How I Started Writing and Illustrating Children’s Stories

by Andreia Chavis-Douglas

I have always loved reading books and enjoyed the adventures they take me on. This is probably because my mom read to my sisters and me when we were children. One of my favorite stories as a young child was about a young clam named Clem Clam, “A Story of the Happy Clam Family” by Edythe A. Laws. Sadly, it is out of print now, so I cannot read it to my family.

As a teenager, I penned stories for my younger sister. Later, as a new mom, I wrote and illustrated stories about my oldest daughter to amuse her. Now as a grandmother I have continued the tradition by writing and illustrating stories featuring my grandchildren for their entertainment. Instead of using a drawing board and paper, I now illustrate their stories on my computer.

My seven-year old grandson is always asking his mother to make him pancakes. He loves to eat pancakes and will eat a large stack of them. He recently lost his two front teeth, which I think make him an adorable character. One day my daughter, grandchildren, and I were on our way to a pancake house for breakfast and I asked my grandson, “Do you like pancakes?” He exclaimed, “Yes, I do!” The idea for an illustrated storybook was born…