In November 2017, I decided to write a children’s picture book . . .
because picture books are short. And short means easy, right?
This book started one morning while I was making breakfast. My toddler was been fascinated by all things kitchen at the time. That morning he was sitting on the counter, ‘counting’ the eggs in the carton as he handed them to me.
Toddlers–if you don’t already know it–generally like to talk, to talk a lot, and to talk repetitively.
That morning, he wanted to know where the eggs came from. Talking about chickens led to talking about other animals who laid eggs, and that led in turn to Who Laid the Egg?, my first picture book.
I’ve struggled a lot with finishing projects over the years. This time, though, I thought a picture book would be relatively short, easy, and doable–a project I could finally finish and get published.
And I was right!
Who Laid the Egg? has just under two hundred words. It took me a couple of weeks to tease out the proper cadence, and then it took me a month or two to create the illustrations. (It also took more than a few late nights–working late after my kids were in bed).
And the idea was simple–yet so fun to work with.
Turning the idea into a story was easy.
Getting a book ready for publication was a much bigger challenge. I went from drawing the pictures (with soft pastels), to photographing them, to photo editing. Then I had to arrange and rearrange the text, two or three words at a time. And then there was more editing and more fidgeting . . .
You get the idea!
I’m actually still finishing up a few little details. The main files are done, though, and I’m just waiting for my second proof copy now!
It should all be done by Saturday.
In fact, this weekend, I’m going to run a small giveaway/launch promotion to celebrate.
So…
See you back on Saturday for the launch!
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UPDATE March 1, 2025:
The second version of Who Laid the Egg? is now available, with some new illustrations, some slight editing, and all the fun animals from the first edition!
You can find it online Who Laid the Egg? is online from Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as through Bookshop.
(This post includes affiliate links. I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a small commission for purchases made through these links. There is no extra cost to use these links.)
If you want to avoid shopping on Amazon, I suggest checking Bookshop or your local bookstores instead.
Interested in Learning More About Eggs?
Riddles for kids to solve. Word scrambles. STEM challenges. Coloring pages, and more!
These activities were originally created for my picture book, Who Laid the Egg? They’re great for preschoolers and younger students who want to learn about birds or other animals who lay eggs. (Plus, you’ll get updates on my other books and kids activities!
