Three Ways to Approach Telling Your Story by Bryan Patrick Avery

As the stay at home orders continue magicians like me are taking stock of their repertoires. The big question is will we ever approach magic the same way again? The general consensus is no. As a result, magicians the world over are looking at new ways advancing the art of magic.
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This got me thinking about the ways writers and illustrators approach storytelling. There is no one way to tell a story. As artists, we must decide which method is best for our style and our story. This month, we’ll look at three picture books that highlight a few of my favorite styles.

In THE LAST PEACH, written and illustrated by Gus Gordon, two insects come across the last peach of the summer. The decide they want to eat it, but then aren’t so sure of how to proceed. Even a little help from their friends only serves to add to their uncertainty. The question Will they eat the peach? drives the story forward and keeps the reader turning pages until the last page.

What makes this story unique, thought, is that it’s told entirely through dialogue. Gus uses colors to differentiate who is speaking and keeps the cast of characters simple. This makes the story simple to follow and allows the reader to lose themselves in the story. Dialogue tends to pull the reader in closer. It gives the reader an opportunity to lend their own voicing to the characters. It’s hard to imagine the story being as compelling if it used more of a narrative approach.

If you’re considering using this approach to storytelling remember a few things:

1. Keep the cast simple. It will make the dialogue easy to follow.
2. Consider how you well let your reader know who is speaking. Gus uses font colors that correspond to the characters.
3. This goes without saying, but your story should still have a beginning, middle, and end. Otherwise, it’s 32 pages of chatter.
   

SATURDAY, written and illustrated by Oge Mora, is a touching story of Ava and her mother. They plan the best Saturday ever. When one thing after a another goes wrong, mother and daughter must find a way to salvage the day. Saturday is a lyrical picture book and Oge uses repetition to pull the reader through the story. The duo’s mantra: “The day would be special. The day would be splendid. The day was Saturday” repeats each time they must overcome a setback. 

Also repeated throughout is their response to each setback. They each pause, close their eyes, and blow a breath. This repetition is particularly important to the story because it signals Ava and her mother being able to move past an issue. When it doesn’t happen...? Well, you’ll have to read the story to find out.

The last book is one of my new favorites. ONE FOX: A COUNTING BOOK THRILLER was written and illustrated by Kate Read. Counting books and alphabet books and can be tough to write well but Kate does a superb job. ONE FOX tells the story of a fox who stalks a group of chickens. Because it’s a thriller, I won’t give too much away. 

It starts at one, as many counting books do, with “One famished fox”. With only a few words in each spread, Kate’s illustrations help bring the story to life. As we watch the hungry fox sneak towards the hen house at night, we can’t help but wonder what will happen. The twist at the end brings the story to a surprising, yet satisfying, ending. More than a book of things to count, ONE FOX tells a gripping story that readers won’t be able to put down.
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If you want to try this approach, whether a counting book or alphabet book, a compelling story could make all the difference.

Well, that’s all for this month. Stay safe and have a magical month.

Bryan Patrick Avery ​is an award-winning poet and author, and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Mystery Writers of America. He is also a life member of the Society of American Magicians (which was once led by Harry Houdini) and charter member of the International Association of Black Magical Artists. Bryan's greatest joy is making stories appear out of thin air.