The Case for Nonfiction: Why It’s a Smarter Starting Point Than You Think
The KidLit Creator’s Chronicle – Issue #42
When my daughter was younger, I assumed she’d gravitate towards fiction. Stories with fantasies and adventures, things like that. She did enjoy those, but I was surprised when I started reading her nonfiction, especially biographies and books about science and space.
She didn’t just enjoy them. She was inspired.
After reading about real people doing amazing things, she’d also want to achieve the things they did. And she wanted to learn more based on what we’d read. Those books didn’t just entertain her, they opened up her world.
That’s when I realised firsthand that nonfiction picture books aren’t just about “education”. They’re about opening kids’ eyes and showing them what’s possible.
And for you as an author, they’re also one of the smartest opportunities in children’s publishing.
Nonfiction opens doors in schools, libraries, and curriculum markets in ways many fiction manuscripts simply don’t.
But to tap into that potential, you first need to understand what nonfiction picture books actually are.
What is Nonfiction Writing?
A nonfiction picture book teaches a child about a topic and aims to leave them with something that resonates with them. The best nonfiction picture books provoke discussions or a desire to learn more.
The images play a vital role here. They lend visuals to reinforce the ideas or story of the text, making the book more impactful. Educational topics like science, maths, history or biographies are popular for teachers and parents to use as learning aids. Often, the most successful nonfiction picture books have strong ties to curriculums, so you’ll find them in school libraries or used in classrooms.
If you want to write nonfiction for kids, ask yourself: what topic are you excited to explore and how can you make it unique and engaging for your audience?. Also, which age group are you writing for? There are thousands of picture books out there, so what do you bring that is different?
Don’t let this discourage you, but rather spur you to use your creativity, your unique perspective or voice, and write something fresh and exciting. There’s room for you – you just need to make it.
The Benefits of Writing Nonfiction
As I mentioned earlier, writing nonfiction holds a major benefit for you as the author: there are eight nonfiction publishing opportunities for every one fiction publishing opportunity.
“Out of every 100 new writers, 89 start out with their hearts set on fiction. Yet, out of every 100 published for the first time, 84 published nonfiction.
In total, there are eight nonfiction markets for every one fiction market. Or, to put it in another way, you are eight times more likely to be published as a nonfiction writer than you are as a writer of fiction.”
– Anatomy of Nonfiction: Writing True Stories for Children by Margery Facklam and Peggy Thomas
In a three-year study published in the journal Teacher Librarian, it was found that when students in grades one through six could choose which books to check out, more than 40% selected nonfiction.
In another study, kindergarten teacher Marlene Correia tracked her students’ library checkouts for a period of 3½ months. She discovered that they checked out more nonfiction than fiction titles.
Another study by Kathleen A.J. Mohr found that more than 80% of first-graders opted for nonfiction when invited to choose their own book. And according to research reported on by NPR, children are “significantly more likely to prefer fact over fiction,” and they’re more likely to choose true stories over fantasy than are adults.
Nonfiction offers more opportunities for work-for-hire, ghostwriting, curriculum writing and magazine writing than fiction. So, whether you want to write nonfiction full-time, or use it to supplement your income, it is a worthwhile avenue to pursue.
Types of Nonfiction Picture Books
In the early stages of your nonfiction writing, it’s crucial to decide on the type of book you want to write.
There are five categories that nonfiction picture books fall into: traditional, browsable, narrative, expository and active. Each style is distinct and learning the key differences will help when you choose which type of book you want to write.
Traditional Nonfiction Picture Books
For a long time, these were the only nonfiction books. Traditional picture books provide a general overview of a topic or event in an “all-about” manner (e.g. “all about dogs”). Often published in a series, they can cover a wide range of topics in one series. For instance, a series on transport could have one book for planes, trains, cars, boats, and so on.
Traditional nonfiction is written in clear, concise language, with simple vocabulary, and explains, describes and informs on the topic straightforwardly.
Examples:
About Series by Cathryn Sill
Little Kids First Big Book of Space by Catherine D. Hughes
Browsable Nonfiction Picture Books
Browsable nonfiction picture books are brilliant if you want to tackle a subject by presenting a lot of data and facts. These types of books are browsable, meaning that the pages can be read in any order and the reader can flip through the book, stopping at the pages or information that catches their attention. This is beneficial for reluctant readers, as they can digest the information in bite-sized portions.
