Déjà Vu All Over Again
Nov 9th, 2009 by MPC Press
Repetition. I have received plenty of advice while trying to put together and publish my books. Perhaps the best advice with my children’s books has been to use repetition. Perhaps the best advice with my children’s books has been to use repetition. Perhaps the best advice with my children’s books has been to use repetition. We’ve all seen it in Good Night Moon, Where the Wild Things Are and most of the classic children’s books and there is a reason for it: Children (and adults) remember what is repeated to them. With Lawrence the Laughing Cookie Jar, I have been told by numerous parents that they have been driven to drink after even just one reading per night, as “Hah Hah! Hee Hee! Har Har!” never stops echoing in their heads. Fortunately, this line, which is repeated throughout the book, sticks in the minds of children as well as parents. It is silly but apparently enjoyable for children despite being nauseous to some adults. Our latest title, Rhyme, is kinder and gentler in terms of a recurring slogan or theme. “Dirt doesn’t hurt” is repeated throughout the story, representing Rhyme’s (the protagonist) message to the people of his town, Muck. And, this line actually is very meaningful within the story and the real world, as readers will hopefully learn (please see for yourself). With both of these books, the recurring phrase has become the most memorable line of the book and is no doubt responsible for a significant amount of book sales.
