I love children’s books that surprise and challenge readers. Books that make their readers think about the very act of reading with the art of metafiction may indeed may be my very favorite. The more you look, the more you will find great examples of metafictional writing in children’s books. A metafictional text is one that subverts traditional, straightforward storytelling.
What is Metafiction?
Metafiction is a form of self-reflective writing in which the narrative refers to the very act of writing. This is a very broad definition and metafiction can take many forms, as you will see with the books I’ve included on this list. While reading metafictional texts, the reader is constantly reminded that they are reading a book, a work of fiction. Some may refer to it as “breaking the fourth wall.”
Once you become familiar with the concept of metafiction you will notice how often children’s book authors employ the technique, especially in picture books! Indeed, I could have doubled or tripled the size of this list quite easily.
Below find both metafictional picture books, and at the end of the list, a few metafictional children’s novels. Enjoy!
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Metafiction in Picture Books
Don’t be fooled into thinking these picture books are only for young kids! Older kids and even adults will enjoy their narrative-subverting nature!
Here and Now
by Julia Denos
I adore this book. Reflecting upon the act of reading is a mindfulness exercise and this wonderful book encourages kids to be “in the moment.” On the first page we see several hands of different skin colors holding the page the reader is holding. “Right here, right now, you are reading this book.” The narrative continues, detailing the beauty of reflecting on the here and now. In the end note, the author explains how her meditation practice influenced the writing of the book.
Chapter Two is Missing
by Josh Lieb
7-year-olds will enjoy the metafictional narrative of this clever mystery. A young boy narrates the story and asks readers to assist in his search for chapter two. Fun wordplay, missing words, topsy-turvy punctuation and hilarious illustrations make this a great read aloud and no child will resist giving his input as to the nature and perpetrator of the crime!
The Book with No Pictures
by B.J. Novak
This book may be the most famous example of the use of metafiction in picture books. While listening to the self-conscious text, kids are reminded how books work ; how they make us feel and react; and how they are created. But most of all, this book is hilarious.
My Pen
by Christopher Myers
Myers’s stunning black and white illustrations demonstrate the magic of what a simple writing implement can do. The story starts with a boy commenting that while he may not have material riches, he has immense wealth in the tip of his pen. Marvelous!
Z is for Moose
by Kelly Bingham
Zebra, in his striped referee shirt (get it?????) is trying to keep the alphabet in order, but Moose is impatient and causing trouble! But that is nothing compared to his disappointment when he finds out Mouse is the one to represent M! A super zany take on the classic alphabet book which draws the reader to reflect on the physical borders of a book.
Black and White
by David Macaulay
Macaulay tells four stories at a time. Each pages is divided into quarters and the reader is challenged into determining if the stories are connected or not. The juxtaposition of 4 story lines is a bit esoteric for the younger set but presents a thought-provoking read for older kids.
There Are Cats in this Book
by Viviane Schwarz
If you have cats, you will adore this book and Schwarz’s follow up books, There are No Cats in this Book, and Is There a Dog in this Book? Three cats, Tiny, Moonpie and Andre roam through the pages in the book, getting distracted by yarn, hiding in cardboard boxes and getting deluged by a flood, after which, the cats implore the reader to try them off. Endless fun.
Chloe and the Lion
by Mac Barnett
In this hilarious tale the author and the illustrator talk to each other. The author points out that the illustrator has included the wrong elements in the story. The author tries to problem solve, enlist the help of other illustrators, but only the character in the story can actually set things right. The setting of the tale on a theater stage adds in another meta-layer.
The Pencil
by Allan Ahlberg
A pencil draws a boy, who then commands the pencil to draw more and more objects and people until a fully realized environment is created. However, things go awry when the pencil draws an eraser, which turns out to have a mind of its own. Note that Ahlberg has several other picture books with strong metafiction elements, most notably, his recent, My Worst Book Ever.
