by Kirsten Pendreigh

For today’s nonfiction authors, there’s an ocean of fascinating topics at our fingertips—in magazines, documentaries, nonfiction books and social media. But which ones are picture book worthy? Which ones merit long months of research with no guarantee of publication? Which ones will sustain your interest—for years!—as you prepare and later share the book with kids?

When I’m drawn to a potential nonfiction topic, I ask myself two quick questions:

  1. Would this appeal to kids?  and
  2. Has it been done before?

Then I do some cursory research, let it percolate for a week, and if I’m still excited, run the idea through a more rigorous checklist before diving in.

I’ll take you through how that worked for my recent nonfiction book WHAT FISH ARE SAYING: Strange Sounds in the Ocean, beautifully illustrated by Katie Melrose and published by Sourcebooks Explore.

One morning, my local radio station interviewed a marine scientist about a new library of fish sounds. A library of what now? I put down my coffee and listened closer. When he played some of the bizarre fish recordings, I was hooked. (Pun intended!) Fish can talk? Each species makes its own unique sound? We can study those sounds and use them to protect marine life?

I broke my own rule of letting the idea percolate and began my checklist while my coffee was still hot!

  • Would this topic interest kids?
    My gut told me yes. Like me, I imagined kids would be delighted to learn that fish “talk” and in such bizarre and funny ways.  (I later surveyed kids at school visits and got a resounding thumbs up.) An especially kid-friendly aspect is that one of the loudest—and most important—sound makers in the sea is also one of the smallest: the snapping shrimp. It sounds are like popcorn popping, and noisy shrimp are a key indicator of reef health. (Also, there are fish that make sound by farting and burping. Crowd-pleaser!)
  • Has this topic already been done?
    Nope! There was no other fish-sound specific kids book published. And the science of marine acoustics is so cutting-edge, new discoveries and recordings are being made daily.

*If a topic has been done before, can you approach it in a new way or add significant new insights?

I moved on to more questions:

  • Does this topic have curriculum connections?
    Yes. Elementary students typically do units on ocean ecosystems and organizations like Blue Schools run ocean education programs in many US and Canadian schools. I knew I could link sound libraries and lots of kid-friendly research sites for educators to further explore.
  • Do you have a unique approach in mind?
    Yes! I could have taken a straightforward “here are some fish and these are the sounds they make and why they make them” approach. But in today’s competitive commercial nonfiction market I needed something more engaging. The fact that the story is about sounds dictated my direction. Onomatopoeia and rhyme swam into the mix! Right off the bat, I jotted down simple rhymes based on sound descriptions assigned by scientists: Boop! Whoop! Moan! Groan! So fun! I realized this could become an amazing read-aloud. (Later, I added a refrain, (It’s Noisy Down Below!), some direct questions to engage young readers, and recurring cameos by the amazing snapping shrimp—a little “Easter Egg” on each spread. Lots to explore visually and lyrically and encourage re-reads!)

Can you spot the snapping shrimp?

  • Are there layers? 
    Yes. To me, the best nonfiction books have many layers, and different entry points for different ages. The simple, fun, rhyming text was plenty for little ones. But for older readers the text and backmatter are a launching pad to discuss reef restoration, the impact of human noise, symbiotic relationships and so much more. (From the start I knew I’d be able to provide links to recordings and more amazing fish sound resources—feel free to check them out on my website). There’s also a literacy layer—teachers report that reluctant readers love sounding out the fish noises and become excited to read further. Finally, there’s a layer of scientific discovery and hope as sound mitigation is proving an affordable and practical way to help protect marine life.
  • Will my book inspire curiosity and further learning?
    I think this is a great guiding question for any nonfiction author. Are you only interested in teaching kids about a specific topic or do you want them to enjoy engaging in your book so much that they seek out more information about the topic and more nonfiction books to read? As I was preparing this post, WHAT FISH ARE SAYING made a Best of the Year list in the category of Books that Build Curiosity. The reviewer said: “These are the stories that make kids ask questions, wonder about the world, and see things in a whole new way.”  What nonfiction author could ask for more?

I encourage you to dive into topics you really love and find your unique way to engage kids. But first, protect your precious research and writing time by running a checklist!

I’ve abandoned many nonfiction picture ideas when they don’t make it through my checklist. That’s part of the process. Each time, I still learn amazing things and become better at figuring out what topics and treatments will sell. WHAT FISH ARE SAYING hit all the marks for me,  and I’m delighted it received starred and glowing reviews. But the best reward is when I read it aloud, hear kids yell the refrain, and see them stretching their hands up high to ask me all their fishy questions!

Conducting the refrain at the Vancouver Writers Fest. Chopsticks double as sound makers and batons!

Kirsten Pendreigh is a poet, journalist and children’s author from Vancouver. Her books celebrate our early instincts to care for the creatures that share our planet. Kirsten’s nonfiction titles, WHEN A TREE FALLS and WHAT FISH ARE SAYING use lyrical language, onomatopoeia, rhyme, and other poetic devices to engage children in the cutting-edge science of underwater species communication and the crucial role fallen trees play in regenerating the forest.

Kirsten’s fiction picture books include MAYBE A WHALE, LUNA’S GREEN PET and the forthcoming CAMPING IS A TERRIBLE IDEA. Find out more (and listen to the fish!) at kirstenpendreigh.com and follow Kirsten on Instagram @kirstenpendreigh.