Teaching Versus Preaching

by Laura Backes, Write4Kids.com

When writing for children, it's very tempting to use fiction as a
vehicle for teaching important life lessons. And while there's
nothing wrong with this, the author's desire to impart wisdom
earned from years of experience can easily become heavy-handed.
Storytelling that degenerates into didacticism can appear in
fiction for any age, but it's most glaring in picture books where
the spare text makes the lesson stand out. The trick, then, for
any writer, is to recognize the line between teaching and
preaching.

Teaching raises the lesson or concept to the reader, and allows
the reader to discover the answers for herself. This is generally
done through the story's main character, who learns something
because of the situations he encounters in the plot. Preaching
offers no reader involvement--the author tells the reader what to
think, and expects the reader to believe it simply because the
author said so. Preaching is like getting unsolicited advice,
which no one appreciates.

Kathleen Allan-Meyer employs very gentle teaching methods in her
Little Bear picture books. Little Bear, who represents a typical
5-year-old, encounters all sorts of kid-like situations that require
him to think about his actions. The author has Little Bear's mother
plant the seeds for change with a parental observation ("In order
to find a friend, you must be a friend." from "Little Bear's
Secret", and "Not everything in the world is fun and easy.
Important things take hard work." from "Little Bear at Big
School"). Mother Bear doesn't tell Little Bear how to think or
act--that's up to Little Bear himself. He chooses whether to
follow this advice, makes some mistakes, and finally learns in a
way that's meaningful to both him and the reader. Because Little
Bear ultimately decides to make the change, he keeps his self-
respect and learns a lesson he can use over and over.

Many skillfully-written picture books have a lesson that's so
subtle it's not literally included in the text, but rather felt
by the reader. In "The Biggest, Best Snowman" by Margery Cuyler
(Scholastic), Little Nell is told by her family (BIG Mama, BIG
Sarah and BIG Lizzie) that she's too small to help around the
house. When her friends (Reindeer, Hare and Bear Cub) ask her to
show them how to build a snowman, her first response is that she
can't. But with a bit of encouragement (and help), Little Nell
builds the biggest, best snowman ever. Any child who's ever felt
overlooked by the big kids will come away from the book feeling
inspired to reach for her dreams, and will learn that friends
working together can accomplish much more than any one can
working alone.

Eliminating preaching from your writing remains important in
books for older readers, who will close a book the instant they
suspect the author is lecturing to them. So step back and allow
the reader to make life's discoveries along with your main
character. Only then will your readers willingly listen to what
you have to say.

                            # # #

Laura Backes is the author of "Best Books for Kids Who (Think
They) Hate to Read" from Prima/Random House. She's also the
publisher of Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for
Children's Writers. For more information about writing
children's books, including free articles, market tips, insider
secrets and much more, visit Children's Book Insider's home on
the web at http://write4kids.com

Copyright 2002, Children's Book Insider, LLC

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