MOWMT 4: Character Challenges with Beth Anderson

By Beth Anderson

While fiction books may portray emotions as monsters or other types of characters, nonfiction seems to present a different kind of challenge when you’re working with complex concepts for children. Of course, much falls to the illustrator, but the author sets the tone and must make core concepts clear before handing it over to an artist. A great way to work with mentor texts for these kinds of books is to type up the text so you’re able to analyze how the author dealt with complex ideas before illustrations were added.

As I worked on THE PATRIOTS AND THE POX: GEORGE WASHINGTON’S BATTLE TO SAVE THE CONTINENTAL ARMY (9/29/26), I knew smallpox was the antagonist—an invisible killer that is, indeed, terrifying. But how could I make a virus, contagion, and immunity clear to young readers? All three concepts were vital to the story. I’ll share my approach after we look at some mentor texts for complex topics and  “characters.”

EVIDENCE! HOW DR. JOHN SNOW SOLVED THE MYSTERY OF CHOLERA by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Nik Henderson

As a medical “detective” investigates an outbreak to determine where cholera comes from, the evidence gathering process shares effects of the disease. Dr. John Snow sets out to prove the cause is something “invisible”—the only word used in the text for the cause. Bacterium is only used in the back matter. A great story which didn’t need to explain bacterium as the story structure that started with effects, ends with the cause. Illustrations focus on gathering evidence.

JUNE ALMEIDA, VIRUS DETECTIVE: THE WOMAN WHO DISCOVERED THE FIRST HUMAN CORONAVIRUS by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli

Another book dealing with disease, this biography straight up uses science terms, only providing the phrase “the tiny particles that make people sick” to aid the reader’s understanding. “Antibodies” is introduced with a simile, “like tiny soldiers.” The word immunity is never used, but the concept is referenced with “the antibodies remained to protect against future attacks.” In addition to these explanatory phrases, the concepts also appear in the illustrations.

BAM TO BURP! A CARBON ATOM’S NEVER-ENDING JOURNEY THROUGH SPACE AND TIME AND YOU by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns

The main character is a carbon atom, virtually invisible. Stewart uses the word particle in introducing it, and throughout the text uses purely scientific terms like “molecule.” This straight science is made comprehensible through sharing process with concrete examples of where the atom travels, what it’s in, and how it changes through time. The illustrator uses diagrams to explain various concepts and a small, simple “character” as the carbon atom.

THE SECRET CODE INSIDE YOU: ALL ABOUT YOUR DNA by Rajani LaRocca, MD, illustrated by Steven Salerno

LaRocca introduces DNA, a complex concept and structure, by starting with WHY questions about why you are the way you are. Hooked! Then she uses a metaphor—DNA as “instructions,” something familiar to kids, then as “secret code,” which is pretty irresistible. The description of DNA uses familiar and fun comparisons with “twisted ladders, twirling noodles. It makes us into people, instead of poodles.” Diagrams of various sorts add to comprehensibility and engagement.

THE STUFF OF STARS by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

This book blew me away the first time I read it! It’s lyrical and full of wonder. Bauer begins by subtracting knowns from a child’s world, emphasizing what’s NOT there, to take us back to the big bang. And then brings back those specifics previously taken away. The text is filled with powerful and evocative verbs that share process, sequence, and cause and effect. Readers feel a magical connection to all that came before. Illustrations enhance wonder and invite readers to imagine.

I AM GRAVITY by Henry Herz, illustrated by Mercè López     

Herz narrates using first person as the voice of gravity, an invisible force. “You feel me, but you cannot see me. I reach everywhere, touching everything…” Verbs such as gather, squeeze, pack, and pinch are the stars of this narration, showing the power and actions of this force. Cause and effect relationships in our daily lives engage readers as examples that connect us and also expand learning. Illustrations show this force by using whispy orange lines.

So… What did I do with the tough concepts in THE PATRIOTS AND THE POX? I introduced smallpox by comparing and contrasting it to the other enemy George Washington faced: the British.

It didn’t wear red coats or carry muskets.

Didn’t march with drums and fifes.

Stealthy…silent…unseen…

It invaded bodies.

Multiplied and strengthened.

Pain. Fever. Nausea.

A rash bubbled and oozed.

Itching. Burning. Stinging.

Smallpox!

All that nastiness was the easy part. How could I communicate immunity, contagion, and inoculation?  I needed more than definitions— readers needed risks and stakes. For these I used a variety—making it personal, verbs, metaphor, and simile. Once immunity and contagion were clear in the first half, the process of inoculation later became easier.  Illustrator Ashley Yazdani did an amazing job portraying these tough concepts, springboarding off the “miasma” theory about disease from that time. Here’s a sneak peek at a spread that superbly enhances understanding of these challenging concepts. [THE PATRIOTS AND THE POX,  9/29/26, is now available for preorder - click the links to buy the books.]

 Text ©Beth Anderson, art ©Ashley Yazdani, 2026

I hope these mentor texts and examples help as you tackle unsee-able, complex, and mind-blowing characters and ideas!

PRIZE! 30 minute virtual AMA with Beth.

BIO: Beth Anderson is the award-winning author of more than ten picture books, including HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT, THOMAS JEFFERSON’S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE, and LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT. A former educator, she strives for accidental learning in the midst of a great story and hopes to inspire kids to laugh, ponder, and question. Born and raised in Illinois, Beth now lives in Colorado. Visit https://bethandersonwriter.com .

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