Children's Books

Posted: September 5, 2016

Due to the fact that I have read many children’s books and will continue to do so for the next decade or so, has caused my opinion on them to be very diverse.  For me it’s either a hit or miss.  Some are just terrible, while others shine through so brightly, I want to read them over and over again.  Being an adult with a higher understanding then a child, I can pick up on things the author squeezed into the story.  So sometimes it can be very entertaining or emotional for the adult.  I have caught myself wiping a tear from my eye, voice trembling as I read aloud and I have even laughed so uncontrollably at the authors word, that a young pair of eyes look up at me, in wonder.

I have spoken to a number of people who have proclaimed they want to write.  I ask, “Oh, what do you want to write?”  And the ones that answer with children’s books always seem to admit the fact with shame.  This I can understand this, because to the layman, children’s books seem so easy.

They aren’t that easy.  If you haven’t tried to sit down and actually do it, then you don’t understand how difficult it might be.  So many factors have to be taken into consideration when undertaking a task like this.  The pictures, the simplicity of the words, the plot, the ideas that children may or may not grasp, and of course the good old “don’t do this at home” adage!!!  These are just some of the issues, for the list can go on.

Children are the future, and it is a huge responsibility.  Giving them a good start with ideas from fun entertaining stories is so important.  I am glad that I can go to the library and pick out books for the young kids in my life from a wide selection.  But that selection gets older every year.  Our grandchildren will want something fresh and more up to date.

So I encourage anyone with a dream of writing children’s books to go for it.  The work might be hard, but the payoff is worth it.

-Beck

Here is my favorite book that I read often.