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Behind the scenes: researching for a nonfiction children's book

Hi there! I’m an illustrator and kids' non-fiction author named Anna Lena Feunekes! :) I’m excited to share a peek behind the curtain of my world as an author and illustrator. Research is such a crucial part of creating engaging non-fiction children’s books. It’s like digging for treasure! The stories I tell are built on accurate, fascinating details that help little readers connect with the world around them. I wanted to give a little peek into what that process is like and how to write children's books based on non-fiction.



Anna Lena Feunekes is showing the readers the ins and outs of how to write children's books in the nonfiction category.

Example of research

One of my recent adventures in research was for my book Tasty Tales, where I explore delightful facts and fables from food history. I love diving into the past, and I discovered some wonderful old cookbooks that are available in the public domain. It felt like stepping into a culinary time machine! I also sought out food history texts, some of which I purchased, and others I found amazing excerpts online. It’s all about finding those gems that can spark creativity - but even more so, it’s really important to gauge whether you have enough evidence to back up all parts of a book. Sometimes, adding in another point of view for comparison can make you see something in a completely different light. 



Anna Lena Feunekes shares insight in how to write a children's book from the experience of writing Tasty Tales


How I structure information - writing children's books

When it comes to organizing all this info, I’m a big fan of Google Docs and Sheets. They help me keep everything neat and tidy! I gather my sources from all over the place—archives, websites, and even Google Scholar for those scholarly bits. There’s something so thrilling about piecing together stories from different places! I tend to organize and tag sources digitally, but I also have tons of notes and scribbles that are way less organized. For each new project, I try to find new ways to structure my work and make it easy to find out where I had stashed that specific tidbit.


Anna Lena Feunekes is showing how to write children's books and how to structure research for children's nonfiction books

I do draw out connections a little bit like a CSI investigation board on the wall - I make mind maps and flowcharts a lot. Except not on the wall - I like visitors of my workspace to think I still have all my marbles. I do have a background of working as a designer and researcher for industrial design and software products, which comes in handy in my work as a nonfiction author as well, as I learned these methods there!


In my research, I use these methods to structure my writing as well as my references for my illustrations. I try to discover clothing, buildings and other details from the time period or place I'm trying to convey on paper.


A sketch of an illustration by Anna Lena Feunekes


Shaping the narrative and illustrations

Now, here’s where the magic happens! Once I’ve gathered my research, it really starts to shape the narrative and my illustrations. I dive into the historical context, asking questions like: What was life like back then? What did people wear? What kind of world did they inhabit? To capture that, I look at paintings, photos, and articles that give me a sense of the era. Then, I create a mood board on my computer or iPad filled with visuals that inspire me. From those sketches, I jump into my collage art techniques to bring everything to life!


Discover all the ins and outs on Patreon!

If you want to hear more about this process and see some example images from my research, I’m planning a special podcast episode on my Patreon! Join me there for a deeper dive into my creative journey.




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