MOWMT 8: Page Turn Power with Danna Smith

THE POWER OF THE PAGE TURN

By Danna Smith

There’s a subtle, yet incredibly powerful, moment in every children’s book that often goes unnoticed by adults but is keenly felt by young readers: the page turn. It’s more than just flipping a piece of paper; it’s a carefully orchestrated pause, a build-up of anticipation, and a reveal that can make or break the magic of a story.

As authors and illustrators, understanding the power of the page turn is essential. It allows us to control the story’s rhythm, amplify emotions, and create truly unforgettable reading experiences.

Why Strengthen Your Use of  Page Turns?

The page turn is a silent narrator that tells the child: “Wait for it... something is coming!” It serves three critical roles:

• Pacing: It forces a pause. It gives the reader time to absorb the text and the child time to soak in the art.

• Suspense: By ending a page on a cliffhanger (even a small one), you keep the reader’s hand reaching for the corner of the page.

• The Big Reveal: It acts as the “Ta-da!” moment. The reveal page is hidden until the turn, making it the perfect place for a visual punchline or a surprising discovery.

Four Page Turns to Try

I went ahead and gave each of these page-turning tricks a name of their own. My goal was to tidy up the list a bit so you can ehttps://a.co/d/fIiXuRbasily spot the ones that work best for you!

The Mid-Sentence: Hold that thought! There is a poetry term called “enjambment.” This technique of breaking a line in the middle of a sentence or thought leaves the reader “hanging” and forces them to continue to the following line to get the whole meaning. The Mid-Sentence page turn is much like this poetic technique.

Maurice Sendak used this page turn brilliantly in his book, Where the Wild Things Are. The second-to-the-last page reads like this: “and into the night of his very own room where he found his supper waiting for him (page turn) and it was still hot.”

And here’s an example from my book, Arctic White, beautifully illustrated by Lee White.

https://amzn.to/4aJ8KoY

 The Word-Splitter: For a playful or humorous effect, you can break a com-pound word in half. The first half looks like one thing, but the second half changes the meaning entirely.

My late friend and critique partner, Rick Walton, used this clever technique in his book Once There Was a Bull… (Frog). It uses suspenseful page turns to reveal compound nouns like showing a BULL [turn page] FROG or a DOG [turn page] HOUSE. It’s a fun, engaging device you can also see in action in The Compound Noun Treasure Hunt.

The Lingering Transition: Use bridge words like But, Until, And, or Suddenly, followed by an ellipsis (...). This acts as a cue for the reader to slow down and build anticipation before the big reveal.

In Finding Christmas, Lezlie Evans mimics the page-turn effect using the bridge word “but—” to create a transition across a single spread. This creates a thoughtful pause and a similar sense of anticipation without actually flipping the page. Way to shake things up, Lezlie!

The Visual Page Turn: Show just a hint of something on the right-hand page—like a wagging tail or a mysterious image so the reader can’t wait to flip the page and see the whole creature or picture. If you are not an illustrator, you can still accomplish this by using art notes within your manuscript or creating a “dummy” (a simple mockup of the book) to show your editor your vision.

Richard Byrne’s This Book Just Ate My Dog! is an excellent example of the “visual page turn.” When Bella’s dog vanishes into the book’s gutter, she frantically calls for help. Byrne states the problem, then uses a strategic page turn to build anticipation before revealing the “answer,” which, in this case, is nothing but the empty space where the dog once stood.

The next time you’re reading a children’s book, or drafting your own, pay attention to that split second when the page is mid-air. That’s where the wonder lives!

One lucky winner will take home a spring-themed book bundle and flower seeds, courtesy of Danna Smith!

Bio: Growing up on her family’s rural Utah property, Danna Smith shared her world with an extraordinary collection of animals. This untamed freedom allowed her imagination to flourish, leading her to create stories, poems, and inventive ideas. Her father, a falconer and dedicated animal expert, frequently brought bobcats, alligators, monkeys, hawks, and even vultures into their home, fostering Danna’s deep connection with the natural world. This early immersion in wildlife and wonder profoundly shaped her literary voice. She has written over twenty-five children’s books. She lives in Northern California with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

Visit her website at www.dannasmithbooks.com and her poetry blog at www.poetrypop.com.

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