For me the way to awaken the voice I want in any given story is to read, read, read. To get a feel for the song in someone else's work sparks my inner poet. When I study other authors, what they did and how they did it, I am honing my own craft. Then I answer those questions through my own voice in my work. In children's books, colorful action words keep the reader involved.
Words move the story and advance the plot.
Words are used to speed up a story, create tension, and slow the story down. To be sure my story sings, I read it aloud into a tape recorder and play it back. Then I listen for the rhythm and cadence, the story's ebb and flow. If I hear myself stumble, I fix it. I find that when I pay close attention to the prose my story rings true.