Stories are one of the most powerful teaching tools ever created. They help children explore ideas, understand consequences, and learn valuable lessons without feeling like they’re sitting through a lecture. Unfortunately, many writers make the same mistake: they prioritize the lesson over the story. When that happens, readers feel preached to instead of entertained. The best picture books don’t force lessons onto children. They invite children to discover those lessons for themselves. If you want your story to educate without becoming preachy, these five strategies can help.

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Give Readers and Listeners More Credit

Many new writers underestimate their audience. Successful authors do the opposite.

Adult readers, older child readers, and young child listeners are smarter and more intuitive than we think.

You may think to yourself, “I know that and agree,” but your writing says otherwise.

It’s easy to tell when an author is not giving their readers or listeners any credit because they spell things out for them. Consider the following sentences:

1. Susie fell off her bike. It really hurt and made her frustrated because this was the second time she tried to do it by herself.
2. Susie fell off her bike – again!

In the first sentence, we are told what Susie did (she fell), what Susie felt (it really hurt), and what Susie thought (frustrated). We are literally being spoon fed every thought rather than being given the freedom to interpret, understand, or resolve in our own minds what Susie might be experiencing. In the second sentence, all we know is that Susie fell off her bike and it wasn’t the first time.

This simple sentence allows us as the reader or listener to become closer to Susie. It causes us to consider how we would feel or what we would think if we fell off our bike. Would falling off your bike on the hard asphalt pavement hurt you? Definitely! Ouch! That would be painful. Cuts, bruises, scars, blood, oh my! Maybe an adult would consider a broken hand or trip to the emergency room. Then we consider it not being the first time. We feel a flurry of emotions. We are proud that Susie didn’t give up after the first fall but know how frustrating it is to try and fail multiple times. We are rooting for Susie. Keep going Susie! You can do it! Don’t give up!

Will she give up? Will this be the last time she falls? Don’t you want to know? This is tension. By leaving room for readers to interpret events and emotions, you encourage them to participate in the story rather than passively consume it.

When we as writers try to force the reader or listener to interpret the story our way, we are reducing the emotional and intellectual impact of the story. Why be 1-Dimensional when we can let imagination take hold to supplement our story?

We authors can also sabotage our readers and listeners by writing outside of their skill set. Even though young children are smart and intuitive, they’re not yet proficient at thousands of adult words. Don’t use big words when little ones will do. Instead of atmosphere, say sky. Instead of automobile, say car.

Unless your author purpose in the story is to teach some new words, use the words they already know. This helps you communicate your message effectively, which is a big, big deal.

In Writing for the Right Picture Book Audience, I provide clear recommendations to help your material land and resonate successfully.

Let Readers Discover the Lesson

Most picture books contain a lesson, message, or theme.

The challenge isn’t whether you should include one. The challenge is helping readers discover it naturally rather than announcing it directly.

Sometimes the purpose presents itself after the manuscript draft is written. Regardless, there is always a purpose to a story. My purposes are often social to communicate the benefit or consequence of an action, like in the following sentence:

1. Max raced through the open door and growled at the neighbor’s cat. “No!” shouted Ben. “Don’t hurt her!”

Without knowing any more of the story, it’s easy to tell what the purpose of the story is. Don’t leave the door open! If you do, things happen, such as Max getting out (who is a dog but your imagination may have interpreted it differently because I didn’t spoon feed you the description – perhaps Max is a tiger? A bear? Ohh, maybe a ferret?)

How do we teach our author purpose without spoon feeding it to the reader or listener and coming across preachy? We simply let it be inferred rather than heard.

Let’s say I want to teach you about washing your hands. Which of the following stories is preachy? Which one spoon feeds details? Which one could you expect to be in a children’s picture book?

1. “Jillian,” Mom began in a condescending tone, “your hands are as dirty as a mud puddle!” “But Mom,” Jillian protested, “It’s only a little-“. “No but anything,” Mom said, interrupting her. “If you don’t wash your hands you could get sick!”
2. Jillian sneezed and flung dirt all over her dinner.

In the second example, the lesson is implied rather than explained. Readers immediately understand the problem without being lectured. That’s what makes the message more powerful.

Kids don’t enjoy reading preachy books. Adults don’t enjoy reading preachy books. Agents, editors, and publishers don’t enjoy preachy books.

So, why write them?

The only way to truly get your author purpose to the reader and listener is if it can be inferred rather than heard. Sure, there is always an exception to the rule.

