Behind the Scenes Insight #1 - Make it Relatable

D is for Dentist

I’ve already mentioned that I hope this book is a “Swiss Army Knife” of sorts. I had a lot of goals when writing the book that I hope are easily accomplished in the hands of little readers. I thought it would be fun to give you some behind-the-scenes insights into both the language and illustrations of my new picture book!

Insight #1 is a special one for me. When I read books with my daughter, she often assigns real people in her life as the characters—she loves envisioning herself and those she loves in the story! In an effort to really normalize the healthcare setting for children, I made it a mission to ensure children could picture themselves within the pages of this story—both as the patient and the hero.

With a diverse range of characters, you’ll notice children and professionals of all different backgrounds and abilities. On the cover alone, the dentist has hearing aids and the child has a large space between her two front teeth!

But they don’t have to relate simply by appearance. They can relate to the characters in the situations and settings themselves. “Hey look! That boy goes to speech therapy too!” “My mom needed help feeding the baby when she was born.” “Whoa—that boy is smiling when he gets a shot! I’ve gotten a shot before, but I didn’t smile. Maybe I can try next time!”

And I really hope our little dreamers envision themselves as the heroes on the page as they see all the different jobs they can have when they grow up. Those who like to be in on the action can be emergency service providers. Those who prefer to work at a computer and love writing can be journal copy editors. And those who want to play in a gym when they grow up can become occupational therapists!

As children flip through the pages, I hope they are half as excited as my daughter is to see the colorful and realistic illustrations—and that they can imagine themselves in the leading roles.