Early in 2021, my daughter Carolyn called and suggested an idea for a new picture book. Every Christmas since 2016 I have created a picture book based on one of our funny family stories. The first one featured our middle son. The reaction from the siblings was, "Mom, there are seven of us. We each expect our own storybook."
I was true to their expectations for the first few years...
2016 - Is This Cowboy Food? featuring Matthew
2017 - Who Will Be My Friend? featuring Katelyn
2018 - Too Many Sisters featuring Michael
Then, it got harder for me to come up with ideas. So I started combining two kids into the same story.
2019 - The Wonderful, Marvelous, Magic Bunkbed - Cami and Mitchell
2020 - Spin Around Dresses and Click Shoes - Kathryn and Carolyn
Evidently, combining stories was nice, but did not fulfill the request.
I was true to their expectations for the first few years...
2016 - Is This Cowboy Food? featuring Matthew
2017 - Who Will Be My Friend? featuring Katelyn
2018 - Too Many Sisters featuring Michael
Then, it got harder for me to come up with ideas. So I started combining two kids into the same story.
2019 - The Wonderful, Marvelous, Magic Bunkbed - Cami and Mitchell
2020 - Spin Around Dresses and Click Shoes - Kathryn and Carolyn
Evidently, combining stories was nice, but did not fulfill the request.
Carolyn age 3 Carolyn actually suggested that I create a picture book using the story I often told about her when she was 3. I knew immediately the story she meant, and I started stammering "B...b...but no one would believe it!" "Sure they will," Carolyn said encouragingly. "And this time, I think you should create this picture book without words."
"B...b...but...I....I. can't possibly..."
"You can do it."
"B...b...but...I....I. can't possibly..."
"You can do it."
Well, I toiled over this story for many months. I even track tested it with some of my friends. I didn't think I was a clever enough artist to tell the story adequately without words. And the early testing bore that out. So, by the time I took it to be printed, I still wasn't convinced that the art carried the plot well enough. But I got a few copies printed anyway. Then, I stewed over this questionable decision while away on a 2-week trip. When I got back home I knew I had to redo the whole thing, but this time with words. Not a lot of words, but hopefully the right words. By then I had just a couple of weeks before Christmas!
Camilla Joy age 2 The very best compliment I got after the families had all opened their copies of the picture book was from my youngest granddaughter. Her mommy told me that she insisted they read "Time Out for Carolyn" at bedtime. Then she wanted to read it by herself 2-year-old style. She especially liked the Author page where I placed a picture of myself. She pointed and said "Gramma" over and over again. My grandmother heart is melting.
Camilla Joy reading "Time Out for Carolyn" to go to sleep
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