I have a confession to make: Clucky Comes Home isn’t my first children’s book. I actually wrote, illustrated and self-published a book when I was about 6 or 7 years old. Haha!
Ok.. this book wasn’t much of a book at all. It looked more like a homemade pamphlet. I don’t recall the name of my first book, but I do remember the subject matter. It was a book about how to grow a houseplant (a skill I didn’t master until the COVID-19 quarantine). The pages were made from typing paper and the cover was made of green construction paper. I don’t remember many other details about that book, but I do remember the sense of accomplishment I experienced when my mom helped me make it.
Today, I feel this same sense of pride as I celebrate the completion of Clucky Comes Home. Much like mastering the art of growing the plants I wrote about as a kid, publishing your first “adult book” is also a multi-step process:
Step 1: You must plant a seed.
Realizing that I could write my own stories planted a seed for my future.
Step 2: You must give your plants light (and water.)
That seed was fed by my parents, grandparents, babysitters and teachers who spent time reading to me as well as teaching me how to read, write and later type. The adults in my life also helped to ensure my writing seed received plenty of light by taking me to the library and bookstore.
Step 3: You must be patient.
My love of writing followed me throughout my life. I captioned many of my family photo albums. I wrote for my high school and college newspapers. I also began my career as a news reporter. However, my dream of writing a children’s book didn’t fully mature until well into my adulthood. And the wait has been well worth it.
XOXO,
Keiana