During the Covid quarantine a few years ago, I enrolled in an online course about writing children’s books. It was a step-by-step course on developing an idea, a theme, and a rhythm for the book.
Having just adopted a rescue dog, it was a theme that was very “top of mind” for me. Zinc was a dog without a family, a home, or a name – until we adopted her.
After writing a couple of full-length novels, writing a children’s picture book with 300 to 400 words happened pretty quickly. I knew what I wanted to say. I knew how I wanted the story to develop. And, I knew that I wanted profits from the book to be donated to rescue dog organizations.
What didn’t happen quickly was finding an illustrator. In my advertising career I worked with very talented illustrators and designers, and I was very particular about finding the right artist. No AI or stock images would do. When a former colleague, Mike Dowling, learned about the project, he said two words, “I’m in.”
With that, the collaboration began. Mike understood that this was a story about “becoming.” The first pages of the book are void of color—just black, white, and gray images. After the dog is rescued, color is gradually introduced as she receives a name and finds a home and a family.
The title of the book, Every Dog Needs a Kid, originated from a phrase I often told my sons: “Every boy needs a dog, and every dog needs a boy.”
Every Dog Needs a Kid is now available for purchase, with profits from the book going to Almost Home Canine Rescue – the organization where I found my rescue dog.
It’s a full-circle moment.