Looking back to my first kids book, The Unicorn That Lost Her Horn, I wonder why it took me so long to really get this ball rolling. Now that my 4th children's picture book is available for purchase, I wanted to talk about two thinks in this blog post. First I wanted to talk about the idea behind The Whale That Broke the Scale and secondly something for all those would-be authors out there.
The idea for Wendy the whale came about when my daughter was telling me about how some kids in school pick on others for a number of reasons. She has always been raised to be compassionate to others, and to never judge someone on the outside because you never know what is going on inside. I wasn't concerned about putting out popular children's books, I wanted the message to reach those children who will eventually take over the world. Wendy the whale was ridiculed because of her weight, something many kids struggle with in school. My hope when I develop rhyming children's books is these young minds see how hurtful words can be and learn to care for one another as equals as we all spin around on this planet each day.
The other thing I wanted to talk about was something that may kick start the efforts of other authors struggling to get their words to print. Looking back at the children's books I have written, I have to admit the first one was the hardest. I beat myself up daily because it was talking too long, wasn't perfect, needed work, and each day my excuses delayed the inevitable. If you were born to be a classic children's books writer, then just go for it. We all make mistakes, and I can tell you that once you get over that first hurdle, these rhyming picture books seem to take on a life of their own. Although I started my campaign trying to work on the best books for toddlers age 2-3, I am expanding my reach for all little kids because the positive message has a universal appeal.
If one of my books can help one child to unleash their own unique imagination, then I really am a success! Regardless what you want to write about, get your first one out there and the magic will follow. If you are finally going to launch a book of any kind, comment here on my website and I will try to help get you some exposure!