My Picture Book Ah-Ha Moment

I wasn't a child.  I didn’t even realize it was an ah-ha moment.

I was in my late thirties (maybe early forties), standing in the book aisle at Walmart with my sister. We were Christmas shopping for children on the Angel Tree when I picked up Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.

I started reading.

My sister leaned over my shoulder and read along.

I read the entire book.

When I finished, I turned to look at my sister.

Neither of us said a word.

Tears trickling down our cheeks, right there in the middle of Walmart.

Our children had long outgrown picture books, but I quietly placed the book in my cart.

My sister picked up another copy and put it in hers.

That book made me feel something.

It stayed with me long after I closed the cover.

When I began writing picture books, I thought back to that moment in Walmart and… Ah-ha!  I knew exactly the kind of stories I wanted to write.

Not necessarily stories that make people cry.

Stories that evoke an emotion… a pause, a smile, a quiet sigh, or a hopeful feeling.

Stories that help them remember someone they love.

Or simply close the book and hold it for a moment before putting it down.

When people ask why I write picture books, that's my answer.

I write the kinds of stories I have always loved to read.

Do I write humorous and fun stories?  Yes, but there is always heart beneath the surface. 

Stories where kindness matters.

Where friendships grow.

Where characters discover courage they didn't know they had.

Where loss is met with love, and endings leave room for hope.

The world is loud.

I want my books to feel like taking a deep breath.

If a parent finishes reading one of my stories and hugs their little one just a tiny bit tighter...

If a child sees themselves in a character...

If a family wants to read the book again tomorrow night...

Then I'll know I've written the kinds of books I was always meant to write.