I am currently a Communication major with a concentration in Public Relations. While I can’t say that I necessarily dislike my major, I always find myself continually drawn to the idea of writing, not for company press releases, but instead for children’s book stories.
I think part of the reason this idea appeals to me is that for many people these stories from the books and tv shows we liked at this time stuck with us. In fact, what prompted me to write this article was my own expression to a friend of a sort of overwhelmed feeling with how much “real-world” stuff I have to think about. In response to this, I sent her pictures from the children’s TV shows Little Bear, Franklin, and Kipper, saying something along the lines of wishing I could live inside of those peaceful pictures for a little while.
The content we consume as children sticks with us, and I think, in some cases at least, works in part to make us who we are. I watched a ton of shows about nature and animals and unsurprisingly have loved and been fascinated by both throughout my life. After I had sent those aforementioned messages to my friend, I went and watched the ‘Franklin’ theme song and teared up. These shows hold wonderful lessons in their little worlds, and when we grow older they hold memories of simpler days. The shows and stories from our youth provide a kind of comfort for our older selves that is hard to find elsewhere. Especially when things feel a bit stressful or the world feels just a little bit too “loud”, sitting down and reading your favorite Winnie The Pooh (a forever favorite of mine) book can transport you back to a time of less responsibility, less endless thoughts, less “loudness”.
To be able to write or create something that has such an impact on someone, and such a meaning for them throughout their life I think would be so incredibly rewarding. Their stories can be as zany or grounded as they want. They can choose to teach kids about the world around them or about dragons and entire universes contained in tin cans. And no matter how insignificant or silly they might think their story is, chances are it will be a huge deal for some kid somewhere in the world. Maybe their story is the first time that kid has seen someone like themselves in a book, or maybe their story just reminds that kid of their pet bunny Mr. Snuffles. Either way, those stories are incredibly special and powerful for what they mean to young people.
Another reason I envy those with this job is that as someone who loves all things artistic I can only imagine how fun it would be to try doing the illustrations for your stories as well and see the whole thing come together just how you pictured it. Especially true for younger kids, oftentimes the pictures are what we remember most about the story itself. The choice to use a specific color scheme, art style, or background can all affect the story, and the pictures can help launch a million ideas in the brilliant imaginations of young minds.
While this career path might not perfectly align with my major, I can always get some practice writing done on the side and warn my loved ones in advance if they randomly receive duck stories in the mail. For anyone else who always thinks of writing stories, I would encourage them to utilize their phone’s notes app as a way to keep up with and develop the ideas that pop into their heads. Sometimes the ideas we have as a joke turn out to be some of our best. And to all those who played a part in making any children’s stories possible, I say a big “thank you.”