This style of nonfiction book is great if you want to write an encyclopaedia-style book, where new and exciting facts or information is presented on every page. Arranging your facts interestingly will encourage your readers to flip the page.
It’s common to use photographs for this type of book, because it is very data-driven and factual, so using photographs works well in this case.
Examples:
The Stardust That Made Us by Colin Stuart
Children’s Encyclopedia of American History by David C. King
The 50 States by Gabrielle Balkan
Narrative Nonfiction Picture Books
Narrative nonfiction is a technique that tells nonfiction subject matter with fiction techniques, allowing you as an author to use traditional storytelling methods to explore topics by using scenes, characters and a story arc. In other words, it is written as a story with a character journey with tension, but it is still factual.
Examples:
For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai’s Story by Rebecca Ann Langston-George
Beacon to Freedom: The Story of a Conductor on the Underground Railroad by Jenna Glatzer
Kunkush: The True Story of a Refugee Cat by Marne Ventura
Expository Nonfiction Picture Books
Expository nonfiction picture books are a newer concept and are written with a narrow view of a topic. Many STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and maths) topics can be dissected into smaller topics, like bacteria or thermodynamics. Focusing on a topic in these fields more narrowly can help young readers grasp more complex concepts if they’re focused on in more detail, rather than in a broad discussion.
This style of picture book can be quite creative, handling a STEAM topic in a literary way by using poetic, humorous or even lyrical language.
This method of writing is valuable if you’re planning on writing about more complex topics, explaining facts that reinforce your idea. You can even focus on experts in certain professions and dive deep into topics by having an expert (or narrator) guide the children along in your book.
Examples:
Look at Me! How to Attract Attention in the Animal World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Frogs by Nic Bishop
A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars by Seth Fisherman and Isabel Greenberg
Active Nonfiction Picture Books
Active nonfiction picture books are written in a way that gets kids up and doing things, whether that be performing experiments, exploring outdoors or having fun with arts and crafts. This type of book is great if your subject matter is interactive. Active nonfiction books are becoming more popular.
If your goal is to get your audience engaged in a way that makes them want to do activities, experiment or tinker, then this style of book is a good choice. In its most simple form, this type of nonfiction is a call to action, where the words on the page evoke a sense of adventure and inspiration, encouraging kids to go out and do something in the world.
Examples:
Try This! 50 Fun Experiments for the Mad Scientist in You by Karen Young and Matthew Rakola
Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids: 50 Creative Projects to Spark Curiosity in the Outdoors by Kim Andrews
Stitch Camp by Nicole Blum and Catherine Newman
Nonfiction Isn’t Boring, and You Don’t Need to Be an Expert
If you’ve ever thought, “But nonfiction is kind of dry…” you’re not alone. A lot of new writers assume it’s just facts and dates. And if that’s what you think you’d have to write, of course it doesn’t sound fun.
But the best nonfiction picture books aren’t dry at all.
They’re vivid, often emotional, and sometimes even laugh-out-loud funny. Some books bring real moments to life with characters, tension, and stakes, just like great fiction. Others are written with humour or lyrical beauty.
And you don’t need a degree or a fancy background to do it. You just need to be curious. You need to care enough to learn about your topic and then bring that understanding to life in a way a child can connect with. That takes creativity, it takes care, and it can absolutely be fun.
In fact, many authors I’ve worked with and spoken to have found nonfiction deeply satisfying to write, because they’re discovering something real, and sharing it with the next generation in a way that matters.
One more thing…
You don’t need to pick between fiction and nonfiction. A lot of authors write both, and many use nonfiction as a way to build publishing credits, income, or visibility while continuing to explore fiction as well.
Over to you…
If nonfiction was not something you’d considered before, I hope this helped shift how you see it.
You don’t need to be an expert.
You don’t need to choose between fiction and nonfiction.
You can still be creative and inspirational.
I’d love to hear from you!
- Has this opened up new possibilities for you?
- Which type of nonfiction picture book feels most natural (or intriguing) to you?
- And is there a real-world topic you’d secretly love to explore in a book?
Let me know in the comments! I read every response.
I hope this gave you a clearer sense of what nonfiction picture books can do for your readers, and for you.
There’s a lot to explore, and plenty of room to make it your own!
