Have you ever witnessed a child buying books to read? What is the first thing they see before they put the book in their cart? It is the characters drawn on the cover. This character is so important that they decide whether to buy or reject the book on this basis. The designed picture needs to hook the readers. It needs to be appealing, identifiable, and marketable.
These characters are not just images; they serve as the heart of the story that takes the young readers on a journey of adventures, teaching them lessons and sparking their imaginations. In this blog, we will guide you through some of the tips that need to be taken into consideration when designing compelling characters for children’s books.
Design memorable children’s book characters
1. The character should resonate with the target audience
When you are designing any character for the story of the child, it is important that the norms of children illustration are kept in mind and you fulfil the needs of the target audience. Consider the age group of those for whom the book is being designed. For instance, if the material is to be read by a toddler, the images should be simple and relatable. Mature readers would prefer characters with complex personalities and the right delivery of emotions.
Conduct extensive research to learn about the audience’s interests and the experiences of different age groups. Certainly, something that is captivating for a six-year-old child might not be appealing to a teenage child.
2. Characters should be relatable
All of us are in love with Harry Potter as a character. None of the discussions are complete without quoting this character. What is that made it so important? The audience can relate to the image. Although the boy had magical powers and was sent to a magical school, the issues highlighted were relatable and realistic. Every child reading through sees his expressions being portrayed through Harry Potter. He was dealing with issues like friendship, managing a balance in the house and hostel, taking things along, and everything that today’s child can relate to.
The balanced personality of the character is something that the audience can see themselves in the story and hook them to keep reading through the book.
3. Each character teaches something
Many of us still love Winnie even when we have grown up. What is that makes it stick to our memories? It is the sweet nature and the life lessons that were taught to us through this character.
His nature of helping the people around him and making everyone happy are some of the life lessons being taught in the story through this character. Kids are geniuses, and reading these sorts of stories helps parents teach them these lessons. The character itself is gregarious, compassionate, and pleasant, and children and adults cannot restrict themselves from learning through their personalities.
4. A balance between fantasy and reality
When creating characters for kids’ books, the hero must give a fantasy look, yet it touches the grounds of reality a bit. If your character has some magical powers so portrays the readers that those powers are imaginative and all the situations cannot be handled with them. A balance of emotions and situations can help maintain a connection with the readers. This rule is applied by not just illustrators of children’s books but a game illustrator will do the same.
5. Characters with positive traits
If readers do not love a character, they won’t continue reading the story. This is proved through the girl’s character in the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Although, she is a badass. The way she handles the situation is adventurous and resilient. She went through wild circumstances and still managed to act smart.
Give your character some positive traits for kids to learn and admire. Such personalities are made role models by the readers and follow them to learn the way of livings.
6. A character that leaves a lasting memory
Whether it be Harry Potter, Winnie the Pooh, or Rapunzel, all these characters have an image in the reader’s mind. When we hear the name Rapunzel, a picture of a girl with long hair is reflected in our minds. In the same way, seeing the words Harry Potter or Winnie in any posters will take us to the story where both the characters had a unique feature. Potter had a scar and wore round glasses, while Winnie had his pant-less red crop top and a honey jar.
You can create this impression by setting certain clothing, appearance, a catchy phrase, or facial expression that the audience will remember. Whatever you do, just ensure that it is unique and leaves a lasting impression on the young readers.
7. Show the characters growing and developing
The stories read by children, whether short or complete long novels, characters are portrayed in a way that they have grown financially and stronger in other terms due to hard work. This development will have a positive impact on the readers and help them to learn ways for personal growth and resilience.
Additionally, the lessons learned will be remembered by the children throughout their lives. This is a sort of practical knowledge that teaches important moral and ethical lessons to readers.
FAQs!
What features should be considered when designing a character for a children’s book?
When deciding on a character for the children’s book, check for the motivations, goals, and flaws of the character. These hidden features in the characters give them a real and complex feel to the audience. Additionally, you can choose some physical characteristics and mannerisms that bring life to the characters, and the readers can relate to their personality.
How can authors add life to the characters of the story for kids?
Using adjectives to describe the characters will help kids to easily understand the characters and relate to them. Moreover, you can use similes for a better understanding, and the readers can imagine what the character might look like if it were real.
Why is understanding age groups and target audiences important in designing a character?
Each age group has a certain set of norms that readers want to see their characters. The stories designed for toddlers should have simple, fantasy characters that can relate to the themes of their lives. On the other hand, when these readers grow old, they want characters that are complex in personality, less imaginative, and portray certain emotions. Therefore, when you want the book to reach success, the needs of the audience should be fulfilled.
What are some of the characters of the stories that have left a lasting impression on the readers?
Some of the kids’ stories whose characters left a lasting impression on the readers are:
- Matilda
- Harry Potter
- Winnie
- Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
All these portrayed different themes of society and acted as the representative voice of the readers. Their life taught lessons that helped the readers to know the ways to handle different situations of daily life.
The Final Comment!
The design of the characters for children’s books is a mixture of creativity, empathy, and understanding of the target audience.
Setting your focus on relatability, growth, diversity, and emotional connections, you design characters that are not just appealing to young readers but also leave a lasting impression on their minds.