What themes resonate with your little ones in picture books?

[RodiEvergreen]

Hi everyone. I hope you’re all having a gentle and calm day.

I’m really curious about something and thought this group might be the best place to ask.
For those of you who read picture books with your little ones, what themes or messages seem to resonate with them the most?

Are they drawn to stories about confidence? Friendship? Feeling different? Bravery?
Or maybe something completely unexpected?

I’d love to hear what your children react to, laugh at, or talk about afterwards.
It’s always fascinating how kids see the world through stories.

Thank you in advance to anyone who shares. I appreciate every insight.

Are you looking for ideas for your next book?

Not really looking for ideas - I’m more curious about what themes genuinely connect with children. I’m working on a small picture-book project that aims to encourage kids to feel a bit braver and more confident, so hearing different perspectives is always really helpful. Thank you for asking.

I don't think picture book age children are drawn to books that have a moral or message for them. Parents may well be, and as they do the buying that may be relevant if you're trying to sell books.

What mine liked was nice rhyming sentences or simple words that they could listen to and understand with some nice pictures.

Thank you, that’s really interesting to hear. 😊 I can definitely see how rhythm, simple wording and engaging pictures can matter more than any underlying message at that age. It’s really helpful to hear different perspectives.

My son seems to like books with children his age - for example the alfie books