Making a Children’s Picture Book

I’m currently working on writing and illustrating a children’s picture book and am looking for representation from a literary agent. If you can help me tell my story about orange ribbons and the power in community, I’d love to work together.

Based on true events: there are big, bright orange ribbons tied all over town and on Charlie’s way to see them all he learns what it means to be part of the heart of community.

TIE AN ORANGE RIBBON is a heartwarming picture book based on a viral display of support in a small town in upstate New York – Chatham. When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, my parents hung two orange ribbons – the color for leukemia – outside my childhood home. The entire town responded with thousands of ribbons all tied by the local florist.

The story that I’ve written and illustrated about Charlie is light-filled, flowy, and journeying. It’s an imagined tale of a child learning to help someone, not out of pity, but because of the hopefulness and love he sees from the community around him. Even though this story is my story, I intentionally left myself out (but I did include small nods like “the berry farm” to the real Chatham). My hope is that even without talking about cancer, illness, or anything emotionally heavy, this story will help guide children – and their parents – to know how to help someone that’s hurting, and to understand that even very small gestures can make big, bright impacts.

FILE UNDER: Illustration