Metafiction is a fancy-sounding word for something very simple. This is a literary technique where an author directly references a work of fiction in a book or story. Sometimes this is also called breaking the fourth wall. Honestly, I think metafiction actually works much better in children’s books than it does in adult books. Picture books, in particular, are often a collaborative reading experience with older readers and younger audiences. To me, the point of a picture book is not to completely immerse yourself in the story and get lost.
And while metafiction in adult books can sometimes seem disturbing and strange, I think when used in picture books it actually adds humor and meaning to the story. Something beautiful happens when metafiction is used to help celebrate the love of reading. And it can also be extremely funny when the author uses metafiction to help readers feel like they are in on a secret joke.
There are some famous and very popular examples of metafiction in children’s books.
the monster at the end of the book Written by John Stone, published in 1971, it’s still delightfully funny fifty years later. picture book By BJ Novak and Press here Hervé Tulipet also comes to mind. But digging a little deeper, you’ll find plenty of metafiction picture books to entertain the little ones in your life. From a girl turning pages to escape a rainy day to an anxious crocodile fighting with his narrator, I hope you enjoy these five meta stories!
once upon a book By Grace Lynn and Kate Messner
A little girl named Alice loves to imagine herself inside her favorite stories. One rainy day, Alice is bored, and a character from one of her favorite books invites her to a warm and sunny environment. When she wants to visit a new land, all she has to do is turn the page. In the end, she decides to return to the place she loves most. This book uses both illustrations and text to break the fourth wall and celebrate the magic of reading at the same time.
here is a book By Elisha Cooper
Here’s another story that honors the importance of books and the many people involved in creating them. This picture book uses gentle illustrations and poetic language to describe various elements of the book-making process, from the author writing the story to the printer creating the page layout. Ultimately, the book celebrates the reader. Because without readers there would be no books!
the kids are absolutely fine
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If you laugh, I’m starting this book again by Chris Harris, illustrated by Serge Bloch
Is there anything that makes a child laugh faster than saying no? The book references itself while creating increasingly crazy and hilarious stories, while also reminding the reader of one big rule of the book: Do. No. Laugh. It’s guaranteed to be a knee-slapping treat for young and adult readers alike!
the bear that wasn’t there By Leuyen Pham
The book says it’s about a bear. But what happens when the bear is not visible? A determined duck is certainly ready to take the bear’s place. He thinks there are too many stories about bears anyway. But there is a rumor that the bear will appear on page nine. Or maybe later. Some self-referential laughs cause the entire story to turn upside down when the main character of the story is nowhere to be found.
Snapsy the Alligator By Julie Falatko, illustrated by Tim Miller
Snapsy is a crocodile living a completely normal, maybe even boring, life. He did not ask to be included in the book. Especially not when the invisible narrator starts blabbering at him and trying to make him seem more exciting and dangerous while he’s trying to shop at the grocery store. This book uses metafiction for humor, but also provides a good example of bias and unreliable narration.
Enjoyed reading! And if the child wants more, don’t worry, there are plenty of metafictional children’s books to explore.
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