Back matter in a children’s picture book refers to the additional content or supplementary information after the main story has concluded. Not every book includes back matter, but since I enjoy learning more about the author’s inspiration or the topic explored in the story, I decided to include a couple of pages of back matter at the end of my book.
This section can serve various purposes, such as providing educational content, extending the story, or offering resources for parents and educators. Back matter in a children’s picture book might include:
- Author’s Note: Information about the inspiration behind the story or the author’s connection to the topic.
- Glossary: Definitions of terms that might be unfamiliar to young readers.
- Further Reading: Recommendations for other books or resources related to the book’s theme.
- Activity Pages: Fun activities, such as puzzles, games, drawing prompts, or questions that encourage kids to think more about the story.
- Fun Facts: Interesting trivia or factual information relevant to the story.
- Discussion Questions: Prompts for parents or educators to engage children in conversations about the book.
- Biographical Information: Details about the author and illustrator, often accompanied by photographs.
I read my story multiple times to decide what to add as back matter. Charlie and Sophie’s Great Escape is a story about two curious puppies excited about exploring the scents and sounds of the woods near their new home. They have a scary encounter with a goose guarding her eggs. They get lost and must escape to find their way back to safety.
At first, I decided to explore the topic of predator and prey and developed a game that kids could play to learn more about this kind of relationship in the wild. However, a thread running throughout the story is Charlie and Sophie using their senses to explore their world. I thought young children would relate more to learning about the five senses and how, even though dogs and humans have the same senses, we use them differently to navigate our daily lives.
The last two pages of my book discuss the five senses we share with our dogs. I include photos of Charlie and Sophie to illustrate the points. My book is based on an actual encounter, so the photographs make the story more real for the reader. This topic will also be fun to explore through kids’ activities after a book reading!
Back matter is a valuable tool for enhancing the learning experience and making a book more interactive for children and adults. I hope you agree when you read Charlie and Sophie’s Great Escape!
Here are some examples of back matter from recent books that are very interesting and engaging:
