My current client recently told me that she used to want to write children’s books, and now that she has written a book for adults, she doesn’t think she wants to write any more books. Here is food for inspiration:
I first discovered Sandra Boynton in a card shop. I picked up her now famous birthday card: Hippo Birdies Gnu Ewes! Later I found her board books in the library and read them to Jamey. Her books grew with him, and she began to innovate. She had a hit with a book/CD called Philadelphia Chickens, and by the time Jamey was old enough to get married, Sandra had put out a board book with a link to a song online called, I Want to Be Your Personal Penguin.
Who would have thought that Jamie Lee Curtis could write? She has a number of children’s books and they are all joyful celebrations of childhood. The illustrations are bright and cheerful too. When I was a nanny, the three year old I took care of loved Curtis’s books.
When I was in library school, I was looking for books for one of my children’s lit classes, I came across the first of Mary Ann Hoberman’s “You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You” books and fell in love! These are a collection of very short stories done in rhyme, and they are meant to be shared between two readers. The way it’s set up, if the print is toward the left margin, the person sitting on the left reads. If the print is toward the right margin, the person on the right reads. And if the print is centered, they read together. Another fun read!
Mo Willems is famous for two other picture book series: The Knuffle Bunny books, and the Don’t Let the Pigeon… books. I thought I’d highlight his Elephant and Piggie books for early readers. They were very popular when I worked at the library. Mr. Willems is another writer who knows how to tickle the funny bone of his readers.
Thanks, for the encouragement, we’ll see about that once I’m finished with this book. I loved reading this blog. Bet it will encourage others as well.