Let's dive into why a child's imagination is the key to their growth and how imagination in children's books shapes them.

The Importance of Imagination

Have you ever seen a real-life pink elephant before? A big elephant that is tall and wide with a long trunk, stomping along the plains going to get a drink from the lake while the sun reflects off its pink skin—it's not a gray or a white elephant, but a big, bright pink elephant, and it's wearing a nice top hat, and it can play the piano.

Of course, chances are you haven't seen such an elephant. Elephants rarely come in pink, and piano-playing pink elephants are few and far between. Not to mention the top hat, which would likely just keep slipping off its head along the way. So, although you have a reference point for elephants, the color pink, top hats, and pianos, you've probably never seen such an elephant.

But did you notice that while reading that description, you got an image of a pink, top-hat-wearing, piano-playing elephant in your head? Remarkably, despite never seeing such a thing in real life, your mind was able to conjure up an image that fits that criteria. That's because, for the vast majority of us, we have an imagination.

It's a remarkable thing when you think about it. We can completely invent something within our own minds.

How a Child's Imagination Helps Them

Children lack the same life experiences that adults have. So, a child's imagination is really important to allow them to adapt to what is happening around them. Children are still learning and growing, so their imagination helps them understand things they have not encountered before.

Through their imagination, children can start to come up with ideas and questions about the world around them. The words and illustrations in children's books will help children learn more about the world and develop cognitively.

Imagination is a big part of play. You may think children playing is just so they are kept busy and that children only spend their time playing because they aren't old enough to work. In reality, play is a vital part of a child's cognitive development. Imagination in children's books and games allows children to develop problem-solving skills as well as their own creativity. That's really important to grow forward because today's children are tomorrow's adults who will have to solve new problems that the world is facing. The human race will always need creativity, and a child's imagination is the start of their creative journey.

5 Interesting Imagination Facts

1. The term imagination comes from the Latin translation (imaginatio) of the Greek word phantasia. This word describes the ability the brain has to make mental images, which is different from thinking and perceiving.
2. While most of us take imagination for granted, some people have a condition called aphantasia, which means without imagination. People with any of the various forms of this condition can be unable to create mental imagery.
3. The inverse of aphantasia is a condition known as hyperphantasia, which is when people have extremely vivid mental imagery.
4. Imagination can be both involuntary and voluntary. Dreaming is considered involuntary imagination, while using your creativity to try and come up with ideas is considered voluntary imagination.
5. While humans are believed to have the most complex form of imagination among mammals, neuroscientists have found that rats have a strong ability to imagine things, as do dogs, chimpanzees, dolphins, and elephants.

Imagination in Children's Books

A child needs something to spark their imagination since they don't have a lot of memories to go on. This is why books are hugely important for children. They can inspire wondrous, imaginative journeys. Books show children new concepts and ideas they never knew before, which their imagination can then use to get carried away.

The great thing about a child's imagination is that it is constantly evolving and growing. Once sparked inside a child's mind, something can lead to more and more ideas and thoughts. Stimulating the imagination through children's books helps them grow internally and develop their own imagination.

Relatable characters in children's books will inspire young readers and make them believe they can achieve anything. And the fantasy worlds and engaging plots portrayed will open their minds to new possibilities. At the same time, kids learn life lessons from children's books. Imaginative illustrations help children create an image in their minds, as they have a picture to go with the words.

Creating Relatable Characters for Children

In order for a children's book to be successful, they need to be able to relate to the characters. Whether it's a character that looks like them or finds themselves in a situation the child can relate to, the child has to be able to see some of themselves in the character. The child is still developing their imagination, so they have to have some kind of reference point in the story. As the character is the focal point of the story, it needs to be someone or something they can relate to. This is important when considering the target audience for the book. Ask yourself: Would the child be able to relate to the characters?

As well as being relatable, the characters also have to be likable. The characters written in the book have to be presented as people (or animals or other creatures) that the child would want to be around. There is no point in having a children's book with a character that doesn't capture the child's imagination. If the child doesn't care about the character, then they won't care about the book itself.

You can still get creative with the types of characters you include in the story. For example, you could personify a non-living object like a ball or a toy and let it go on an adventure.
A popular trend in children's books is giving animals human traits. It's common to see non-human animals personified in ways such as having a job or going to school.

Craft characters that children can invest in and relate to in children's books.

