We are so excited to have Meghan Voss join us today to share information about writing mystery picture books!
Meghan Voss is a lifelong lover of stories. A writer and a teacher with degrees in English and Secondary Education, she loves to both share her favorite stories and tell her own. She taught middle and high school English for close to a decade, completed the National Writing Project, and has written literature modules and web copy for award-winning academic companies & websites. Her own creative work has been published in literary and local magazines. She attends writing conferences regularly and enjoys exercising her writing (and photography) chops on her social media accounts. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her baking pies or adventuring with her husband and kids in the Montana mountains she calls home.
From true crime podcasts to Sherlock Holmes reboots, the mystery genre is a timeless classic that never seems to get old. From grandparents to toddlers, everyone seems to love a good whodunnit story. But that cozy mystery you and your teen just enjoyed might give your kindergartner nightmares—how, then, do we translate the mystery genre into picture books? And is it worth the effort?
Let’s start with the latter question. Is writing a picture book mystery worth the effort? The answer is a resounding YES, from readers and educators alike. Just like adults and teens, children are drawn to mystery—often creating their own whodunnit plots when their things go missing (“Who took my polka-dot socks?!”). But the benefits of mystery for kids reaches further than natural curiosity. Mystery stories inspire both cognitive and social brain development as readers make and revise predictions, follow clues, and actively engage with mystery plots. This stimulation allows kids to develop both their imagination and their critical thinking skills—all while setting them up to love mysteries for life! So if you’re itching to pen a great picture book mystery, go for it!
But how?
While adult and teen mysteries often revolve around some kind of violent crime or nefarious wrongdoer, that’s not going to fly for picture book readers. How do we effectively translate major elements of mystery for a younger audience?
Let’s first take a look at what those major elements are. Most mysteries—even picture book mysteries— include the following plot elements:
· Conflict: An unexplained problem (something goes missing, something is out of place)
· Characters: Detective, suspects, witnesses
· Plot Structure: Clues, often including a “red herring,” or distraction, eventually lead the detective to solve the original problem.
Sounds simple enough! Now let’s break down each element for a picture book audience.
· Conflict: When it comes to picture book mystery, the conflict is key! No violent crime allowed—unless, of course, the “dead” body is actually a possum playing dead (Whobert Whover, Owl Detective by Jason Gallagher). But there are loads of fun ways to incorporate “gentle mystery,” either through missing characters (Pigeon PI by Meg McClaren), strange occurrences (The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers, The Case of the Stinky Stench by Josh Funk), or even natural disasters (Dot & Jabber & The Mystery of the Missing Stream by Ellen Stohl Walsh).
· Characters: In picture book mysteries, a detective can take many forms, but the main rule is likability. Whether it’s a Private I (the actual letter), like in 7 Ate 9 by Tara Lazar, a cute little ghost (The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo by Elaine Bickell), or a disgruntled pigeon with a soft spot for missing chicks (Pigeon PI by Meg McClaren), picture book detectives are the heroes of the story, and kids want to root for them!
· Plot Structure: When it comes to picture book mystery structure, there are lots of options! Is your detective interviewing other characters to find something that’s missing (Are You My Mother? By P.D.Eastman), solving a crime (The Case of the Missing Chalk Drawings by Richard Byrne), investigating a mysterious natural disaster (Dot & Jabber & The Mystery of the Missing Stream by Ellen Stohl Walsh)? Whether your characters go on a journey or stay at home, as long as they’re following clues that lead to the solution, you’ve got yourself a mystery!
All this to say, you CAN do this! From cozy fun to heroic capers, mystery picture books are serious fun and so great for kids! Time to get writing!
Thanks for joining us, Meghan!
You can follow Meghan on Instagram @meghanvosstudio or Facebook at Meghan Voss Studio.
References:
Clancy, Charmaine. (2015) Writing Mysteries for Kids—10 Top Tips. Charmaine Clancy. https://charmaineclancy.com/writingmysteriesforkids/
Ingredients for a mystery. Scholastic. https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/teachers/lesson-plans/migrated-featured-files/jan_ingredientsmystery.pdf
Mystery elements. (2005). Read Write Think. https://www.readwritethink.org/sites/default/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson865/elements.pdf
Pattison, Darcy. How to write a picture book mystery. (2008). Darcy Pattison. https://www.darcypattison.com/writing/picture-books/how-to-write-a-picture-book-mystery/
Plaza, Nelibeth. (2022). Guide to Writing Compelling Mystery Books for Kids. Nelibeth Plaza. https://www.nellyplaza.com/guide-to-writing-compelling-mystery-book-for-kids/
Taylor, Melissa. (2018). 18 best mystery picture books (that develop thinking skills). Imagination Soup. https://imaginationsoup.net/best-mystery-picture-books-thinking/