How to Choose a Picture Book for a Child You Don’t Know Very Well
Picture books can make wonderful presents. They are easy to wrap, can be enjoyed immediately and may become part of a child’s bedtime routine for years.
Choosing one is simple when you know that the child adores dinosaurs, dogs or anything involving a tractor. It becomes rather more difficult when the intended recipient is the child of a distant relative, a new neighbour or someone you last saw when they were still sleeping through most social occasions.
Should you choose something funny, educational or beautifully illustrated? Is the child too old for a picture book—or not yet old enough for the one you have found?
You do not need an encyclopaedic knowledge of the child to choose a story they will enjoy. A few practical considerations can greatly improve your chances.
Begin With the Child’s Age—but Don’t Treat It as a Rule
The suggested age range is a useful starting point, but children of the same age can have very different interests and reading abilities.
A younger child may enjoy studying the pictures while an adult reads the story aloud. An older child might read the words independently or share the story with a younger sibling.
Picture books are not only for children who cannot yet read. The combination of words and illustrations can make a story enjoyable for a much wider age range, particularly when it contains humour, mystery or details that children can discover for themselves.
If you are uncertain, choose a story that can be enjoyed in more than one way: read aloud by an adult, explored through the pictures or attempted by the child independently.
Look for a Familiar Point of Interest
You may not know the child’s favourite subject, but you might know one small thing about them.
Do they have a dog? Have they recently started school? Do they enjoy sport, music, space or solving mysteries? Even a loose connection can make the book feel personally chosen.
Animal characters are often a good option when you know very little about a child. They are immediately appealing, do not limit the story to one particular type of family, and can experience adventures that range from the reassuringly familiar to the wonderfully impossible.
A curious dog can attend a cricket match, investigate a mystery or venture into space without anyone feeling obliged to question the practical arrangements.
Choose a Story, Not Just a Lesson
Adults understandably like books that help children learn. However, the educational value of a story does not need to arrive wearing a large badge marked "CONTAINS AN IMPORTANT MORAL MESSAGE." Even children sometimes deserve a break from stories in which they are expected to befriend every worm, butterfly and slightly dopey llama they encounter, before learning an improving lesson about kindness, teamwork or believing in themselves. Sometimes they simply want something funny or exciting to happen
Children learn through enjoying stories. They encounter new words, follow a sequence of events, predict what might happen and consider how the characters feel. A funny or exciting story can support language, imagination and empathy without reading like homework in disguise.
When choosing a gift, ask yourself whether the story sounds enjoyable. Would the child want to know what happens next? Are there moments that might make them laugh? Is there a character they may want to meet again?
A book that is willingly read more than once has already achieved something valuable.
Remember the Person Who Will Be Reading It Aloud
For younger children, the recipient of a picture book is not always its only reader. A parent, grandparent or older sibling may be asked to read it aloud—possibly many, many times.
Look for a story with a comfortable length, clear language and enough interest to make repeated readings enjoyable for the adult as well as the child.
Illustrations also matter. Attractive, detailed pictures give the child something to explore while the story is being read and often provide opportunities for conversation afterwards.
If the grown-up reaches the final page without feeling that they have completed an endurance event, so much the better.
A Series Can Be a Particularly Good Choice
Choosing a story from a series gives the present somewhere to go next.
If the child enjoys the first book, parents and relatives immediately have ideas for future birthdays, holidays or quiet afternoons. The child can return to a character they already recognise while discovering a completely new adventure.
The Kiwi the Cockerpoo series follows the same curious little black dog through mysteries, family outings and unexpected adventures. Children can begin with any of the stories, so there is no need to know which one comes first or purchase an entire collection. You can simply choose the adventure that seems most likely to appeal.
Consider How the Family Reads
A printed picture book is lovely to unwrap, but it is not the only option.
Some families already use phones, tablets or Kindle devices for reading. A downloadable picture book can be opened straight away, carried without adding anything to the toy cupboard and kept available for journeys, waiting rooms or bedtime away from home.
This can also make a digital story a useful small present when you do not know the child well enough to choose a larger or more expensive gift.
Before buying a Kindle book, it is sensible to check whether the family uses Kindle or has a suitable device. Kindle books can be read using the free Kindle app on compatible phones and tablets, so owning a separate Kindle reader is not always necessary. Amazon also allows individual Kindle books to be purchased for another person in the UK using the Buy for others option. The recipient receives an email and redeems the book through their own Amazon account.
What About an Amazon Voucher?
An Amazon voucher is undoubtedly the safest option when you know almost nothing about the child.
It allows the family to choose a printed book, Kindle book or something entirely different. It is practical and avoids accidentally buying a title they already own.
The drawback is that a voucher can feel less personal. One way around this is to include a short suggestion with it:
I thought you might enjoy choosing a new story. I spotted the Kiwi the Cockerpoo adventures and thought they looked fun, but please choose whichever book you would like.
This retains the freedom of a voucher while showing that you have given the present some thought.
For a child old enough to make a choice, selecting the book can become part of the gift. Looking through the covers and descriptions together may help them feel excited about reading their eventual selection.
When in Doubt, Choose Enjoyment
You do not need to find the one perfect book that will transform the child’s entire literary future before teatime.
Choose something appropriate for their approximate age, with an inviting character, an entertaining story and illustrations that encourage them to linger over. Consider whether it will work for the adults reading alongside them and whether the format suits the family.
Most importantly, choose a book that makes reading feel like pleasure rather than an obligation.
A story chosen with a little thought—even for a child you hardly know—can still become the one they ask to hear again.
Comments