The process of creating with my granddaughter has been such a delight!
When she was 7 years old we published Adventures of Princess Isabella the Leprechaun. Yes, she drew the book cover free hand, while looking at a picture of a leprechaun on her i-pad. The adventures began as bedtime stories when she was about three years old. I remember the week-end well, as there was a block party with streets blocked off to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Hence, her meeting a Leprechaun in the bedtime story that night.
Writing the book began only as a fun activity. Isabella loved to draw and we would spend hours arranging her stuffed animals and drawing them while talking and laughing. When her little brother arrived, my Grammie visits were even more frequent. What a blessing to have such a welcoming daughter-in-law! For one of these visits I decided to write a paragraph on each page so we could draw and color what was happening. It was such fun we added a section where others could personalize the story with their names, families, pets and then do the art work. Along with discussion questions to create teachable moments I decided to publish it as a tool for others to have the joy of creating together that we experienced.
That was so much fun Isabella wanted to write another book. This time she wanted it to be a chapter book because that is what mature 9 year olds read. Put a little more work on Grammie to fill up most pages with words instead of a few words with lots of pictures. I am the primary author, and she helps by editing the writing. I can usually tell by the expression on her face if we need a rewrite. If I've said something confusing, perhaps used a word she didn't understand, we'll talk about it. Once I explain the meaning, she will usually say, "So Grammie, why don't we just say it that way so my friends will understand." So we do! Isabella is the primary illustrator, but with her encouragement I help too. It is all about doing it together and having fun in the process.
She knew at the end of the first book that we had many more bedtime stories yet unwritten. Linking them together for a longer book at first was a bit choppy. With the wise counsel of my husband who recalled how much he enjoyed mysteries at her age, rewrites brought a thread of suspense throughout the book. We decided to title the book Missing Pots Mystery.