MOWMT Day #5: Ana Siqueira Writes About Tough Topics...
...in a Kid-Friendly Way
By Ana Siqueira
Tough topics, such as death, illness, war, poverty, and divorce are needed, but how can you write them in a child-friendly and not in a heavy-handed way?
Write about tough topics from your own life experiences and identities.
“As writers, we ought to draw from our multiple identities if we are going to write stories with authenticity. For me, that means drawing from being a psychologist, a gay dad, a boy from a multicultural family, etc..." Michael Genhart.
About They're So Flamboyant: " This fun and funny bird's-eye vision to individuality, community, and harmony follow the reactions of a neighborhood full of birds when a “flamboyance” of flamingos moves in…Their new neighbors are actually quite charming, and not so scary and different after all. Includes a note from the author on helping children to learn about acceptance, avoid stereotyping, and model welcoming behavior.``
Other Personal Inspiration Books:
Worm Loves Worm - by J. J. Austrian (Author), Mike Curato (Illustrator)
And Tango Makes Three - by Justin Richardson (Author), Peter Parnell (Author), Henry Cole (Illustrator)
After the Fall - Dan Santat - wife’s postpartum depression
Dear Rainbow Baby - by Samantha Gassman and Timothy Lange
2. Use animals to offer the readers some distance.
"Animals as characters, therefore, can bring silliness and incongruity, making a story more enjoyable. But they also add a degree of emotional distance for the reader, which is important when the story message is personal, painful or powerful." - May Gibbs
In the book THE BIG BAD WOLF IN MY HOUSE by Valérie Fontaine (Author), and Nathalie Dion (Illustrator), the girl and the mother are humans, but the mother’s boyfriend, who is the abuser, is a wolf. That gives the distance one needs to read this book without being too scared.
I am writing a book about domestic violence, based on my experience, and even though I am all about children’s representation, I had to add that the girl was role-playing with her bear puppets to avoid having scenes too graphic and heavy.
Other books about tough topics with animals / creatures:
Big Bear Was Not The Same (trauma) by Joanna Rowland, Illustrated by: John Ledda
Moldilocks and the Three Scares: A Zombie Tale Hardcover – (adoption)
by Lynne Marie (Author), David Rodriguez Lorenzo (Illustrator)
The Rough Patch by Brian Lies.
3. Be subtle.
Illustrations and subtle messages can be a tool to talk about something really heavy in a way children will be able to understand and discuss with adults when ready.
In - The Big Bad Wolf in My House - there is a heavy scene where the abuser goes to the girl’s room. In a subtle way, the author and the illustrator let us know maybe something bad, really bad, happened.
“My bedroom door should have stopped him, but he came in without knocking. He paid no attention to a barrier made of wood.”
Goosebumps, right?
Check the subtle text and beautiful illustrations in - Rise!: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus and Tonya Engel
4. When possible, add humor.
In the book The End of Something Wonderful: A Practical Guide to a Backyard Funeral by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic (Author), George Ermos (Illustrator), the author and illustrator uses humor, in a very sensitive way, to talk about the death of a dear pet.
Our book, ABUELA’S SUPER CAPA, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri, is about grandma getting sick and not being able to play with her grandson as she did before. We used pets to add humor. The dog and the cat were called and illustrated as cupcake criminales. That added moments of levity where children can laugh even when talking about such a serious issue. Elisa Chavarri’s illustrations also added a lot of humor, in a very sensitive way.
I wrote a book that is coming out in 2024 through HarperCollins - illustrated by Nomar Perez - ROOM IN MAMI’S CORAZON, which is about a mami dating, but the story is all about the girl’s resistance to this new guy who wants to steal Mami’s heart. The story is full of humor and heart.
Here is a peek at a scene:
Pedro tries to sit on our couch.
Can’t he see there’s not enough space for all of us? [takes out space - toys, stretching, etc]
“I got these from the library,” he says while he picks up a book.[Pedro sits on the floor]
It’s probably a baby book. But I have to be polite, so I listen.
Pedro reads with funny voices and makes silly faces.
Mami laughs louder than normal.
I kind of laugh too.
5. Use art not words to do the emotional heavy lifting.
Art can say more than words and it can also soften heavy moments. In one of my favorite books ever, I Wish You Knew by Jackie Azúa Kramer (Author), Magdalena Mora (Illustrator), there is a scene where Papi says he is being deported, it’s very lyrical and sparse, but through the illustrations, we can feel all of their feelings. So beautiful. Goosebumps! Again!
Returning again to ABUELA’S SUPER CAPA, Elisa Chavarri uses a full spread to artfully depict the depth of his emotions. And even though we can feel all his feelings, it’s less heavy than words. Goosebumps! Again.
It reads - Rest? When will I have my sidekick back?
6. Make sure it’s kid-friendly
And the most important of all, find the children’s window. As Rob Sanders shared once, make sure you find a kid-friendly way to reach all the children. I love his example, when writing Two Grooms on a Cake: The Story of America's First Gay Wedding by Rob Sanders (Author), Robbie Cathro (Illustrator), he had to find what would make children interested in reading about a wedding book. So he thought about what children love about weddings: cake! And so the cake figures told us the story in a more fun and kid-friendly way.
In summary, when writing about tough topics, try to find a way to get to children’s hearts by being authentic, being subtle, using humor (when possible), using animals as characters, and avoiding being too heavy. Let the art be the best friend of your manuscript. And then read, read and read many master books to transform your personal story into a universal one.
Ana Siqueira is a Spanish-language elementary teacher and an award-winning children's book author based in Tampa, Florida. Before Bella's Recipe for Success and If Your Babysitter is a Bruja,and Abuela’s Super Capa/ La Supercapa de Abuela (HarperCollins 2023) she published children's books in Portuguese in Brazil and in Spanish for the foreign language educational markets. Some upcoming books are BOITATA: THE FIRE SNAKE (Capstone 2023), OUR WORLD BRAZIL (Barefoot 2023), ROOM IN MAMI’S CORAZON (HarperCollins 2024), and others.
Ana is also a global educator and a PBS Media innovator.
Website: anafiction.com
Twitter: @SraSiqueira1307
As a prize, Ana is giving away a signed copy of one of her books, or a picture book critique.
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