So when I came up with the idea for my 9th children's picture book, "The Pig Who Loved to Dig", I drew my inspiration from a guy I used to work with who would march to the beat of his own drum. He would always do things his way, and we all thought he would never last with the company. It was his persistence and his determination to do things his way that revealed a special set of skills that eventually made him a real asset to the company. So I decided that when I came up with Pete the pig, he was going to be a fun-loving cute baby animal that believed in himself no matter what was going on around him. When it comes to rhyming picture books, I realized the kids need to connect with the main character on a personal level, rooting for them to succeed, and possibly sparking something inside them that brings out a hidden talent they have too.
I realize when I write these children's books that little kids instantly connect with the illustrations, and want that happy ending every time. When it comes to writing children's books in my office, I don't know if the children will connect with the drawings, the story, or just want a happy-ending, so it is my responsibility to exceed even their little expectations and give them something they can feel good about. Think about it for a second, isn't it all about just feeling good inside anyway? When you choose children's books online, you want the story to excite your child, make them laugh, and leave them feeling happier than when you started the book. I have received so many positive messages in recent weeks about how those little ones are drawing pictures of these main characters, and some are making mommy and daddy ready them the book over and over again, like 400 times. Sorry about that to all those moms and dads out there who have little ones who keep asking each night to read my books to them over and over again.!
That brings me to the story of Pete the pig who just loves to dig. Now with this classic kids book I took a different route. Pete has a special skill that actually was not something that was getting him in good favor with the farmer. In fact, he was almost kicked off the farm because his particular set of skills was making life difficult for those around him. It wasn't until something happened on the farm that the farmer recognized that Pete had an exceptional skill and things changed for the better for Pete. It seems like my preschool rhyming books have really taken on a life of their own, as I get messages about perhaps continuing the journey with certain baby animals. For now, I have enough ideas on my desk to continue writing children's books for another couple years.