I’ve been creating picture books for a couple of years now.
What does that look like, though? Here’s how it worked for my first book:
The original idea hatched on a cold, early morning in November . . .
I was making breakfast, and my toddler was helping me ‘count’ the eggs we were using. We were practicing numbers.
One egg.
Two eggs.
Three eggs.
Where do we get eggs?
Well, the store, usually—but do you remember gathering eggs at Oma’s?
Oh, from the chickens?
Yes! And did you know frogs also lay eggs? Here, let me find you a picture of frog eggs . . .
What other animals lay eggs?
Hey, that’s almost like a guessing-game! ‘Who lays eggs?’
Of course, the idea needed a couple weeks to incubate.
But, by late November, I had decided to make a book.
I’m not a professional artist, but I’ve had some art training over the years. Making a picture book seemed fun—and doable. So, I got out my sketchbook and started planning.
Writing a picture book—for me anyway—can be a chicken-and-egg conundrum.
In theory, the best way to create a picture book is to write the text first, then edit it. I shouldn’t even think about illustrations until after the editing.
In theory . . .
That way, the illustrations can flow around the text, and everything goes together smoothly.
Unfortunately, once I have an idea, I start thinking in pictures.
It’s almost like watching a Pixar short in my head! I see the book’s flow, figure out which screenshots to use, and then cobble together the text to fit.
For most of my books, I’ve continued revising the text and getting feedback on it while working on illustrations. (I do not recommend this, by the way. It’s really, really messy! But, it seems to be the way books work for me.)
Honestly, I’ve always described myself as an author/writer, not an artist. It’s been intriguing (and awkward) to see the process get scrambled up this way.
Fortunately, my egg story was fairly simple.
Here is an egg—who laid this egg? Did a chicken, or an ostrich, or a frog lay the egg?
My biggest challenge was to create a simple, flexible rhythm—especially since this book is meant to be read out loud!
Once everything was done, I pushed the book out of the nest, and watched it take flight.
(Or, rather—I watched it hopped around on the ground for a while, cringing at the thought of potential predators. That’s also how most baby birds learn to fly, apparently.)
After that, things got quiet again. The nest started to feel empty.
So, I started working on another book (The Rocket that Flew to Mars). Now I have several more projects in the works, ranging from nature stories to tiny dragons!
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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!
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