Finding Universal Appeal
I wanted to talk a bit more about the concept of ‘universal appeal’ from the previous post about the qualities of successful picture books.
3.) Universal appeal. Fancy Nancy has taken off because it found something that almost all little girls like to do (play dress up) and turned the book into something as sparkly and fabulous as the activity itself. The illustrations are very distinct, there is glitter throughout the book, and Nancy is even more over-the-top in her dress up choices than the most diva-ish of six-year-olds. There is another level though, than just sparkle and glitter. Externally, Nancy wants to be fabulous, but internally, she just wants her family to play dress up with her and accept her ‘fabulousness.’ (Eventually, they do.)
So how do you find something that is universal?
I don’t think you’ll find a list of universal themes for children anywhere on the internet for two reasons:
any list would be flooded with comments like, “but my child never did/liked/said/felt #2 or #23”
it’s the author’s job to look at the world through the eyes of a child, and figure out what interests their character, how they feel about it, and what they would think.
A book with universal appeal doesn’t just have to focus on an activity, like dress-up for girls or trucks for boys. (And of course, even these two things aren’t true for every child.) Universal appeal could mean your book appeals to a feeling that young children have, like the many books about feeling replaced when a new sibling comes along. Or the nervousness and excitement that comes with the first day of school. Universal appeal could mean that you’re appealing to a child’s sense of curiosity - their constant need to know “but why?” Or perhaps the book appeals to their sense of play, creativity and/or imagination, as Crockett Johnson does in Harold and the Purple Crayon.
The best way, I think, to answer the above question is to spend more time observing children and to get in touch with your inner child. So the next time you go to the bookstore or library to read the picture books already out there, keep your ears open and listen to what the children around you are saying. Watch how older and younger siblings interact. Think about what you liked when you were a child. What made you nervous? Scared? Excited? Happy? What kind of questions did you ask? What toy/item would you not be seen without? Talk to your parents, ask them how you reacted when a sibling was brought home, or how your older sibling reacted to you.
Remember: Great writers tend to be great observers, so don’t forget to keep your eyes and ears open!
