If I were to write a childrens book, how would I write it?

[Joss]

I learned this very small tidbit from a children's editor whom I saw on TV. She said that not only does the vocabulary has to be age appropriate but the themes also have to be age-appropriate. For example, in this case with 5 year olds, she said that a them of - accept yourself for who you are (not exactly these words, but that's the theme in a nutshell) - is too big a theme for a 5 year old to understand. & you don't want to make the book too easy. DK publishing has some great books that are marked by age. I checked one out at the library that was a level 2, which is for those who are learning to read on their own. It had a guide on the book for each reading level and how each level differs from the other. I agree with the others that you should read as many books as you can for the age group you plan on writing for to get the gist for language and theme. Then give it a try. Don't expect it to be perfect on your first try and like everything else, you have to practice to get better at it. And, it's possible that you'll have to write many of those types of books before you write something that's worth a publisher reading, so don't be afraid to send off your work once you've gotten feedback from other writers who are writing for young children and polishing it. Rejection is part of the process and have to get used it if you want to succeed.

There are some writer's organizations for those writing children's books and you can see about joining that and find critique group for children's writers. Feedback is very important. If you can, attend writers conferences and seminars directed at those writing for children. Follow other writers of the same group on twitter and interact with them for support and they'll also try to help you with any questions you have. There are many literary agents who rep children's books who tweet, facebook, and blog and they give out great advice. If you're serious, try to attend seminars and conferences. & follow some of your favorite children's book authors on twitter and visit their website to see if they offer any writing & publishing advice.

Believe me, editors and agents have seen it all when it comes to those who aren't good (yet) at writing children's books, so you're not going to stand out in that realm (IF you happen to be one of them, who knows, you might be better than you think). You'll be remembered if you start sending angry emails after you get rejected. I wouldn't worry about rejection and what the editor will think. Thousands of writers get rejected every year and it's part of the process, especially when every editor isn't going to like what you've written, even if it's publishable. GL with it!

I know you're in the UK, but you can see if this org is international or not. This is the biggest org of it's kind.
http://www.scbwi.org/

A blog by an agent who reps children's books.
http://kidlit.com/