Lessons for Writers from "Llama Llama Red Pajama" by Author and Illustrator Anna Dewdney

Baby Llama starts feeling lonely after getting tucked in for bed. He calls for his mother, but she takes too long to come! He gets all worked up before Mama Llama makes it back upstairs to reassure him. 

It is clear why Anna Dewdney’s sweet, homey Llama Llama series is so well-loved. This story, and the others in the series, center on relatable scenarios–like a tantrum at bedtime, learning to share, or feeling grumpy in the grocery store. The art is colorful and loaded with emotion; the llamas’ faces are incredibly expressive! And, Dewdney’s rhythm and pacing are second to none. Let’s consider the major craft elements that make Llama Llama Red Pajama sing: 

1. Repetition fuels the rhymes and gives the book that “read it again!” quality. The opening lines demonstrate the musical, easy-going rhythm and rhyme in the book. “Llama llama red pajama reads a story with his mama.” Throughout the story, internal rhymes pair with rhyming couplets so that the text rolls off the tongue with an addictive quality. Repetition of particular phrases, most notably “llama llama red pajama,” give the story a sing-songy feel. Repetition makes little ones feel invited to join in, and is comforting for young children who enjoy knowing what’s coming. 

2. The pace and structure pair well with the narrative beats of the story. Like any great story, Llama Llama establishes a pattern and expectations before breaking them. Baby Llama feels lonely and thirsty. He cries out, and Mama responds that she’ll be up in a minute. All this time, the text is following an established pattern, in rhyming couplets of about eight syllables per phrase and one couplet per page. When the tension builds to a breaking point, the pattern changes–two couplets per page and some big, bold formatting on the letters. Then, a spread with no words at all! The pace and structure of the story reflect the narrative beats. The sound of the story and the plot of the story reach a crescendo at the same time, providing a satisfying and consistent reading experience, especially for young children who are hearing the story read aloud. The tale comes to a soothing conclusion as the pattern of the text resumes its original, expected, cadence.

3. The story is comforting, and reinforces what children already know.  This is a story about bedtime, a routine that children know. It is also about the loneliness or fear that can strike for children after their caregiver leaves them in the dark to sleep. The story concludes with Mama Llama’s reassurances that she’s “always near, even if she’s not right here.” This reinforces habits and routines that are familiar to children, and echoes the message that young readers hear from their own caregivers.
   

What lessons can aspiring picture book writers take from Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama Red Pajama?

• Young children love repetition–it helps them learn, makes them feel smart, and comforts them. Repetition can come in many forms–your story might repeat sounds or phrases. It might have a repetitive structure (think Goldilocks). Or, it might reinforce routines that kids see daily in their own lives, so that the repetition extends beyond the page. Consider which form of repetition works best for your story. 

• Form follows function. The words, text layout, formatting, and rhythm of your picture book should match the events happening in the story. Once your book is in layout, consider each page, asking yourself: what emotion or plot event is described on this page? How does the text reflect or enhance this beat in the narrative? 

• Rhyme doesn’t only happen at the ends of lines. Internal rhyme ups the playfulness and the musicality in Llama Llama Red Pajama–can it do the same in your story? 

Llama Llama Red Pajama, written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney, was published by Viking Books in 2015.