A simple storytelling framework for 32-page manuscripts
If you’ve ever taken a screenwriting class, you’ve heard about the 3-act structure. Beginning. Middle. End. Sounds almost too simple, right? But here’s the thing: even in the cozy confines of a 32-page picture book, this classic storytelling arc isn’t just alive and well—it’s thriving. (That cozy confine is why some people think writing a picture book should be easy, when actually, the opposite is true. After all, if you only have say, 500 words, they’d better be the exact right words!)
Many writers mistakenly think picture books are too short, too whimsical, too whatever to use the bones of traditional story structure. But the truth? Those 500-ish words, paired with page turns and art, are doing heavy lifting. Beneath the giggles and heart tugs, you’ll often find the same structure you’d see in a novel, a film, or a play.
So let’s crack open the picture book frame and see how the 3-act structure works its magic for our littlest readers.
Act One: The Setup (a.k.a. The “Oh No!” Moment)
Every strong story starts by introducing a character, a setting, and—most importantly—a problem. For picture books, Act One often happens in the first 6–8 pages. The opening establishes the main character’s world, gives us a sense of what they want, and hints at what’s standing in the way.
Take The Creature of Habit on the Move by Jennifer E. Smith, illustrated by Leo Espinosa (2022). In just a handful of pages, we meet the Big Creature, who thrives on routine, and the Little Creature, who craves adventure. Right away, the setup is clear: two friends with very different needs. That tension—the comfort of habit versus the thrill of change—is the central problem. Preschoolers get it instantly, because who hasn’t felt both? The setup is simple, but it sparks endless possibilities.
Key takeaway: Use Act 1 to ground your story in character and emotion. Don’t rush—if readers don’t care about your character here, they won’t care about what happens next.
Act Two: The Rising Action (aka “Everything Gets Worse!”)
Once the inciting incident lands, Act Two does the messy work. This is where tension builds, complications stack up, and the main character tries (and fails) to solve the problem. In a 32-page picture book, Act Two usually stretches across the bulk of the manuscript—say, 16–20 pages.
The World’s Best Class Plant by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao (2023), nails this middle act. The kids in Room 109 want a class pet, but instead, they get a plant. Cue the rising action: attempts to jazz it up, treat it like a pet, even compete with other classes’ animals. Each new idea only highlights the gap between what they wanted (a lively pet) and what they got (a green, silent plant). The middle act is playful, chaotic, and brimming with failed attempts—perfect picture book drama.
Act Two is where energy and pacing are crucial. Too flat, and readers lose interest. Too repetitive without variation, and it drags. The key is escalation: each beat raises the stakes just a little higher, nudging the main character (and the reader) toward the inevitable turning point.
Act Three: The Resolution (aka “Aha!” and “Ahhh…”)
Finally, Act Three swoops in to deliver the climax and resolution. Here’s where everything comes to a head, the main character faces their biggest challenge, and the story resolves in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable.
Look at Too Many Pigs and One Big Bad Wolf by Davide Cali, illustrated by Marianna Balducci (2022). This playful retelling stacks pigs and pigs and more pigs into the familiar wolf tale. The setup (pigs), the escalation (even more pigs, silliness, and chaos), and finally, the resolution—where the wolf has met his match, and the pigs’ cleverness reigns supreme. The ending ties back to the beginning, while also giving the reader that sigh of satisfaction…plus maybe a chuckle. No, not maybe. Definitely a chuckle.
For picture books, the resolution doesn’t have to mean “happily ever after,” but it does need to feel complete. The emotional arc should land, whether it’s triumph, understanding, connection, or laughter. And because picture books are read aloud, the last line matters—a lot. It’s the echo kids will carry with them as the covers close.
Why Structure Matters (Even in 500 Words)
“But wait,” you might be thinking, “isn’t creativity supposed to be free and wild?” Absolutely. But structure isn’t a cage—it’s scaffolding. It gives your story something to climb on. Kids don’t need to know the fancy name “3-act structure,” but they do feel its rhythm. They sense when a story has flow, when it has stakes, when it lands.
Think of structure like a trampoline: it gives your wildest leaps of imagination a safe, springy place to land.
Tips for Writers
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Map your acts. Break your 32 pages into three sections: Setup (about 6–8 pages), Rising Action (about 16–20 pages), and Resolution (about 6–8 pages).
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Raise the stakes. Make sure each attempt in the middle act makes things a little better…or a little worse. Either way, forward momentum is key.
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Write with page turns in mind. The act breaks often line up with dramatic or funny page-turn moments—use them! (I like to think of the page turn as set-up and punchline.)
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Nail the ending. Your last line should echo the emotional arc of your story, whether that’s belly laughs, quiet wonder, or triumphant joy.
The next time you sit down to draft a manuscript, don’t dismiss structure as “too big” for picture books. It’s already there, hiding beneath the whimsy and watercolor. Beginning, middle, end—it’s not just for novels and movies. It’s for every 32-page adventure waiting to be read aloud.
Because even the smallest stories deserve the strongest foundations.
