Make room for unfinished language
Treat the strange idea as material, not a mistake.
Creative confidence is easier to protect when invention and correction do not happen at the same time. Capture the idea first; decide together what needs clarification after it exists.
Respond to what the child means
Before fixing spelling, grammar, or logic, reflect the image or action you heard: “The castle is walking away because it is bored.” That response tells the child the idea arrived. Clarification can follow when a word changes the meaning or the picture cannot represent the intended action.
Let revision belong to the author
When a page is wrong, ask what the child wants to change. Avoid framing every mismatch as failure. Choosing a stronger picture, clearer action, or different sequence is editorial work and can be part of authorship.
Keep comparison outside the session
Do not compare the child's plot, drawing style, reading level, or number of pages with another child's book while the story is being made. The useful comparison is between the page and what this child intended. A short, strange, or unfinished-looking book can still be complete on its own terms.