Okay, maybe not repetition that is that obvious or redundant. But there is still something to be said for repeating things in writing for children. We have to remember that, as adults, we take it for granted that we have been exposed to things over and over again. For a child, however, everything is new and they are discovering the world one experience at a time. They look for clues in everything they do to learn about the world around them. Books and being read to are great allies for them in this journey of discovery and expedites those clues for them. And to help with expediting those clues even more, use repetition. This can mean repeating the same word or phrase over and over exactly or repeating a phrase with certain variations. When looking for books with variations, there are so many examples. Think back to classics, such as GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS. In this book, for every different experience Goldilocks encountered, the text would repeat the beginning of each statement. Goldilocks would say, “this porridge is too cold,” then, “this porridge is too hot,” or, “this porridge is just right.” She would repeat phrases for everything she tried. Then when the bears returned home, they would repeat the same phrasing too for each thing they discovered, whether it be the porridge or the chair, etc. and then baby bear would add a little to the line. Father Bear would say, “someone ate my porridge,” and Mother Bear would say, “someone ate my porridge,” and then baby bear would say, “someone ate my porridge and it is all gone!” Next, let’s look at LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD which does something similar by repeating a phrase but with variations. As you may know, the phrase “All the better to … you with,” is repeated many times. In the version of this book, which is my personal retelling, it includes, “All the better to hug you with,” “All the better to hear you with,” and “All the better to see you with!” As we discussed earlier, the repetition doesn’t have to be repeating the same thing exactly over and over again. Repetition is used here with little tweaks each time. The tweaks keep it interesting for the child but using the repetition reinforces a concept for them to learn, grow from, and acquire more clues to build their skills. A writer can also use repetition to solidify the message you want your manuscript to communicate. Exact repetition does the same thing for children. It reinforces a concept or message but it also allows a child to learn a pattern and be able to predict what is coming. If you’ve been around a child, you know they love it when they feel they know what is coming or that they can predict something. It makes them feel that they are learning the world around them and learning about behavior which encourages them to keep learning and makes learning more enjoyable for them. For an example of this, look to Dr. Seuss’ ARE YOU MY MOTHER? In this book, the text repeats the title question over and over throughout the entire book as the bird searches for his mother. For my Why Do series, I repeat “No, that’s silly!” to each answer to teach a child that the first answer is not to be taken seriously. I highly recommend repetition because children love it, it makes them feel encouraged and it reinforces learning concepts and messages.