Creating Characters: Choosing What They Are Can Elevate Your Story
Hello! I’m honored to be the Featured Author this month. I’ve been a member of 12 x 12 for many years starting in 2014. This community has been a wonderful source of structure, knowledge, and camaraderie and an irreplaceable part of my writing journey. I’m excited to be able to share my perspective here on the blog.
When I was little, I loved stories about talking animals. Corduroy, Berenstain Bears, Frog and Toad – they’re just a few whose stories I loved reading (usually flopped on my belly, basking in a warm sunray 😊). These characters were kidlike and likable. They experienced the same emotions I did. They were my friends.
So it makes sense that when I decided to write books for children, I pictured animal main characters at the center of my stories (I especially could not wait to see how adorable they would be), and why not?
Talking animals make excellent child surrogates. Despite not looking human, animal characters in picture books can think, behave, and have feelings like children. They can walk like us, talk like us, and even wear clothing (and hats!) like us. In addition, a story about a talking animal requires readers to suspend a certain amount of disbelief. So, we’re able to put these characters in situations and storylines that might not work as well with human characters.
In “Maximillian Villainous” (2018), a monster with a heart of gold who wants a pet bunny is required by his family to perform a series of villainous tasks. For this story, I had envisioned the characters looking like and having the vibes of the Addams Family. Luckily, I left my preference out of the manuscript. Lesley Breen Withrow chose to make Maximillian Villainous and his family not human, a perfect choice. One of my worries was that readers would take issue with the villainous family’s demands of little Max. However, the family’s harsh demands fit with our expectations of monsters. In the end, Lesley’s adorably cute, not-so-scary monsters made them less deplorable, and her monster characters ended up being the perfect complement to my text.
Animals can represent all ethnicities. Children, regardless of ethnicity, may be able to relate to and put themselves in the shoes of animal characters. This results in a story universal to everyone.
“How This Book Got Red” (2023) is about a red panda who discovers that the pandas in the books she reads (and everywhere else) look like giant pandas rather than like her. Red pandas and giant pandas were the perfect proxies to make my point about representation. In real life, giant pandas are significantly more popular than red pandas. They are China’s national treasure, the symbol of the World Wildlife Fund, and popular picture book characters (“Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?,” the Zen series, the Mr. Panda series, “The Panda Problem,” “Xander’s Panda Party,” and “Chee-Kee, a Panda in Bearland” are just a handful). Though adorable, the red panda is less well-known (and also known as the lesser panda 😥). By using animal characters rather than human characters, underrepresented children of any ethnicity can relate to this book.
Kids are animal lovers! They’re fascinated by these fellow creatures of nature. Many naturally nurture and care for animals. It’s not a leap for them to empathize with animal main characters and relate to them.
“Hooked On Books” (2023) is about an anglerfish, a deep sea creature with a bioluminescent lure on its head – intriguing for both grownups and kids alike. I specifically centered the story, in which the anglerfish just wants to read her book in peace, around the anglerfish’s specific physical characteristics and the environment in which she lives. The lure serves as a built-in book light, perfect for an individual who loves reading, and each deeper ocean zone serves as an escape farther away from annoying interruptions. While the anglerfish might be unfamiliar, children can still relate to the feelings of wanting to escape from pesky disturbances.
Despite my love of talking animals, I’ve realized there are excellent reasons why books featuring human characters are essential, and why there needs to be plenty of them.
“Amah Faraway” (2022) is a realistic story about a young girl visiting her grandmother in Taiwan for the very first time. It was inspired by my own memories of visiting my grandmother in Taiwan and my children’s experience visiting Taiwan for the first time. The characters being human was never in question. And the benefit has been undeniable–especially the Taiwanese and Asian representation for children. In school assemblies, students have excitedly announced that they are Taiwanese. They have unabashedly spoken Mandarin in front of their classmates. They have pointed to the pictures eager to tell me that they’ve been to places pictured in the book. It has been one of my greatest rewards to see children feeling validated by my book.