Wolves
by Emily Gravett
Most of Gravett’s books have a strong metafictional element, which automatically makes her one of my most favorite children’s picture book authors! In Wolves, Rabbit reads a book about wolves. But, lo and behold! Something furry is not confined to the pages of Rabbit’s book. And is it confined to the book YOU are reading? Only one way to find out!
The Three Pigs
by David Wiesner
Wiesner’s take on the classic nursery tale starts out normally. The three pigs busy themselves with making their respective houses but when the wolf starts huffing and puffing, he blows the pigs out of the story and into a whole new world altogether! Wiesner’s watercolors absolutely dazzle. He includes illustrations in a variety of recognizable styles. This is a book that younger kids will enjoy but in which, older kids will be able to spot many, many layers!
The Red Book
by Barbara Lehman
Many of Lehman’s wordless books are about journeys, and The Red Book is about how a book takes two children on a journey. A child picks up the book and begins reading. In the pages, she sees a boy picking up a red book on a beach. He sees in the girl in the pages. By the end of the story, the two children have come together and the book awaits another child to pick it up. Kids will love to try an puzzle out the sequence of events!
Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to be in this Book)
by Julie Falatko
This is a great example of how metafictional picture books encourage kids to be active reading partners. The narrator describes Snappsy’s daily business, while Snappsy objects every step of the way. My son thought the feud between narrator and character was quite hilarious and we were both amused by the revelation of the narrator’s identity. Great fun, and a good book for taking turns reading aloud. Parents can read the narrator role, kids can act out Snappy’s lines.
A Perfectly Messed-up Story
by Patrick McDonnell
This is such a fun read aloud! Louie is skipping through a bucolic illustration when all of a sudden a splat of jam falls onto the page. Louie wants to know who is messing up his story. No, not the story he is reading, the story he is in! The illustrations are so fun because the messy drips are realistic while Louie’s world remains traditionally illustrated. Hopefully, Louie’s world will get cleaned up!
Metafiction in Children’s Novels
These books are great for readers ages 8 and up!
The Great Good Thing
by Roderick Townley
Roderick Townley is one of my favorite lesser-known authors. Do characters seem real beyond the pages? Well, that’s because they are. In this metafictional tale, Sylvie decides that 80 years of living the same story over and over as the character in a book has gotten a bit dull. She decides to break the most important rule of all book character rules: she looks up at The Reader. Townley explores the wonder of books and how they merge with our imaginations and lives. I heartily recommend this for grown-ups, too.
Project Mulberry
by Linda Sue Park
Project Mulberry will appeal to middle grade readers who enjoy contemporary, realistic fiction. Julie and her friend Patrick are raising silkworms as part of an animal husbandry project. But in between the chapters, the author, Linda Sue Park, and Julie have conversations about the choices Park makes in the plot and characters of the story. The asides are a really fun way to give kids insight into the act of writing, while also adding an additional layer to Julie’s character and her growth as a person. Highly entertaining.
The Pepins and Their Problems
by Polly Horvath
Oh, how we laughed when reading it aloud. The Pepins and their very fine neighbor Mr. Bradshaw get into very peculiar scrapes while the author breaks the fourth wall, asking the reader to help solve the Pepins’ problems. The Pepins are not the sharpest tools in the shed and some of their antics reminded me of the hilarious stories of Chelm. If you want a book that will make your kids laugh, pick this one up next.
The 13-Story Treehouse
by Andy Griffiths
Andy and Terry, the author and illustrator of this book live in an amazing 13-story treehouse. And amazing it is, indeed! They claim that everything in this book has actually happened. Seems far fetched, what will your kids think?
The Neverending Story
by Michael Ende
This classic German’s children’s novel is about a boy and his magical book. When Bastian steals a book called, The Neverending Story from an antique bookshop it takes him on an unexpected adventure. While reading about the events in Fantastica, the fantastical world of the book, Bastian becomes a character in it!
