How did someone manage a giant wheat paste on a wall without being seen? Did a hooded figure dangle someone upside down from the thirty-second floor? Had they taught themselves to draw and write upside down?
These short glimpses sparked countless questions—moments that felt magical in their mystery or mildly frightening, depending on how tired I was.
Now, my child and I play a similar game on the way to school. We notice the same strange things in everyday life: empty shopping trolleys parked at odd angles, a lone beer can in the playground, and even underpants hanging from a tree.
Now, my child and I play a similar game on the way to school. We notice the same strange things in everyday life: empty shopping trolleys parked at odd angles, a lone beer can in the playground, and even underpants hanging from a tree.
Kids are remarkably good at spotting what adults often miss. Maybe it’s because they haven’t yet learned the 'answers' grown-ups depend on, or because their brains are built for curiosity. Either way, they notice differently, and stories often begin there. Sometimes, seeing things adults don’t can be quietly frightening, delivering a thrilling sensation of its own.
Children’s curiosity and attention
Kids are natural detectives. They pick up on what adults overlook and ask questions that leave grown-ups awkwardly trying to fill in the blanks. Picture books capture this same perspective, turning ordinary observations into playful stories that often poke fun at adult absurdity with dry, straightforward humor.
Seeing the world through a child’s eyes is the realm of the greats. Roald Dahl, for example, understood how small details reveal character: in The Twits, meanness shows itself in grotesque appearances, while the joy of strange acts like licking snozzberry wallpaper celebrates pure curiosity. Dahl’s characters question their surroundings, as Veruca Salt does with snozzberries, prompting adult-turned-child Wonka’s reminder: 'We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.' While grown-ups may dismiss the mystery, the child finds joy in the absurd, the mischievous, and the slightly grotesque.
The Australian view of the absurd is rich. Shaun Tan’s Cicada transforms a small insect’s life in an office into a story full of observation and empathy. Tan noticed things others overlook, like a lone red plant in a sea of grey windows or a cicada’s empty shell hanging from a fence. He turns fleeting details into imaginative storytelling. Like children, Tan’s characters see the world differently, discovering humor, sadness, and quiet horror in ordinary moments.
Children’s curiosity and attention
Kids are natural detectives. They pick up on what adults overlook and ask questions that leave grown-ups awkwardly trying to fill in the blanks. Picture books capture this same perspective, turning ordinary observations into playful stories that often poke fun at adult absurdity with dry, straightforward humor.
Seeing the world through a child’s eyes is the realm of the greats. Roald Dahl, for example, understood how small details reveal character: in The Twits, meanness shows itself in grotesque appearances, while the joy of strange acts like licking snozzberry wallpaper celebrates pure curiosity. Dahl’s characters question their surroundings, as Veruca Salt does with snozzberries, prompting adult-turned-child Wonka’s reminder: 'We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.' While grown-ups may dismiss the mystery, the child finds joy in the absurd, the mischievous, and the slightly grotesque.
The Australian view of the absurd is rich. Shaun Tan’s Cicada transforms a small insect’s life in an office into a story full of observation and empathy. Tan noticed things others overlook, like a lone red plant in a sea of grey windows or a cicada’s empty shell hanging from a fence. He turns fleeting details into imaginative storytelling. Like children, Tan’s characters see the world differently, discovering humor, sadness, and quiet horror in ordinary moments.
Mem Fox’s Possum Magic similarly turns everyday journeys and familiar foods into magical adventures, allowing readers to fill in the gaps and imagine the extraordinary within the ordinary. These stories explain why adults keep reading: absurdity and dark humor resonate with anyone who has experienced the mundane and found joy in the strange.
The everyday absurd as story material
Picture books thrive on the odd and unexplained. From Jon Klassen’s This Is Not My Hat, where a small fish’s petty theft invites readers to guess his intentions, to Oliver Jeffers’ playful twists on reality, stories transform ordinary moments into opportunities for wonder and mild existential dread. Kids enjoy connecting the dots and imagining the backstory, whether it’s a lost coin on the sidewalk, a mischievous character hiding in plain sight, or a ghostly excuse for why the toilet paper always seems to run out.
The everyday absurd resonates because it reflects how children see the world: nothing is too small or too strange to notice. Absurdity teaches observation, hypothesis, and resilience in the face of life’s little shocks. Like Tan’s Cicada, what seems miserable or absurd to adults may appear funny or even freeing from another angle. Children naturally see the humor, the oddity, and the quiet darkness in ways adults often forget.
Ghosts and everyday mysteries
In my own picture book, Ghosts, I embraced these everyday oddities as a playful way to explore the curious view of children. The book is full of small mysteries: holes in socks, broken eggs, and shoes hanging mysteriously from power lines - each explained straightforwardly as the result of oddly specific ghosts.
Ghosts is silly, cute, and just spooky enough to never be truly frightening. The detailed, lush illustrations offer both children and adults something to linger over on each page. Readers enjoy the quirky explanations and convenient scapegoats for everyday puzzles. Adults often find joy in the clever humor, nods to real-life mysteries, and subtle absurdity, moments too unusual, gothic, or darkly funny to be purely childlike.
By embracing everyday mysteries, Ghosts celebrates the same curiosity and observational spirit that has inspired generations of picture book authors. It’s a reminder that it’s okay to see the world differently, to ponder the inexplicable, and to find joy in the ridiculous. And sometimes, just maybe, the ghosts really did it.
When Fiona Dalwood isn’t writing about ghosts, she’s usually noticing the strange, the gothic, or the quietly hilarious hiding in everyday life. Occasionally, she even blames the dog.
The everyday absurd as story material
Picture books thrive on the odd and unexplained. From Jon Klassen’s This Is Not My Hat, where a small fish’s petty theft invites readers to guess his intentions, to Oliver Jeffers’ playful twists on reality, stories transform ordinary moments into opportunities for wonder and mild existential dread. Kids enjoy connecting the dots and imagining the backstory, whether it’s a lost coin on the sidewalk, a mischievous character hiding in plain sight, or a ghostly excuse for why the toilet paper always seems to run out.
The everyday absurd resonates because it reflects how children see the world: nothing is too small or too strange to notice. Absurdity teaches observation, hypothesis, and resilience in the face of life’s little shocks. Like Tan’s Cicada, what seems miserable or absurd to adults may appear funny or even freeing from another angle. Children naturally see the humor, the oddity, and the quiet darkness in ways adults often forget.
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In my own picture book, Ghosts, I embraced these everyday oddities as a playful way to explore the curious view of children. The book is full of small mysteries: holes in socks, broken eggs, and shoes hanging mysteriously from power lines - each explained straightforwardly as the result of oddly specific ghosts.
Ghosts is silly, cute, and just spooky enough to never be truly frightening. The detailed, lush illustrations offer both children and adults something to linger over on each page. Readers enjoy the quirky explanations and convenient scapegoats for everyday puzzles. Adults often find joy in the clever humor, nods to real-life mysteries, and subtle absurdity, moments too unusual, gothic, or darkly funny to be purely childlike.
By embracing everyday mysteries, Ghosts celebrates the same curiosity and observational spirit that has inspired generations of picture book authors. It’s a reminder that it’s okay to see the world differently, to ponder the inexplicable, and to find joy in the ridiculous. And sometimes, just maybe, the ghosts really did it.
When Fiona Dalwood isn’t writing about ghosts, she’s usually noticing the strange, the gothic, or the quietly hilarious hiding in everyday life. Occasionally, she even blames the dog.
