I take a few days or weeks to kind of daydream about the art and listen to the story that it’s telling me. This happens every so often, where I’m sent a single piece of art-not an entire picture book of art, just a single piece-and asked if I’d like to try to write a story to go along with it.Īnd usually when that happens, I don’t answer right away. As a matter of fact, that original art is very similar to our final book cover.

Well, one day into my inbox comes this amazing piece of art by Joey Chou-complete with a title. To listen to their hearts and hopes and dreams. I feel that as a children’s author, one of the most important parts of my job is not to talk “at” kids, but to talk “with” them and hear them. They’re a great way foor kids to give me a peek into their worlds and for me to communicate to kids how much I value them and their perspective. And again, these are some of my favorite sessions. In some school sessions kids have an opportunity to read me their stories or show me their art. I once heard a seemingly endless saga about … wait for it … bowling shoes! But whether funny or serious, their stories are honest and earnest and heartfelt. Some of the stories I hear can be very funny. But no matter how much they’ve prepared, kids still have stories to tell. Teachers and librarians are awesome at helping kids understand what questions are and how to ask them. And even though you probably think of me as a story writer, I’m also a really great story listener. Because kids love telling me their stories. But I’ve always felt it should be renamed the “question and answer and stories” part. And one of my favorite parts of any visit is the “question and answer” part. This book was truly the collision of two sources of inspiration.Īs you know, I do school, library and bookstore visits. Jean! What a gorgeous book! Can you tell us how it came to be? A child is presented with how wide and wonderful the world can be, and most importantly, told that they are in charge of their own destiny.

What would YOU do? It’s an existential explosion (whoa, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard that phrase) with all the options Jean and Joey present, from space exploration to simply being brave and doing the right thing. Jean Reidy and Joey Chou have created a new beauty of a book, a new classic, not only in the colorful art, but in the imaginative question.

Jean reidy books