,
When my daughter was younger, we read The Mill Valley, a stunning picture book by Noelia Blanco, illustrated by Valeria Docampo. I know this book isn’t so well-known, so here is the book description:
“One day, the Perfect Machines appeared in the Mill Valley. The machines do everything so perfectly that everyone has forgotten what it was like to dream, and even to wish for things. That is, apart from The Bird-man who dreams of impossible flight, and Anna, the dressmaker, who’d like to sew fabulous new clothes instead of just doing alterations. Together, this unlikely pair will show the villagers that machines cannot replace everything, especially dreams.”
After we finished the book, my daughter started telling me about some of her dreams.
That was one moment where it became so clear to me how even young children are impacted by the theme of a story. Children don’t just follow what happens in a book, they’re affected by what it means.
That’s the power of theme. It’s far more important than many writers realise.
The Mill Valley by Noelia Blanco, illustrated by Valeria Docampo
What Is Theme?
Theme isn’t just the subject or topic (like friendship or bravery). It’s the deeper message or realisation that unfolds beneath the surface of your story and what lingers after the final page is turned.
For example:
- Topic: Friendship
- Theme: “Real friends show up when it matters most.”
- Topic: Belonging
- Theme: “You don’t have to change who you are to fit in, you just have to find the people who see you.”
The first is general, the second is specific and personal, and it’s more emotional. That’s what children connect with, even if they don’t have the words to explain it yet.
Theme is what gives your story meaning. When your theme is clear, your story resonates. The theme is what sticks and starts conversations.
How to Discover and Strengthen Your Book’s Theme
You don’t have to start with theme, but you’ll need to find it.
Some stories reveal their theme slowly. You start with an idea–an image, a question, a conflict–and only later you discover what it’s really about.
But the key is that by the time you’re a few rounds into revising, you do want to know your theme. Because once you see the meaning behind the story, everything else starts to align.
Often, you can identify your theme from the beginning? That can be even better, because it becomes a compass to guide your choices.
To discover and strengthen your book’s theme, try these steps:
- Start with this question: What do I want kids to feel or realise?
- Not “what happens,” but “what does this show?”
- Think in emotional takeaways, not facts.
- Put your theme into one clear sentence.
You can use simple openers like:
- “Sometimes…”
- “Even though…”
- “It’s important to remember that…”
For example:
“Sometimes being brave means asking for help.”
If it’s hard to say in one sentence, your theme might still be too fuzzy. That’s a sign to keep working on it.
- Run a theme consistency check.
- Does your main character learn or discover something that reflects this theme?
- Does your ending support it?
- Are there any scenes or side characters that pull in a different direction?
- Use contrast to make the theme stronger.
- Themes deepen when kids see what happens without it.
- For instance, if your theme is about telling the truth, show what happens when a lie creates a problem.
- Let readers discover it. Don’t preach.
- Theme is most powerful when a child realises it on their own.
- Use actions and outcomes to guide them, not a narrator spelling it out.
- Try a “one-line takeaway” test with a reader
After someone reads your manuscript, ask:
“If you had to tell someone what this book was really about in one line, what would you say?”
If their answer lines up with your intended theme, great. If not, that’s a clue that the theme is not clear, even if the events make sense.
Should You Start With a Theme?
Not necessarily.
Some books begin with a clear theme and it works fine, especially if the story flows naturally from it. But for many writers, especially newer ones, starting with a theme or message can backfire. You try so hard to “say something important” that the story starts to feel like a lecture or sermon. Characters become mouthpieces, the plot turns rigid, and instead of drawing the reader in emotionally, the book starts telling them what to think.
Children don’t want to be preached to. They want to feel something.
Here’s what I suggest instead:
Start with the story that’s inside you. Write that, then step back and ask: “What is this really about?”
Often, that’s when the theme reveals itself.
And once it does, you can shape the manuscript to highlight that deeper meaning, by letting it become apparent naturally from the story, not by preaching.
Yes, picture books can carry strong, meaningful messages. Some of the best ones do. But the stories that stay with us, that spark conversation and connection, don’t hand the reader a moral at the end. They let them discover it on their own.
That’s what makes a theme land, not being told what to think.
Real-Life Examples
Here are a few picture books that do theme beautifully:
- The Mill Valley
At first glance, it’s a story about machines, mills, and a town that stopped dreaming.
The theme? That imagination and emotion are vital to a full life, and no amount of perfection or efficiency can replace them. - The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
On the surface: a story about a boy whose block tower is knocked down.
The theme? The healing power of quiet presence. Sometimes, what helps most isn’t fixing the problem, it’s simply being there. - Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Yes, it’s a wild, imaginative journey. But the deeper theme is about processing emotions, and the reassuring truth that love and belonging are waiting when you come home.
Over To You!
Have you ever read (or written) a book where the theme stuck with you long after the last page?
Or maybe you have a manuscript you love, but you’re still not quite sure what it’s really about?
I’d love to hear about it. Hit reply and tell me what theme you’re exploring or trying to uncover.
No matter what kind of story you’re writing, the theme is what gives it roots. So take the time to uncover it and make sure it holds up. When it does, your story will reach deeper and be more impactful.
