I would love to say that my foray into the world of children’s publishing was a labor of love, but the truth is that the actual book-writing part took less than a day. The concept for my newly released book, Edwin’s Perfect Gift, developed during one of those 9 p.m. try-anything-to-get-your-child-to-bed moments. A time when pure exhaustion and forced creativity cause the brain to explore unimagined places.
This story — about a young rabbit, Edwin, who becomes friends with an older mouse, Miss Vonna — emerged during one of those nights and helped an overtired four-year-old drift off to sleep.
While I frequently create new stories for my daughter at bedtime, this one stuck with me for a few days afterward. I fleshed out the storyline with my daughter’s Melissa & Doug paper pad and crayons one day and realized that it could be a story worth sharing.
I dove into the process headfirst, assuring myself that with my background in magazine publishing, this would be a breeze. Unsurprisingly, I quickly learned there are quite a few differences between self-publishing a children’s book and running an already-existing magazine. From finding an illustrator to pitching to local bookstores, there is a lot of time and effort that goes on behind the scenes. Yet while most children’s books take months from start to finish, Edwin’s Perfect Gift went from concept to publication in approximately six weeks.
Now that the process is done, I can take a deep breath and reflect on why this particular story drove me to take this leap. My primary goal with Edwin was to create a children’s book that evokes strong feelings of warmth, love, and comfort in both the story and illustrations. The message of Edwin’s Perfect Gift is that not only are handmade gifts worth investing in, but more importantly, that older generations are worthy of our time, affection, and friendship and that they have much to offer.
Growing up just outside of Columbia’s city limits, I had an older neighbor who taught me to sew — she was my inspiration for the character of Miss Vonna in the book. When I was little, I would ride my bike the half mile around the neighborhood loop, grab a “soadie” as she called it — usually an Orange Crush — and we would sit and chat while I learned to sew an apron or whatever else she had a paper pattern for.
My mom made a huge effort when I was a child to value and create relationships with older people. We frequently volunteered at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and we served food at the local Loaves & Fishes soup kitchen for years. Those experiences really shaped how I view people as an adult.
In Edwin’s Perfect Gift, Edwin befriends Miss Vonna, and while the young rabbit may not realize how valuable the relationship is at first, Miss Vonna confides that she values him a lot. Hopefully that message is something that sticks with readers and encourages them to be kind and form relationships across generations.
The illustrations in Edwin’s Perfect Gift were hand-drawn with ink by U.K.-based artist Amelia Mangham, and color was added digitally to preserve the ink sketches. The illustrations are inspired by Beatrix Potter, mainly because I associate her books with lovely childhood memories. The outdoor scenery was inspired by my childhood in Columbia, especially the striking fall leaves on Rock Quarry Road and the woods behind my house growing up.
It is my hope that the hand-drawn illustrations in Edwin combat the rise of AI and rushed digital graphics that are becoming rampant in children’s media. Not only do AI “illustrations” steal from actual artists, but the quality is subpar. Our children deserve the richness of high-quality, hand-drawn art, with stories and pictures that will stay with them and offer teachable moments.
My final goal with Edwin was to make him accessible. While I am not bilingual, when I visit my local library’s children’s section, I can’t help but notice the vast amount of English books compared to a few shelves of Spanish books. For that reason, Edwin’s Perfect Gift has been translated into Spanish and is available as Edwin y El Regalo Perfecto.
Edwin’s Perfect Gift is available locally at Skylark, The Tin Roof, and Plume, as well as at most online retailers. Edwin y El Regalo Perfecto is also available at Skylark and online retailers.
