We all love telling our children a good story. We all remember our parents reading us to sleep. We all have cherished story books from when we were young. But have you ever thought what does it take to write and illustrate a good story book for children?
I had a chance to interview Sandra Smith, author of the critically acclaimed Princess Anastasia series of children’s book.What characteristics make a great storybook for kids?
Young children for the most part have short attention spans so a good children’s story should have action and adventure. And to please parents a lesson learned. Children will learn valuable lessons from a story that is exciting and has a purpose or a lesson to be learned. If the characters have personalities, they become real to them and children will travel through the story with the characters and feel what they are feeling. This is when they truly learn from the story.
What do the classic kids' stories that are still well-loved today have in common?
Fun and adventure, the characters have personalities, and an engaging storyline.
How can families choose books that kids will love, and adults will enjoy reading to kids?
Parents should find out what the book is about first before buying it. Most parents love children’s books that will teach them lessons. Children, for the most part, do not like to be told what to do or told, “No.” But if they read a story that has an adventure, so they can see why they need to obey, then they can see and understand. For example, choosing a story in which the parent tells them to not do something or go somewhere, but the character does not listen and gets in a lot of scary trouble, it gives the child something to see.
It has action, adventure, and a lesson learned.
Tell us about your books.
I am a Christian Author, so my books are Christian and faith-based. My Tim and Gerald Ray series are all books that ask a question about God that parents may find hard to answer. The characters are based on my two sons, one of whom has gone on to be with the Lord.
The characters go on an adventure and find out the answer to the question the book is about. My other books are also lessons learned books, like why it is important to obey.
I have two books that deal with that: Sassy Goes Exploring, and The Sheep That Went Astray-this one is based on the Prodigal Son story in the Bible.
I also have a book that deals with bullying called Molly’s Journey to Forgiveness.
People can find my books on my website:
What motivated you to write them?
What motivated you to write them? That is simple, God. He inspired me as a way of healing after my youngest son was killed, to write my first book. The name of the book just came to me and without wanting to before, I knew that this was the title of a book. It was called God’s Love and is about the many facets of His love. He took me on a journey through the Bible helping me to write this book and it was a healing journey as well. I have published 39 books, and I have 4 more in the works.
What’s the difference (at least for you!) between being a writer and an author? How do you shift gears between the two?
Writing is the process and being an author is talking about the one who wrote it. For the most part, I write when inspired or moved in my spirit, and when I follow through, it is more like taking dictation. The words just come to me with ease. So, feel as if the Holy Spirit is assisting me in writing.
Shifting gears comes with ease as I love to share the lessons the Lord has taught me. The lessons learned in the books I write, always come to me first then I love to share those lessons with others through the books I write.
What’s the oddest thing a reader has ever asked you?
I really have never had any questions asked of me that were odd. People for the most part ask me what motivates me to write, how I come up with the titles, and what is my favorite topic to write about.
The Lord inspires me, and He actually gives me the titles. The titles come to me and what they will be about. My favorite topic, is any topic that helps to heal the reader of an emotional wound because I have been there.
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