Writing a Children’s Book (and Letting Go a Little)

I used to think writing a children’s book would be simple.

Less words, shorter pages… how hard could it be?

Turns out—it’s harder than writing anything else. Every single word matters. You can’t hide behind long explanations. It has to be clear, honest, and something a kid actually understands.

I’ve rewritten this story more times than I can count. Taking things out, simplifying, second guessing… then doing it all over again. You’re constantly asking yourself, is this too much? not enough? does this actually make sense to a child?

And then comes the part I didn’t expect to feel so… weird.

Working with an illustrator.

When you’re writing, everything is in your head. You know what the characters look like, how they feel, what the moment looks like. But the illustrator doesn’t see what’s in your head—they see what’s on the page.

So the first time I saw sketches, I had that moment of…oh. this isn’t exactly how I pictured it.

But that’s kind of the point.

They’re not just drawing your story—they’re adding to it. Bringing things to life in a way you can’t do with words alone.

And honestly, the more I lean into that, the better it gets.

Here is an early sketch from the book:

It’s still a work in progress, but it’s pretty amazing to watch something that started as an idea slowly turn into something real.

I think the biggest lesson for me in all of this is learning to let go a little.

Because the story isn’t just mine anymore—and that’s what makes it better.

— June M. Everett