I decided in order to begin this project, I had to look at other children’s books before I start. I felt I had to do this for various reasons:

1. To start some competitor analysis
2. To see what language the authors use
3. To try and find a target age group I want to write for
4. To get an idea of the illustration that authors use in children’s books
5. Knowledge on the length of a kids book
6. Inspiration on plot ideas/characters

Why the library? 

Why did I go into my local library instead of just researching children’s books online? I did this because I wanted to see what is out there in my local area, I wanted to see what the kids where I am from are reading and what they have access to. I also wanted to collect books first had, I wanted to flick through the books myself and see them in person. I felt this was a very helpful idea and one that has paid off in my research and development.

So I set out to my local library to see what I could find. I found a range of books in the children’s  section. I tried to find a few different books that varied in plot. The image below are the books I took home to read. ( I will be doing singular book reviews on each one)

What did I discover?

• The books I found used very simple language
• The books were for a younger age group 6 and below I think
• They had amusing and intriguing characters that children would be drawn to and remember
• The length of each book was very short
• They all rhymed (rhyming couplets)
• They were all bright and highly illustrated

What surprised me?

• The most surprising part of this research for me was that the books all rhymed I tried to select different books but I was surprised to see they all rhymed. I am unsure if I want to make my book rhyme but then again this is a good method if I was to write for a younger group of kids that are in primary school for example.
• Another element that surprised me was how short they were, I was planning to write a relatively long story but seeing the range of books I read I was shocked to see how little text was actually in them. This told me that they were for very young kids.

Why was this research helpful? 

1. This research helped my get a chance to review local books that are in my area
2. This research let me see what books are popular right now in my hometown
3. This research helped me understand how long childrens books normally are
4. I know understand what language I should be using
5. It was great to see the library itself and what they have to offer in regards to children’s books or novels
6. I got to try and find superhero books for inspiration but I could not find any, although this is still good research to note