It Was a Board Book… Until It Wasn’t

  “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”

— A. A. Milne

When I first imagined Bye-Bye, Boobies, I thought it would be a board book. One of those short, simple, and sturdy books. You know, the kind of story toddlers could turn over in their hands, maybe even chew on a little. But as I began sketching, writing, and reworking the pacing, the book quietly started asking for more space.

Board books are beautiful in their simplicity. Some of my own favourites, like Goodnight Moon, which lives on our shelf beside The Runaway Bunny, say so much with so few words and pages. Still, the story I was working on didn’t quite fit that format.

I wanted Bye-Bye, Boobies to capture something gradual: the soft letting go that happens when a child begins to wean from breastfeeding. Not a single “last feed” moment, but a series of quiet transitions in bedrooms, at the park, and on airplanes. At the end of writing, much to my surprise, there was too much story to cram into those 16 pages, or even 24.

So I let the book grow up a bit to where it ended up today, 32 pages!

Switching to a picture book format also gave me a little bit more room to breathe. I could spend time with each little moment. I could include extra visual details for toddlers to find, like a butterfly in the corner or a hint or two of Canada. The change also meant reworking the layout and thinking through how each spread would flow. It has been a pretty steep learning curve, but I think that the story feels better for it.

Another practical reason reason behind the format change is that print-on-demand works better with standard picture book sizes. Board books usually require bulk printing and storage, which is not ideal when you are self-publishing your first title with no spare garage space. Choosing POD has let me keep creative control and hopefully get the book into readers’ hands more easily.

I’m starting with the hardcover edition first, coming this year. I've just finished the final sketches this weekend and let me tell you, I have a huge appreciation for illustrators who do this day in, day out. Once that book is proofed and ready to go, I will focus on developing both the softcover and ebook versions as well.

There may still be a board book in my future, but this particular story needed to unfold at its own pace. Looking back to where I had originally planned, I’m glad I took the time to let it as it feels complete now.

Want to see more of the books that inspired this one? You can visit our Books We Love page or return to littlegoodbyes.ca to explore more.

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