[marla-lesage Posts: 383 Status: Offline Write. Illustrate. Revise.]

My kids are hooked on Choose Your Own Ending books. They are so fun to read together. Do you know of any books that would be similar to this for the picture crowd?

Do you think it would work in a picturebook? Why or why not? (Other than the 32-page rule - my debut traditionally published picturebook is 48 pages so I know there are exceptions!)

The only thing I could find that sounded like it might fit that genre is Spells by Emily Gravett.

I read they do well as story book apps.

[Melody Posts: 498 Status: Offline WWW]

I have not seen anything like this for anything shorter than a novel. Maybe someone else has. It would definitely add to the page count, so that would be an issue for a publisher to consider.

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 7,000 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

I don't think it would work that well. Picture book readers are just learning the elements of story. They're learning to go left to right and top to bottom and turn pages. Choose-your-own-adventure books require more sophisticated thinking. A young child trying to read straight through would get confused. At best, this might work as a novelty book: perhaps a lift the flap with choices of which flap. But either choice would have to work with the next page in the story. After all, picture books don't often have page numbers.

[karen-b-jones Posts: 279 Status: Offline Will draw for money! WWW]

You might contact Chooseco (the company that currently publishes Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books).  I read that they have added shorter-format, color illustration versions for younger readers (Dragonlarks) and longer format ones for older readers (The Golden Path).  It sounded like they were trying to expand their market. 

If you're an artist, they are accepting submissions.  However, they are not currently accepting manuscript submissions.  https://www.cyoa.com/pages/artwork-submissions

Good luck!

[marla-lesage Posts: 383 Status: Offline Write. Illustrate. Revise.]

A young child trying to read straight through would get confused... ...would have to work with the next page in the story.

Good point Debbie! I think you could argue that most young readers would be read to though. Unless they are doing a picture walk...
 I have a story that would work (whether or not it's sellable is a worry for another day) - I mapped out the plot the other night & will do some beta tests. My daughter is pumped but she's already familiar with the novels (which I have to read out loud so she can choose!).  I'm lucky that I have access to plenty of young readers & non-readers. If nothing else it can be a fun family project & writerly exercise! (& a fun use for some of the umpteen versions of my story that have been scrapped. Interestingly I think they work better when paired up together than individually.)

Thank you Karen-b-jones for the tip!

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 7,000 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

Good luck.

[anastasia-suen Posts: 14 Status: Offline]

Do you know of any books that would be similar to this for the picture crowd?

Check the Amicus picture book series: Making Good Choices. It is a "choose-your-own-ending" picture book series with 6 titles: https://www.amicuspublishing.us/books/amicus-illustrated/making-good-choices 

[Starfish Posts: 61 Status: Offline]

I haven’t read them yet but you might want to look at the “What Should Danny Do?” books by Ganit and Adir Levy

[Vijaya Posts: 7,164 Status: Offline Encourage WWW]

Marla, it's funny but I'm working on a story for adults that has choices and universe splits and having a blast with it. My kids loved the choose-your-adventure books too when they were around age 8 or so and apparently they are doing this with movies; my daughter is 17 now and watched an episode(s) of Black Mirror where you can click on the choices, but she said it wasn't well done.Execution is everything. I'll bet if it were some sort of a novelty (like only half a page turning, it might be really fun). Of course, the simpler, go to page 5 works as well.

And Anastasia's in the house!!! Squeee!!!

[Starfish Posts: 61 Status: Offline]

Hi Anastasia! From a former student who loved your PB class! 

[anastasia-suen Posts: 14 Status: Offline]

Marla, it's funny but I'm working on a story for adults that has choices and universe splits and having a blast with it.
And Anastasia's in the house!!! Squeee!!!

Yes, books with choices are SO fun to write! 
(And I'm so happy to be back on the Blueboards with you, Vijaya!)  

[anastasia-suen Posts: 14 Status: Offline]

 

Hi Anastasia! From a former student who loved your PB class! 

I'm so happy to see you here, Anita!

[marla-lesage Posts: 383 Status: Offline Write. Illustrate. Revise.]

I assume the What Would Danny Do? books are essentially self-pubished ( I can't find any info on the publisher and they only seem to do this particular series)...
The Amicus ones look interesting. Although both series seemed somewhat didactic.

What I like about this format is that the child can explore the reactions a character might have and at the consequences of those reactions. Which is exactly what my story is about. I don't think my story is didactic but the underlying lesson is definitely learning to get along. While I let the character react on wisely, the possible endings are all positive and negative reactions are recognized and corrected by the character.

[marie-dentan Posts: 102 Status: Offline chocolate fan]

Maybe the difficulty in "choose your endin" PBs, is that a kid loves a PB because he knows the ending, if that makes sense. He/ she wants to read over and over again the same book, because he knows how it ends. Maybe for an older audience, like kids that just started to read but still do enjoy picture books being read to them, like 6 years old, that could be fun.
Have you considered a book with flaps, so the kids could decide to turn the flap or not?

[carrots Posts: 551 Status: Offline]

Have you considered a book with flaps, so the kids could decide to turn the flap or not?

Oooooh!! That's so clever, Marie!!!

[marla-lesage Posts: 383 Status: Offline Write. Illustrate. Revise.]

That's a great idea! I don't think it would work for this story though. An app would though.

[aidan-cassie Posts: 3 Status: Offline Author-Illustrator WWW]

In case you're still looking, I just wanted to point you in the direction of  the "MEANWHILE: Pick Any Path" book by Jason Shiga - a very cleverly designed choose your own ending picture book in a comic/graphic novel style. Kids can read it with parents, or for those reading themselves, it is great fun to explore alone (ideal age likely 8-11).