25 Trends in Publishing: Interactive PB/Animal Perspectives

About the column: A handful of agents and interns who work with Cyle have learned the latest and (sometimes so, sometimes not so) greatest trends in publishing right now. Tune in each week to find out what’s trending, ranging from ABA to CBA, children’s to adult. The authors of these columns have included social media tags at the end to keep up with trends they are finding. They can also be found here. 

Trend #14 of 25: Interactive Picture Books and Animal Perspectives

Contributor: Megan Burkhart

Time for a double whammy on two trends in the children’s market right now: interactive picture books and animal perspectives.

I’ll start with interactive picture books, which (you guessed it) are more interactive and engaging than your typical picture book. These picture books are more than ink and paper. They may have unique textures or movable elements that invite little hands to touch. They may make sounds, contain mirrors, flaps, and a host of other elements.

The sky is the limit here (or the publisher’s budget). Does your story lend itself to added features that could help kids learn and engage with the topic? If not, would some simple tweaking get the story there?

Kids are easily distracted, and with the introduction of technology at earlier ages, it can be even harder to keep kids focused if they can’t touch, scroll, or otherwise interact with the work. Added features only increase the salability of your book. Even if the publisher decides to nix the add-ons, you can be sure they’ll take note of your creativity. As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, Macmillan’s new imprint, Odd Dot, is a great example of taking interactive picture books to a new level. Check them out for inspiration.

Added features only increase the salability of your book.

I’m sure the second trend up for discussion today is not that surprising. Animal perspectives are always popular with kids. Of course, it has to be unique to grab a publisher’s attention. Cats and dogs are overdone. And I’m not sure I can handle seeing one more Christmas picture book from the sheep’s POV.

Yes, even picture books suffer from clichés and stereotypical characters. If you take a stroll through the nearest Barnes and Noble, you’ll notice an abundant number of books from a unicorn or narwhal’s POV. Kids love mythical creatures. Dragon books are always in, as long as you have an interesting twist on the story.

Kids love mythical creatures.

This trend isn’t strictly in the children’s market though, which is strange. Apparently, publishers like to see historical or romance stories told from an animal’s POV. A scenario like this would make the cat or dog POV a good choice. Animals can make for fun narrators, and here’s an inside tip…animals on book covers sell!

We all judge books by their covers to some degree, and let’s face it, we have a soft spot for cute and cuddly creatures.

So, practically speaking, how can you use this trend to your advantage? Do research and find an animal that fascinates you. Chances are, kids will be fascinated by it too. Or, if you’re working on fiction for an older audience, think about how your story might benefit from being told from an animal POV.

What could this change add to the story? What might it take away from the story?

All these things should be taken into careful consideration. Understand that just because something is a trend, doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for your story. But maybe it sparks an idea for a new project, and that’s great. This only puts you one step ahead of the competition.

Megan Lynne Burkhart is a junior agent for Cyle Young and an award-winning writer of both fiction and non-fiction. She loves YA Fantasy and Children’s Books, and she believes being a princess is hard work. She hasn’t found her frog prince yet, and she still secretly loves the color pink, although Lake Michigan blue is a close second. You can find out more about her at meganlynneauthor.weebly.com.