Why a Children’s Book?

For those who’ve followed my writing journey since I was young, you might find my publishing of a children’s book to be surprising. Let’s just say I have files upon files of adult fiction sitting in Word just waiting to be completed and sent to the press. Writing fiction has been and will always be a special joy for me.

However, besides the obvious reason, there’s a lot more to the reasoning behind this specific book than you’d think.

I came up with the idea of “My Pet Dragonfly” about seven years ago, when my middle nephew was a toddler. As an aunt, one of my favorite pastimes was to have the boys come outside with me so I could watch them discover nature. That’s when I noticed the absolute magic in those moments, seeing nature through the eyes of a little one.

It wasn’t until recently that the idea popped back into my mind when I was playing pretend with my youngest nephew, Kingston. Kingston has been diagnosed with autism and since then has been able to receive therapy for speech and fine motor skills. His journey has inspired me to remember the children with low-sensory needs, whenever I’m developing a book.

“My Pet Dragonfly” invites parents and caregivers to slow down and enter the perspective of the child they’re reading to. I feel like, as parents and caregivers, we have become so busy trying to appear like perfect caregivers that we over-complicate a very simple formula: Slow down. Honestly, our babies aren’t in a rush. They are okay with a simple morning of sunshine through windows and cartoons on TV. They love going outside barefoot for a peanut butter picnic on the cool grass. They may fuss for snacks and jump on couches, but that doesn’t mean they need MORE. In fact, my belief is that they need LESS.

The child in my book befriends a dragonfly and deems them their pet. How does that happen? Well, the book doesn’t explain, but an adult reading this book should consider that a boy was “left alone” for long enough to ponder befriending a bug that he sat and observed. Maybe the adult sat quietly with him, slowing down enough to think about how fun it would be to teach a child about the nature that surrounds them. Either way, the boy wouldn’t have been able to befriend the dragonfly if he lived the reality of most modern-toddlers who aren’t going outside for play. This isn’t a parent-shaming post, as I am completely aware that not everyone has the ability to enjoy a backyard and there are some children whose health prevents outdoor play. Even my family doesn’t live in the white-picket-fence type neighborhood. There have been many days where I feared taking my child outdoors due to the anxiety of being in a high-traffic area. However, whether you’re able to be physically outside or not, there’s so much peace and joy to be found in nature that our littles can miss out on if we don’t intentionally invite them to that experience.

My Pet Dragonfly invites you outside and invites you to be curious about the outdoors. For babies, it’s engaging and fun with sight and sound words that draw them in with every turn of the page. For the toddlers and above, it’s causing their little imaginations to stir and welcome joyful thoughts about “bugs.” For adults, it’s a reminder of simpler times when we were banished to play outside by our exhausted parents, and ended up having a ball. This book connects caregiver and child in a way that most books in the market today simply can’t.

“My Pet Dragonfly” is a labor of love and a wish for all parents/caregivers, like me, to find a slice of joy while reading to their little one. My belief is that there is a true bond that forms between parent and child when simply reading and enjoying nature together. Our babies need us to remember life before it got complicated. We will be a happier family for it!