Whether your story stars an animal or human character (or something else), books can be powerful! Being intentional about choosing animal, human, or any other type of character can elevate your story and the way it impacts young readers. For me, this impact is exactly why I write for children!
I wish you the best on your journeys. Go forth and make your impact on young readers!
Margaret Chiu Greanias’s children’s books have received starred reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, and been chosen as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, a Kids’ Indie Next Pick, an Amazon Best Book for Ages 3-5, a Betsy Bird’s Best Picture Book of the Year, and a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year. Her work ranges from lighthearted, fun stories to more personal, heartfelt ones. But her ultimate goal for each of her books is to delight children. She is the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants and currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, three children, and a fluffle of dust bunnies.
Margaret is offering one lucky 12 x 12 member a choice of a copy of HOOKED ON BOOKS or a critique on a non-rhyming, fiction picture book manuscript of 700 words or less.
Not a 12 x 12 member yet? Click here to be added to our waitlist for 2025 and get a free webinar!
12 x 12 may earn a commission from books purchased through the links in the post. Proceeds go to fund 12 x 12 diversity programming and scholarships.
40 Responses
Hi Margaret – you know I love your stories! Congratulations!
Thanks Melissa! Hope all is well with you!
Thank you for sharing some of the stories behind your stories! HOW THIS BOOK GOT RED is brilliant. I look forward to reading your other books!
Thank you, Jennifer!
It’s funny how some agents and editors say they don’t want talking animals. You give so many great reasons for using them! (I suppose it’s like rhyming. When it’s good, it’s really good.)
I’ve heard that as well and have no idea how that could be true. Kids love talking animals, and there are so many picture books out there with them. That said, I think there are individual editors out there who don’t do talking animals.
Thanks for the inspirational post! I love using animal characters in my stories, too, but I also use human characters when I know the story will benefit from doing so. Congrats on your publishing success thus far!
Thank you, Lauri. There is reason for stories featuring both animals and humans for sure!
Thanks for this post! I write stories with animal and human characters in mind. Sometimes animals work better, as in a chapter book I wrote where the two characters are child-like, but carry out adult-like activities (travel on public transportation, shop for groceries, etc.), and other times. humans do. I don’t do the art, so I defer to the illustrator to make the choice if it could go either way.
Good point on characters that carry out adult-like activities. I’ve heard that the characters can be adult but there has to be some aspect of them that is childlike that a child can relate to.
I’m in awe of your successes and hope to have just a fraction of that someday. Thank you for your advice and inspiration!
Thank you! You are in the right place with 12×12. I learned so much from being a part of the community.
Thank you for your helpful, informative post, Margaret. Thank you also for giving so many wonderful reasons for using talking animals in picture books. At the same time, I love Amah Faraway and how you created magic in that picture book on so many levels! You and your books are awesome!
Thank you, Lori. There’s a place for both animal and human main characters in picture books. One of the best (and sometimes overwhelming) things about writing is that there are literally unlimited combinations of what/who a story can be about because of how authors and illustrators personalize their stories.
I love the idea of the Red panda reading about giant pandas and how that book can affect a child. Congratulations on becoming so successful and having so many wonderful books. Thank you for an interesting and educational post.
Thank you! Glad you got something out of the post!
What a great perspective! Thanks for your thoughtful post.
Thank you for sharing your story. Great post and insight.
What a wonderful presentation. I taught children to read and I know for sure that they readily read animal character books without missing a beat. Their imaginations have not been stifled yet, and you have met their needs and likes.
Thank you for this post. I have read some agents don’t want talking animals in stories, which is a bummer because I love them!
Thank you for sharing all of this. It was very insightful. My kids and I just read Maximillion Villainous a couple of weeks ago. It’s neat to see how you didn’t specify what species the family was. I also really love how specifying what animal the story “needs” to be about can translate into a cultural lesson. A red panda in How This Book Got Red is BRILLIANT!! And now I’m on the hunt for the other two you mentioned. Thank you again for this post. I really enjoyed it.
