Make a book together
Start with one moment, not a complete plan.
A child does not need a title, moral, character sheet, and ending before making page one. Begin with the first thing they can see happening and let the book reveal itself from there.
Choose the smallest possible beginning
Ask, “What do we see first?” A place, a character doing something, or one strange event is enough. If the child gives a long explanation, reflect back the part that could fit on the first page and save the rest for later.
Avoid correcting the idea into a conventional opening. A story can begin in the middle of a chase, with a joke, or with a character noticing something tiny.
Make one page, then look at it together
The picture often gives the child a new detail to react to. Ask what they notice and what happens because of it. If the image misses an essential part, revise the page before continuing so the child trusts that the book is following their idea.
Let the ending be a child decision
When the story feels close to finished, ask what should be different on the last page. The ending does not need to explain a lesson. A choice, reunion, discovery, joke, or quiet final image can be enough.
Finish by reading the whole sequence aloud. Ask which page feels most like the child's idea and whether any page needs one last change.