More books to love:
Joyful Learner says
I have to be honest, I have not heard of meta-fiction until I saw your post! What an intriguing topic to explore and interesting selection of books! I've always loved your selection of books. We own The Red Book among few others on the list.
Mom and Kiddo says
I'm so happy I've introduced someone to the concept of metafiction! You will see it more and more now.
Raising a Happy Child says
I admit that I had to look metafiction up too. One example given was Never Ending Story – a book originally written in German and introduced to me by my husband. I think Kiddo is almost old enough to enjoy that one!
Mom and Kiddo says
I've never read the Never Ending Story, but I guess I'll have to, now!
Violet says
I was just catching up on your posts from before I discovered your blog and was interested by this topic. Did you ever write a chapter book list on metafiction? The Never Ending Story was my absolute favorite book in middle school, but it’s been years since I read it. Seven Day Magic by Edward Eager was also a favorite of mine.
Erica MomandKiddo says
No, I never did. I thought about it, sort of felt overwhelmed by which ones to choose!
Fanny Harville says
I love the geekiness of this list! And I love The Red Book. I can' think of any other examples off the top of my head, but I'm going to ponder… Such a good idea for a book list!
Mom and Kiddo says
I suspect that, like me, you will start noticing examples of it in the books you read more and more.
Fanny Harville says
I love the geekiness of this list! And I love The Red Book. I can' think of any other examples off the top of my head, but I'm going to ponder… Such a good idea for a book list!
Mrs. Milligan says
A couple of more to add to your list: A Character in the Book Zemach; Bad Day at Riverbend by Van Allsburg; & Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book by Lauren Child.
Jaymie Shook says
I'm putting “The Pencil” on our TBR list NOW!! Thanks for linking into the Kid Lit Blog Hop!
Momand Kiddo says
It's such a fun book, I know you will love it.
Renee C. says
I am totally intrigued by the concept of metafiction. I had heard the term and knew loosely what it was but now that I see your selection of books, I’m sold! I’m going to do more research about this. BTW, your link to your previous post on metafiction is not working when I did a search to try to find it, I couldn’t find it. I’m really curious to read it so please let me know when the link is fixed! Thanks for linking into the Kid Lit Blog Hop! 🙂
Mom and Kiddo says
Thanks Renee! I just moved to WP, and not all the links are working properly for some reason. I am trying to fix that!
ang paris says
What a great post – I’d never heard of meta fiction before! Thanks for linking up to the Kit Lit Blog Hop! I was thrilled to cohost again check out some awesome blogs, like yours 🙂
Mom and Kiddo says
Thanks! The feeling is mutual. 🙂
Even in Australia says
Coincidentally, I just started The Great Good Thing last night. However, I thought metafiction was fiction ABOUT fiction.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Yes, it is. But more broadly metafiction is a style of narration in which the author self-consciously refers to its status as narrative, or comments in some way on how texts and books are constructed. Looking back, I think I might not include “Cat Secrets” in this post, although I can’t remember exactly what made me include it! This is a great post and video on metafiction in children’s books: http://www.philnel.com/2010/09/04/more-metafiction/
Erica MomandKiddo says
And how are you liking it? I love his writing, but this is my favorite of all his books.
Lisa says
I don’t know if you ever revisit and add to these lists but some newer metafiction books we enjoy include The Bear Who Wasn’t There by LeUyen Pham, The Panda Problem by Deborah Underwood and We Are In a Book by No Willems. Thank you for your site and recommendations, I’m so happy to have found it!
Erica says
Thanks for the recommendations!
Bjorn Halden Parramoure says
I’m searching for this book. Had it as a kid, and it changed my whole view of nature.
The cover has a rabbit holding a copy of the book itself, and it says, “Here is a book about a rabbit holding a book about a rabbit holding a book…”
Inside, there was a flea circus, and on the back if one of the fleas there was a tinier flea circus…
Every page had a new depiction of a self-reflexive situation.
I’ve been searching for it for years!