Thank you, Margaret, for sharing your stories and your decisions on what types of characters would be best for how you want to delight children. I look forward to reading your books and I wish you continued success with your writing.
Margaret,
I love using animals as main characters but wondered about giving them human traits. My elementary students could identify with animals and I could bring in science concepts about habitats and fears from predators. Thanks for agreeing that animal characters work in picture books without naming them as a girl or boy.
Margaret, I won a copy of Maximillian Villainous back when it was first out and have been a fan of your writing ever since! Thank you for highlighting some of the reasons animal characters work so well for little ones. Your stories are perfect examples. On the flip side, how wonderful to have children relating to Amah Faraway. Books are indeed powerful and so important in young lives.
Congratulations on all your success. I can’t wait to check out some of your books. As a stutterer in my early years I found it easy to talk to the animals in my creek and all my neighbor’s pets. And I use a lot of animal puppets when it comes to doing story time at our local library.
As you said by using animal characters rather than human characters, underrepresented children of any ethnicity can relate to your book. That is so important. because so many children in my neighborhood are from the surrounding first nation tribes. Our local library has only a limited amount of books that feature children from the the first nation cultures. So thank you because books featuring animal character help to level the playing field for my little neighbors. And wishing you continued success.
Thanks for sharing your love of animal main characters. I also like to use animals in my stories. It’s really fun. I’ve branched out to include a little garbage truck, and a leaf in my repertoire. Like you said, whatever works best!
Thanks for sharing your perspective on this! It’s great to see so many of your books have featured animal main characters!
I love red pandas and just bought your book. Thanks for your excellent post.
Margaret, thank you so much for sharing your perspective regarding your writing of picture books and the stories behind the stories. I especially love How This Book Got Red and Amah Faraway. Beautiful. 🙂
Thank you for this great share. So true, that animals can relate to all ethnicities. Every creature is so different, but all an important part of this universe.
Sometimes the backmatter is as interesting as the story! Thanks for sharing Margaret!
I agree with your comments on having animal characters with human traits. I love red pandas. Having been to China, I have seen them upclose. Giant pandas are cool, but I really related to the red pandas. Thanks for sharing.
Margaret, I haven’t seen other authors be as interactive with and responsive to member comments! You are so kind and encouraging. I enjoyed seeing the variety of books you have written. The one that introduced me to your work is How This Book Got Read. Anyone who loves pandas can absolutely appreciate the appeal of animals to children, and having animals talk in our pages is the icing on the cake. I have enjoyed this mini tour of your work and learning that 12X12 has been a pillar in your journey. Now that you are solidly on my radar, I’ll be watching for your next book. Cheers!
This post really made me think about some of my stories. When I write, most of the time when it’s a child character in my mind, it seems to me that the action is really gender neutral. When critique partners ask if it’s a boy or a girl, I feel it could actually be either and the story would still work. If the illustrator portrayed the character as an animal, that could remove that as an “issue” for some stories. Magic!
Such a variety of books. Thank you for creating them.
Many, many years ago I submitted a story to an editor and was told NO MORE TALKING ANIMALS! This led me to believe for awhile, that talking animals had gone out of fashion. Of course it wasn’t true then and it’s not true now and your excellent post details all the wonderful reasons why talking animals will always be popular with children. Congratulations on your success and may your talking animals continue to delight children for many years to come.
Such wonderful characters! Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks for sharing your love of animal characters and all the benefits they offer. I couldn’t agree more. Congrats on your success!
Thanks, Margaret! I especially love picture books that encourage kids’ curiosity about intriguing or lesser-represented creatures, and your choices are brilliant. Congrats on your wonderful books!
You bring up so many good points about the positives of using animals as your MC. Thank you so much!