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Alt-Text for Children’s Books
This section will explain how to write Alt-Text specifically for images in Children’s Books.
It is possible to describe picture books using medium complexity. Remember to describe the parts of the images that are the most important to the story, and include those small visual details that stick out the most. The illustrator puts them in as part of the visual storytelling.
Tone and word choice are very important with Picture Books. Aiming to match these will help keep the narrative flow for your readers with print disabilities, and create a more enjoyable reading experience.
Remember you are also creating books for adults! If an adult with a print disability is reading to a child who does not have one, the adult will want to know what is in that image. Children love to point out details of pictures. So keep that in mind.
The same General Guidelines apply to images in Illustrated Books and Picture Books:
- Write descriptions based on context
- Write descriptions with a clear structure
- Aim for conciseness
- Use present tense / action verbs
- Be objective
- Do not censor
The biggest difference between Children’s Books and other types of books is the context. It is important to keep in mind the reading level of the book, and ensure that you write image descriptions that match that reading level.
Surrounding text or even parts of the text earlier in the book can describe what is in the images. In these cases it is good to take an extra moment to scan the book to find these. This will mean you will ultimately spend less time writing the description itself.
Think about repeated characters. Children’s books focus on the adventures of the main characters. When we see a character over and over again we only have to describe their actions and what is different about them. Don't mention a character’s name before it is told in the text. Before this, rely on a general identifier. For example: The boy in the blue hat, the bluebird, or the mouse with a ribbon on her head.
Word choice and tone is also very important. Remember the reading level the book is for and try to choose your words so they are not too complex. It is also important to try and match the tone of the surrounding text so it does not break the narration. We recommend applying the same writing style and terminology as the surrounding text.
It is also good to take some extra time to find out the illustration style. This is an example of how beneficial it is to have the author and illustrator write the image descriptions. If you can not do this, don’t fret! Simply do a little bit of research. The illustration style can often be found on the copyright and publication information page, or in interviews with the illustrators, it can also be clear from looking at the image itself.
Below you will find additional documentation for specific image types that appear in Children's Books:
- Two Page Spread
- Images Described in Surrounding Text
- Illustrations with Grouped Images
- Complex Images in Picture Books
- Culturally Sensitive Descriptions
