Surprise Endings with Stephen W. Martin

April 25, 2022 Stefanie Hohl

We are so excited to have Stephen W. Martin join us today to share information about Surprise Endings!

Stephen W. Martin is a writer on Netflix’s Emmy-nominated Trash Truck, along with Frederator’s Bravest Warriors. Stephen is also the author of several picture books, including Charlotte and the Rock, Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion, and I Can’t Draw. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and dog. Visit him at Stephen-W-Martin.com.

I LOVE surprise endings. There is something pretty magical about turning the page and being totally shocked at what you find. It’s like a close up magic—you have the reader expecting one thing, and then you surprise them with something else.

For Charlotte and the Rock, that surprise ending wasn’t always there. My very first draft of the story was about a girl trying to get a dinosaur home to its dino parents… but the story wasn’t working—it was too complicated. I wanted something cleaner, with a singular protagonist and a very singular ‘goal/want’. So I tossed the original story out completely and kept just the concept of a rock being a dinosaur egg. This, I believe, is how a good surprise ending starts. You must know the ending first, and then everything you write can work up to that ending. I guess it’s a little like going on a road trip—first you need to know where you are going, and then you can plan how you are going to get there.

I have to say—my all-time favorite surprise ending comes from William Stieg's classic Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. It’s another story about a rock—but that’s all I’m going to say because I don’t want to spoil it for you. It’s a master class in suspense, so check it out.

Cheers,

Stephen

Thanks so much for joining us, Stephen!

You can find Stephen on his website at www.Stephen-W-Martin.com or on IG @StephenWMartin.

Top Ten Picture Books with Surprise Endings

April 11, 2022 Stefanie Hohl

Who doesn’t love a surprise ending? Not only are surprise endings fun to read, but they also offer you and your child an opportunity to make predictions—and then discuss the surprise at the end. Surprise endings also inspire us to get creative and use our imaginations—mandatory skills for all levels of readers, writers, and thinkers!

Here are some of our favorites:

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich explains exactly how the bear ate your sandwich. His hungry tummy and great sense of smell lead him on some interesting adventures, all of which lead him to eating your sandwich! Not only is this story funny, but the narrator-reveal at the end creates a clever and humorous surprise!

After the Fall by Dan Santat

Most people are familiar with the original Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme—this retelling will not only make you rethink the classic tale, but it also gives it a positive spin! After the Fall is a beautiful story about perseverance, facing fears, and following dreams. The ending gives us chills every time we read it. We highly recommend this book for children AND adults!

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

Bear has lost his hat, and he wants it back! In I Want My Hat Back, poor Bear approaches creature after creature, asking if they’ve seen his hat. After seven animals and zero luck, he realizes that he has, in fact, seen his own hat! As he dashes to confront the thief, readers will enjoy his clever pauses and skips… and they’ll get to make their own conclusions at the end of the story!

Good Little Wolf by Nadia Shireen

Good Little Wolf is a cute twist on the stories of Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs. It features an adorable old lady and her sweet pet wolf, Rolf, who is quite a “good little wolf.” He’s polite to his friends, bakes tasty cakes, and eats all his vegetables! But when Rolf comes face-to-face with a big bad wolf, the story takes a surprising turn! This is a fun book, and readers will delight in the good vs. bad wolves!

Tadpole’s Promise by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

Tadpole’s Promise begins with an unlikely duo, a caterpillar and tadpole, who fall in love! The tadpole makes a promise to the caterpillar “to never change!” But each time the caterpillar comes back to visit, the tadpole has experienced a new change! After the tadpole breaks his promise three times, the butterfly leaves, heartbroken. But the story doesn’t end there, and readers will be quite surprised at the hilariously tragic ending!

Poor Little Guy by Elanna Allen

This clever story features a big octopus and a little fish, and readers can’t help but feel sorry for the “poor little guy.” Full of expressive illustrations and beautiful lettering, this is a tale with an ending sure to surprise readers while redefining the meaning of the phrase “poor little guy!”

Toto’s Apple by Mathieu Lavoie

Toto, a worm on the ground, wants an apple high in the tree. Toto has many clever ideas to try to reach the apple. But with each failed attempt, he must create another idea. With many clever twists and a hilarious surprise ending, this one is a must!

Life on Mars by Jon Agee

An astronaut travels on a solo journey to Mars, convinced he’ll find life. Armed with a box of cupcakes, he explores the planet, only to realize how impossible it is to find Martian life! What he can’t see, however, is the giant creature following him, which will delight readers! And when he finally finds a small sign of life, readers will love its silliness, especially when something much bigger looms in the background!

Charlotte and the Rock by Stephen W. Martin

This is the story of Charlotte, an optimistic and pet-craving girl. Charlotte begs for a pet—any pet—until her parents finally fulfill her wish on her 6th birthday. But instead of a dog, a cat, or maybe a hamster, she is gifted a pet rock! Charlotte makes the best of the situation, however, as she plays with her pet rock, takes it on walks, and even blames it for eating her homework! But the story doesn’t end there, and Charlotte’s pet rock eventually surprises not only Charlotte, but the whole family, too!

Eat Pete! by Michael Rex

Pete was innocently playing when a monster appeared at his window! While Pete was excited for a new playmate, the monster remained skeptical—he really wanted to “eat Pete!” Despite his reservations, the monster goes along with Pete’s plan and learns that playing can actually be fun! From cars, to blocks and superheroes, can the monster resist his urge to eat Pete? This is a hilarious story children will love!

We hope you enjoyed our Top 10 Picture Books with Surprise Endings!

And for more great ideas, check out our Top 10 Wordless Picture Books, Top 10 Classic Picture Books, and our Top 10 Cumulative Picture Books!

And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on more great ideas!