Ask Laura: Point of View and Picture Books
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Dear Laura
Could you address point of view and the picture book? I’m working on a 1200 word picture book story, with several characters and lots of action, for ages 5 - 9. It seems more economical word-wise to write it from the omniscient view point, although that is often cautioned against. But in the picture book, there is scarcely enough time to introduce one character well before the end of the story would be near, and the other characters wouldn’t get as fleshed out as they could be.
The omniscient viewpoint can work in a picture book, and it’s used there more often than in longer books. If 
you have several characters who are crucial to the story, it’s probably the best way to go. Also, since picture books deal with action and dialogue, rather than the internal thoughts of the characters, using the omniscient viewpoint won’t be as confusing in this format as in novels where the reader can see inside a character’s head. But still make sure one character takes center stage as your main character. Your readers have to have one character with which to identify, one character to sympathize with, and one character who has a clearly defined problem that he/she solves during the course of the story.
Laura Backes, Publisher
Children’s Book Insider, the Newsletter for Children’s Writers