But guess what?

If you want to be more successful, assume you’re not the exception until you are.

Leave Room for Interpretation

There’s nothing more stifling as a reader when being forced into one way of thinking.

Many memorable stories leave important questions unanswered, allowing readers to continue thinking about them long after the final page.

Many times, you and I can become so close to our writing that we want to spell it all out for the reader.

Readers want mystery, intrigue, possibilities, and the freedom to imagine.

Consider Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. This story is chock-full of ambiguity and mystery.

With only a handful of words, they crafted a story that has caused the most brilliant among us to go into an intellectual tail spin while not forgetting the child reader or listener. Everyone can come to their own conclusion regarding how the book ends, what it means, and what will happen next. Its ambiguity invites discussion, interpretation, and rereading—qualities that help stories endure.

Your story can be that superb! But you must leave a little to the imagination. Let readers and listeners come to their own conclusions about your subtle message.

Make Learning Fun

Do you know the best way to teach someone? You make it fun.

Things that are fun not only lodge deeper in our minds and hearts, they also captivate us. To be a captivating writer, you must conquer the distractions of our day. Those distractions are not just video games and TV, but prejudices and preferences.

Creative writing allows us to breakthrough the wall of other things competing for the listener’s attention. Write something never written before and you’ll break through. Write something hilarious and you’ll break through. Write with tension and you’ll break through.

However you do it, keep creativity in mind early in your manuscript drafting process. If it sounds familiar, it’s (usually) not good enough.

Edit and rewrite until what you’ve written stands out from the crowd, delights the reader and listener, and breaks through the wall of distraction.

I recently shared strategies to Write for the Right Audience. Along the same vein, successful stories should entertain and educate.

You can be successful creating content that is only one instead of both but you’re sabotaging yourself.

The strongest picture books educate through entertainment. Readers stay for the story and absorb the lesson along the way.

An easy way to know if your manuscript is preachy is if it’s primarily educational with little entertaining value. The best children’s book authors educate and entertain.

Before we move on to the 5th strategy to make your writing less preachy, Writer’s Treasure has another great piece on How to Improve Your Creative Writing that really deserves a read.

Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

I really struggle with not being too serious in my creative writing.

Although my background is primarily in creative writing, my entire professional career has been in technical writing. I’ve been successful merging and distancing the two but I had to experience a variety of failures to figure it out.

At the heart of writing more interesting content that isn’t preachy is understanding your audience.

If you’re writing a medical non-fiction book for hospitals to consider purchasing for their waiting rooms, OK, consider being a little more educational and a little less entertaining.

But, like me, if you’re targeting the children’s book market, the majority of your audience is looking for highly entertaining content and moderate to low educational content.

Writers who focus exclusively on teaching often struggle to create stories children genuinely enjoy.

Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back is a wonderful example of writing humor for children. Do you think Jon takes himself too seriously? No way. Do you think Jon understands his target audience? Most definitely.

Signs Your Story Might Be Too Preachy

Characters explain every lesson

If your characters constantly explain what readers should learn, the story begins to feel like a lecture. Trust readers to connect the dots on their own.

Leaving room for interpretation helps readers not only arrive at their own conclusion but also reinforces the underlying theme you’re trying to make.

When it connects, it’s the “ah ha!” moment.

Adults always have the right answer

Children often connect most strongly with characters who learn through experience. Stories become less engaging when adults solve every problem and deliver every lesson.

In fact, it’s common publishing knowledge that children engage more when major characters are kids just like them.

Readers are told what to think

There’s a reason why textbooks induce sleep.

Technical writing spells everything out, leaving no room for imagination.

When readers must infer what the author is trying to say, if done properly, it’s a very exciting read.

Educational content overwhelms story

There is a place for educational content.

But there is also a place for entertaining content.

As a writer, you must clearly delineate the two.

If you’re confused, the reader will be too!

Humor and wonder are missing

People love to laugh.

People love to imagine.

The best authors help readers do both by being very intentional and strategic with prose and picture.

Final Thoughts

The goal of a picture book isn’t to lecture children. It’s to engage them.

When readers connect with characters, experience challenges, laugh, wonder, and imagine possibilities, meaningful lessons often emerge naturally.

Trust your readers. Trust your listeners. Trust your story.

Children rarely remember lectures. They remember stories.

The more room you leave for discovery, interpretation, and imagination, the less preachy your writing will become.