Why Character Growth Is So Important (How to Create Relatable Characters for Children’s Books, Part 2)
The KidLit Creator’s Chronicle – Issue #36
Hi!
(This is Part 2 of a 4-part series on creating relatable picture book characters. You can catch up on Part 1 here.)
If you joined me for last week’s article, you’ll remember we looked at the foundations of creating characters children truly relate to, including how flaws build connection, how to choose the right character type for your story, and why emotional connection matters more than clever plots.
If you missed that one, I recommend starting there first. It lays the groundwork for everything we’ll cover today.
Today’s edition will help you if you want to deepen and refine your characters and strengthen their emotional arcs.
Character Growth: How Characters Change
Your picture book character doesn’t need to change the world by the end of your story, but something inside them must shift.
That internal change (even if it’s small) is what makes a satisfying story. It’s what makes the journey feel worthwhile.
In picture books, change is rarely dramatic. It might be a new perspective, a quiet shift in feelings, or a choice they wouldn’t have made on page one.
In Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall, Jabari works through fear and hesitation to take a literal leap.
That shift is what makes the story feel complete and what stays with the reader.
Think of it this way: if your character is exactly the same on page 28 as they were on page 1… why did we just read their story?
That doesn’t mean they need to become someone entirely new, but something must change. Maybe they finally speak up for themselves, choose kindness over proving they’re right, stop trying to be someone they’re not, or realise that being small doesn’t mean being powerless.
This kind of growth resonates with children because it mirrors what they’re experiencing in real life. Kids are constantly learning, making mistakes, adapting. When they see a character go through something hard and come out a little braver, kinder, or wiser, it helps them believe they can do the same.
That’s what makes a picture book satisfying. Not a clever ending, but a character who’s grown.
But character growth doesn’t just happen by accident, it’s something you as the author create deliberately. So let’s look at how to do that
Why Your Character Changes: Desire, Motivation, and Obstacles
A strong arc begins with desire, what your character wants. This is what drives the story forward. It’s the reason they do whatever they are going to do.
In most picture books, that desire is simple and clear. They want to make a friend, win the race, avoid bedtime, find their lost blanket, explore the forest, or defeat the scary thing.
But if you want to create emotional depth, you have to think deeper than that surface desire. It’s never just about making a friend, winning the race, or finding the blanket. There’s always something deeper, even if it’s never stated outright. For instance, they want to find the blanket because it makes them feel safe, or they want to win the race because they’re tired of being overlooked.
There is a visible desire, but there is a deeper emotional need behind that.
Once you know what your character wants, ask yourself:
- Why do they want it?
- What deeper emotional need is underneath it?
- What’s standing in their way?
That last part, the obstacle, is what creates the character arc.
Without obstacles, there is no growth.
Obstacles don’t need to be huge. In picture books, they’re often small, but big enough to get in the way. It might be a fear, a misunderstanding, a bit of stubbornness, a tricky rival, a silly mistake, or a missing shoe at the worst possible moment.
Emotional Stakes: Why It Really Matters
Any obstacle becomes more powerful when there are emotional stakes involved.. That means the consequences of failing (or succeeding) aren’t just external. They mean something to the character.
Ask yourself:
- What’s at stake for them emotionally?
- What happens inside them if they don’t get what they want?
Let’s look at a few examples.
Peter Rabbit gets into the garden (the goal) but risks punishment and danger. His obstacle is Mr. McGregor, but the emotional stakes are about freedom versus obedience, and whether Peter will learn when to listen.
In Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems, the external obstacle is simple: Trixie lost her stuffed animal. But the emotional stakes are what draws us in. What’s really at risk is Trixie’s sense of security and loss of a loved friend. The stakes get raised by the fact that she knows what is wrong but can’t make herself understood. That gap between what she feels and what she can express creates frustration, fear, and helplessness. For a young child, the fear of not being heard or helped is very real.
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett: At first glance, this story is about two boys digging for something “spectacular” and repeatedly missing it by inches. But the emotional stakes lie in the tension of effort without reward. A feeling of, “What if they keep trying and never find what they’re looking for?” This taps into a deeper fear that doing your best doesn’t always lead to success.
Without emotional stakes, stories feel flat. But when something real is at risk for the character, even a simple plot can captivate the reader.
Using Personality Tools to Strengthen Arcs
Want a practical way to predict and be consistent with your character’s responses? Try using a personality tool to explore how they see the world.
Tools like the Enneagram, MBTI (Myers-Briggs), or even a simple list of traits (like curious, shy, dramatic, or stubborn) can help you get a clearer sense of how your character tends to react and where they might grow.
Credit: traitlab.com
Here’s why this works so well:
- It helps you create consistent behaviour that actually makes sense
- It shows you what might set your character off emotionally and what they tend to avoid
- It gives you ideas for how they could grow by the end of the story
For example:
- A character who always tries to keep the peace might need to learn to speak up.
- A proud character might need to learn humility
- A perfectionist might need to accept that mistakes are part of life.
The Enneagram is especially helpful if you want a clear emotional arc. Each type has a driving fear, a motivation, and a path toward growth. A Type 1 (the reformer) might begin by trying to fix everything and end by learning that not everything needs fixing. A Type 7 (the enthusiast) might start by avoiding anything sad, and grow by learning to accept their feelings instead of avoiding them.
You don’t need to spell any of this out in your book. Kids won’t know your character is “processing core fear of being wrong,” and they don’t need to. But you knowing it helps you write a character who feels real, even in just a few hundred words.
If you want a shortcut, choose three key traits for your character:
- A dominant trait that drives their behaviour
- A vulnerability or blind spot
- A growth trait – the quality they develop over the course of the story
That simple trio can help you build a convincing arc.
It’s Okay if Your Character Doesn’t Learn a Thing
While this entire edition has been about the character having to change by the end, not every story needs a character growth arc.
Sometimes the reader is the one who grows.
In Mo Willems’ Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, the pigeon doesn’t grow, mature, or learn his lesson. But the reader learns something — about boundaries, saying no, and sticking to your decision. The character stays the same, but the reader leaves with a little more confidence. And that’s just as valuable.
Sometimes the point is simply fun or connection.
The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak doesn’t follow a character at all, but it’s completely engaging because it invites the child into the experience. For young readers, the goal can be laughter, participation, rhythm, or familiarity.
Over to You
If you look at your current manuscript (or one you’ve been meaning to return to or write), can you spot the growth? What changes inside your character, even in a small way?
Or, if your character doesn’t change, is that a deliberate choice? Are you aiming for the reader to grow instead?
And how well do you know your character and their desire and obstacle? Can you describe:
- what your character wants most,
- what gets in their way,
- and how they might feel at the end?
You don’t need a big transformation, but in most picture books, some kind of growth is what gives the story meaning and makes it satisfying.
If your character doesn’t grow, it needs to be a deliberate choice that fits your story, not an important arc element that was missed. So take a moment to look over your story and ensure that your character grows, or that if they don’t, it’s intentional.
In the next edition, we’ll go into even more ways to create relatable characters, including how to give your character memorable traits, plus answering if a picture book can have more than one character.
