CAPTURING NATURE'S MAGIC ON THE PAGE

by Lisa Varchol Perron

 

Like many authors of nonfiction STEM, I love spending time outdoors and hope my writing reflects my appreciation of our natural world. But how can the written word transport readers and elicit emotion about a place they may not have encountered? Below are a handful of strategies I find helpful when trying to capture nature’s magic on the page.

1)  Be Specific

 

I’m a big believer in the adage that specificity leads to universality. When I’m writing a poem or story and want to tap into a big emotion, I’ll often pause and go out for a hike. Then I’ll journal about the details—from the soapy-sweet scent in the air to the velvet underbelly of a leaf. I rarely use actual passages from my journaling, but the process connects me to specific moments when I felt awestruck by nature. Pouring that into a story can pave the way for readers to remember a time or place when they felt a similar emotion. Lately I’ve been thinking of these as “Whale Fall moments.” I’ve never ventured to the darkest depths of the ocean, but when I first read Melissa Stewart’s vivid descriptions of a whale sustaining millions of other species for decades after its death, I experienced something strangely familiar. I was reminded of how I felt when I visited Sequoia National Park and the Scottish Highlands. The specificity of writing provoked a universal emotion: reverence.

 

Caption: Author’s personal photo, Glen Coe

 

2)  Try layered text

 

When writing nonfiction, it can be challenging to adequately explain a concept without potentially sacrificing the sense of wonder and joy. Using text boxes or sidebars to provide more detailed information allows the main text to remain spare and poetic. A book structured in this way is referred to as having layered text, which also makes the book appealing to a variety of ages and reading levels, since the additional text layers are often written at a more advanced level. In my books Patterns Everywhere (photo-illustrated), Tell Me About Space, and Tell Me About Oceans (both illustrated by Jennifer Falkner), the main text rhymes and the side bars offer more information in prose.

 

Tell Me About Oceans, Little Simon/S&S 2024

 

  

  3)  Invite the reader into the story

If I’m feeling stuck on a manuscript, I’ll try it from a different perspective to see if it feels more engaging. In the forthcoming Wonder Why (illustrated by Nik Henderson), I use first person as a child asks questions, then the natural elements answer. The kid’s POV can encourage readers to consider what sparks wonder for them, and the personification of the sky, wind, clouds, etc. highlights the magic of nature and our ongoing relationship with it. 

Patterns Everywhere is written in third person, but it’s bookended by second person: the first spread invites the reader outdoors, and then the last spread encourages further exploration and discovery.

 

Patterns Everywhere, Lerner/Millbrook 2023

 

  4)  Trust the Art       

     Picture books are a collaborative medium. The text does some of the work in eliciting emotion, but the illustrations literally paint a picture. Sometimes we might be tempted to over-describe a scene with flowery language because we’re enamored with a setting or fascinated by a concept. One way to limit this is by checking for an abundance of adjectives and adverbs. I don’t believe in strict rules suggesting that entire parts of speech should be avoided, but if a section of text is feeling overly wordy, I’ll go through and pare down descriptors, trusting that the artwork will do much of the heavy lifting.

I’m excited for readers to see how Nik Henderson’s use of texture and color create a wonder-filled, immersive experience in our book Wonder Why (coming April 2025). Here’s a sneak peek:

 

Wonder Why, Harper Kids 2025

 

  5)  Ask Yourself: How do I want a reader to FEEL?

When composing music, we can use minor or major chords, volume or key changes, bridges, syncopation, and more to convey emotion. While poems and picture books don’t have a melody, they do have a deliberate cadence, which is emphasized when read aloud. This is most obvious with metered rhyme, but it applies to non-rhyming books and poetry, too.

The sound of words can also influence how we feel when we read them. In the following spread from All the Rocks We Love (co-authored with my husband Taylor Perron and illustrated by David Scheirer), we use several long vowel sounds (scared, squeeze, cool, smooth, me, feel, prepared) to encourage the reader to feel the same sense of comfort as the child speaker.

 All the Rocks We Love, Rise x Penguin Workshop 2024

I hope some of these ideas are helpful as you’re writing and revising. But ultimately, we turn a book over to readers, who bring their own interpretations and experiences—and that’s the most magical part of all.

 

 

About the Author:

Lisa Varchol Perron is the author of several nonfiction and fiction books for kids. Her books have appeared on state lists and been selected as a JLG Gold Standard, NSTA Outstanding Science Trade book, Golden Kite Award finalist, and Best Science Book for Kids (NPR's Science Friday). She lives outside of Boston with her husband and two children. To learn more about Lisa's books and poetry, please visit her website: https://lisaperronbooks.com/