The Power of Less

Write Picture Books with Impact Using Fewer Words

Writing a picture book is a bit like packing for a trip in a tiny carry-on bag. You have limited space, so every item you choose—every word—has to earn its place. The challenge isn’t just about keeping the word count low; it’s about making those words powerful enough to carry half the story while leaving room for the illustrations to shine.

Picture books today are getting shorter. Most traditionally published picture books land somewhere between 500 and 700 words, spread over 32 pages less front and back matter. That’s around 16 words per page—just enough to guide the reader while sparking the illustrator’s imagination. And, just as important, enough to hold a young child’s attention without asking too much of their developing focus.

So how do you make those few words count? Here are a few tricks.

Less is More--Why Fewer Words Matter

If you’re used to writing longer forms, the word count for a picture book can feel cramped. You might be used to describing every detail or be tempted to explain every action. But here’s the truth: your words and the illustrations are partners in storytelling. Words don’t have to do all the work—they need to do just enough to move the story forward, set the tone, and spark emotion.

The illustrations can handle the heavy lifting of description and mood. For instance, a sentence like “Max crashed through the tangled branches, his face red with fear” might be reduced to just “Max ran for his life.”The illustrator can show the tangled branches, the panic in Max’s expression, and the movement of the moment.

“The writer that prunes ruthlessly is the one who becomes published.” 

– Margot Finke, How to Make Editors Eager to Read Your Picture Book

Cross-Examine Every Word: Be the Bouncer at Club Story

Here’s a tip from writer George Saunders that I love: treat every word as if you’re a bouncer at the door of Club Story. If a word isn’t contributing—if it doesn’t move the plot forward, deepen the emotion, or delight the reader—it’s out. No exceptions.

Picture books thrive on rhythm and economy. Sentences with multiple clauses? Split them. Big, abstract words? Swap them for simple, concrete ones. 

The result? It’s cleaner, more rhythmic, and leaves space for the illustrations to tell the rest.

Pro Tip: Keep an eye out in your manuscript for sentences joined by “and”. That could be a sign that your sentence could be shortened and condensed. 

Check out this video clip from children’s book author and editor Brooke Vitale to learn more about choosing your words with care: 

Read-Aloud Test: Pace is Everything

Picture books are meant to be read aloud. That means the pacing—the way the story flows from page to page—needs to feel right when spoken. Read your manuscript out loud to a child, a friend, or even your cat. If you stumble or run out of breath (or patience), your audience will, too.

Young readers (and listeners) have short attention spans, so every page needs to invite them to keep going. Your first page is the promise: something exciting is about to happen.

Boil the Soup: Condense Without Losing the Heart

Writing a picture book is a process of boiling the story down to its essence. It’s about finding the flavor and letting that shine. Here’s how to start:

1. Cut Redundancies: If you’ve given three examples of something, choose the one that fits best.
2. Sentences: Break long, meandering thoughts into punchy, rhythmic lines
3. Trust the Iceberg: Remember that iceberg metaphor from grade school? Most of the iceberg sits below the surface, unseen, but it’s still there, holding everything up. The same goes for your story. The details you cut aren’t lost. Rather, they form the foundation for what remains.

Condensing is hard—it can feel like you’re eviscerating your story—but trust the process. By boiling down the story, you’re letting the best parts rise to the surface.

Cut Fluff Words and Use Words that Work Harder Instead

“Use powerful and active verbs,” children’s author Margot Finke advises. “Great verbs are a PB writer's best friend. Search for adjectives that surprise and delight your reader. Be specific when referring to people, places, and events. Simplicity is a splendid goal. Beware like, nice, very, walked, sat, ran, and their ilk. You can find better, stronger, and more innovative words. Seemed, I think, perhaps and some - all four have weakness in common. Write with words that signify strength, action and power. Think of your text as a garden with rampant growth. Prune those sentences until your word count is way below 1,000 words.”

Exercises to Tighten Your Story

Ready to get to work? Try these:

Write a Pixar-style Summary

Pixar is said to rely on this simple framework to get at the heart of a story:

• Once upon a time, there was... (Introduce the character.)
• Every day... (Show their ordinary world.)
• One day... (Something changes.)
• Because of that... (Describe the consequences.)
• Until finally... (How it resolves.)

Summarizing your story this way forces you to focus on the bones—the events and emotions that matter most. Everything else that makes it into the story has to support these anchor points.

Tighten the First Page

Write a few versions of your first page. Then set them aside and revisit them after a few days.

Be Ruthless

Go through your manuscript and challenge yourself to cut it by 20%. You’ll surprise yourself with how much tighter—and better—it gets.

Conclusion: Trust the Power of Less

Writing concisely is a skill. It takes practice and patience. But when you trust the power of fewer words, you create space for the illustrations, for the reader’s imagination, and for the story itself to shine.

So, boil that soup. Be the bouncer at Club Story. Make every word earn its place, and your picture book will land with the impact it deserves.

Cara J. Stevens is a writer, editor, and book coach with over 20 years of experience in children’s publishing. Based in Los Angeles, she specializes in helping writers craft their stories across genres, offering services in developmental editing, book coaching, and creative workshops. Cara served as the 2023 SCBWI-L.A. Mentor, and contributes frequently to Kite Tales, the SCBWI Southern California blog. She has written more than 85 books for young readers. Her most recent children’s book is the Mean Girls Little Golden Book, illustrated by Viven Wu and Chivaun Fitzpatrick (Little Golden Books). Her podcast, Picture Perfect, features interviews with kidlit professionals and quick writing tips, and can be accessed on most podcast streaming platforms. She has been an SCBWI member since 1996.