Tell, Show, Enchant: Communicating Science Like a Storybook

What can science communication learn from children's books? A lot more than you might think!

Join us to unlock the storytelling secrets of children's literature and bring them into your science communication toolbox! This course explores how storytelling, illustrations, and language choices in children's books can inspire more engaging and accessible science communication. This course is not about writing for children, it’s about learning from some of the most effective communicators – children’s books authors – and applying their strategies to science storytelling at large.

It will be structured into four interactive online sessions:

1. Story Finding covers the fundamentals of storytelling, different story types, and how to adapt your message to specific audiences.
2. World Building delves into how context, descriptions, and characters create immersive narratives, drawing parallels between fantastic worlds in children's books and the world(s) of science.
3. Story Crafting Part 1 – Words focuses on language techniques such as rhythm, repetition, and humor
4. Story Crafting Part 2 – Visuals, Emotions, and Dramatic Effect explores the role of illustrations, emotional connection, and delivery in science communication.

Throughout the course, participants will work on an individual project – the backbone of their own science story – by integrating the storytelling concepts learned in the four group sessions. Alongside discussions and hands-on exercises, they will also be encouraged to read children’s books with a new perspective, guided by supplementary material and a series of recommended readings.

Key Learning Objectives

• (Re)Connect with children’s books and gain a new appreciation for them from the perspective of an adult and science communicator
• Learn storytelling techniques to craft an engaging and accessible story
• Identify creative communication strategies in children’s books and explore how they can be applied to science communication projects

What this course is NOT

• A workshop for writing/creating children’s books
• A course targeting SciComm delivery to young audiences
• A pure storytelling course
• A writing course

Who Should Register?

This course is perfect for graduate students, postdocs, and science communicators - whether full-time, part-time, or just starting - who want to make their science communication more engaging and accessible. If you're curious about how children's books can inspire creative storytelling and help you connect with broader audiences, this course is for you!

Instructor
Flavia-Bianca Cristian, PhD

Bianca is a science communicator with a background in molecular biology and a PhD in autism genetics. Originally from Transylvania, Romania, she has lived in the USA, Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany. Passionate about making science accessible to all, she volunteers for NGOs that promote science literacy and is a 2025 fellow of the German-South African Public Engagement Exchange Program. This course blends her love for children's literature with her experience in scientific writing and science communication. She enjoys learning new languages, collecting children's books, and traveling.