Crafting a Fantasy World for Children

The world that the story takes place in is important for a child to use their imagination. The world should be relatable in some ways, but it can also be fantastical in other ways. You can have elements like dinosaurs and dragons or even aliens! The story takes place in outer space, or somewhere the child reading the book has probably never been.

The fantasy world should let the child's imagination run wild. Imaginative illustrations for children are a great way to ensure they can follow along with the story too. Kids love quirky creatures and crazy elements in their stories. Remember, it's okay for a children's book not to be totally realistic; that's part of the fun!

Engaging Children With a Great Plot

In order for a child to engage with the plot of a children's book, they must be able to understand it. When a child starts out reading, the plot of a book needs to be very simple, and to be honest, for a child's first book, there isn't even much of a plot. For children who are essentially still toddlers, the book really just needs to have pictures.

But as children grow and develop, they can start to understand and follow basic stories. Basic is the keyword. You don't need convoluted plot twists or concepts like time travel! Structure a children's story simply with a beginning, middle, and end. Keep it basic so that the child can understand it. The character needs to find something; they go to find it, and then, in the end, they find it. And remember, always have a happy ending!

Imaginative Illustrations in Children's Books

Children naturally don't have a strong reading level when they are just starting out with books, so they need well-drawn visuals to help them follow the story. Illustrations in children's books play a major role in hooking the reader and helping them use their imagination to follow the story.

Imaginative illustrations for children should be meaningful, which means they actually have a purpose in the story. They should appeal to the child's sense of wonder. As the child may not have a good reading level, they will probably spend a lot of time looking at the illustrations in the book to try to make sense of what is happening in the story. This is helpful for growing the child's imagination and developing their problem-solving skills.
Illustrations for children should be warm and have a friendly tone. Avoid drawing anything too scary.

The cover design is really important too, as it is the first thing your potential readers will see.

Why Life Lessons in Children's Books Are Important

Children absorb everything, like sponges or buckets waiting to be filled. Children absorb what they are told. When children grow up, the things they learn become their beliefs.

Having a positive life lesson or moral in children's books is a good way of teaching the child something valuable. Things like how important it is to share and be kind are necessary lessons to teach children. Books inspire children and inform the way they think, so give them good lessons to take.

Inclusiveness and Diversity in Children's Books

Not all children are the same, and they don't all have the same experiences in life. When we are children, our world is very small, and we consider our experiences to be universal. This is one of the reasons why inclusiveness and diversity are important when writing books for children. Representing characters from diverse cultures with disabilities, neurodivergent traits, and other demographics helps teach children that differences should not be feared. While children need to read about relatable characters, they also need to be exposed to people who are different so that they can accept that people are different.

When it comes to life lessons in children's books, one important one is that we are all unique in our own way, and there is a place for everyone. So, when writing and illustrating your children's book, consider representing people with non-traditional family dynamics and people from minority backgrounds. This will help children learn that it is okay to be different.

And remember, children who fall into marginalized categories need to see themselves represented in books too. So, by writing inclusive and diverse characters, you are actually representing more people in your book. When a child with a disability sees themselves represented in a book, their imagination can embark on the same wonderful journey as any other child.

A crucial life lesson in children's books should be that we are all different and special in our own way, and we should accept each other's differences.

Tips for Peaking a Child's Imagination

Here are five ways to engage the reader's imagination in children's books.

1. Use rhyming words that flow together nicely.
2. Use alliteration so that the words sound funny together.
3. Be very descriptive to further add to the imaginative illustrations for the children.
4. Have something the child can relate to but with an unusual quality (like a magic book or a pink cat).
5. Have a character like a parent or grandparent who takes the kids on an exciting adventure.

How Dibbly Create and Dibbly | The Urban Writers Can Help

At Dibbly | The Urban Writers, we have a team of ghostwriters and editors who specialize in children's books. They will know how to peak a child's imagination by crafting an exciting story based on your ideas. We also have excellent artists who can create imaginative illustrations that children will love.

And if you're struggling to come up with ideas, you can always use Dibbly Create, which combines human creativity with AI ingenuity. Dibbly Create is the perfect tool for navigating the world of children's publishing.

Final Thoughts

A child's imagination is a crucial tool for helping them learn and grow. By using relatable characters children want to read about, and including imaginative illustrations children get excited over, you can craft a story children want to read.