I’ve wanted to write stories since I was seven years old. But life got in the way, and my childhood dream was set aside. I became a teacher and it was only during COVID-19, when schools were closed and we worked from home, that I found the time to start writing children's stories. After cleaning my house from top to bottom, I craved something more meaningful to do!
Finding inspiration in Waldorf education
The twelve stories I wrote during that time explore themes of inclusion, diversity, and equity — important topics we had been focusing on at school in recent years. Like many of my stories, Tumbleweed, the Fairy Without Wings was inspired by my experiences at the Toronto Waldorf School. In Waldorf education, there is a deep reverence for the elemental kingdom — fairies, elves, and gnomes — and we often personify nature for young children.
The story follows Tumbleweed and Primrose, two fairies chosen by Mother Earth to guide the root children home for winter. When one of them, Pasha, goes missing, the fairies come to the rescue, together with Natti, a curious and spirited root child.
The initial idea of a fairy without wings came to me while I was meditating. Instead of long, flowing blonde hair like a Disney fairy, I knew right away that Tumbleweed would have curly red hair, wild like a tumbleweed, and large, expressive ears. It was also clear to me from the start that Tumbleweed would be able to fly — not with wings, but with the help of a raven. The story developed over time, but that initial image of a wingless fairy remained unchanged.
The decision to self-publish
I submitted all twelve of my stories to various publishing houses and patiently awaited their responses. One publisher expressed interest and selected Tumbleweed for publication. However, after reviewing their contract and previewing the work of illustrators from their pool, I realized none of their artistic styles resonated with me. That’s when I decided to self-publish. Knowing there was interest in my manuscript gave me the confidence to move forward on my own.
It was my husband who suggested I explore Reedsy when it came time to hire an editor and illustrator. He discovered the platform online, and I’m incredibly grateful for his recommendation — I don’t think I could have found a better team to bring my vision to life.
Honing my manuscript
I chose Jennifer Rees as my editor because of her extensive experience as a New York Times bestselling children's book editor and her 25+ years in the NYC publishing industry. Her specialization in picture books and her glowing reviews reinforced my decision.
Before hiring Jennifer, my manuscript was about 1,500 words long. She advised me to pare it down to no more than 600, reminding me that in a children’s picture book, the illustrations could carry much of the story. At first, it was difficult to cut sections of my story. I had worked so hard, and every word felt important. But in the end, I trusted Jennifer’s expertise.
The first step in reducing my word count was omitting sentences and details that could be illustrated. For example, the sentence:
“Hush, it’s time for bed,” replied Primrose, her cheeks red with embarrassment [...]
became:
“Hush,” replied Primrose [...]
After all, the illustrator could easily depict her flushed cheeks.
Next, following Jennifer’s guidance, I removed unnecessary descriptive words. Instead of writing:
They soared through the grey sky, perched on Raven’s back. Natti was nestled between the fairies, her eyes and mouth wide open in excitement. It was her first time flying anywhere, and she was thrilled to soar higher and higher [...]
I simply wrote:
Perched on Raven, they soared through the sky. Natti was wide-eyed with excitement. It was her first time flying.
That revision alone eliminated 20 words.
Finally, I cut parts of the story that weren’t essential to the plot. Did I really need to describe how Natti felt when she first saw Tumbleweed’s pet, Raven? No — that detail wasn’t crucial.
As an educator, I inherently know that less is more when selecting a story for young children. Even if the message and illustrations were beautiful, I wouldn’t read a book to my class that had too much text on each page. With Jennifer’s help, I was able to step back into the shoes of a teacher rather than an author and turn my book into something that I myself would choose to read with kids.
Finding the perfect illustrator
When I searched Reedy’s recommended illustrators, I immediately knew I wanted to work with Julianna Litkei. It was her illustrations of insects in her portfolio that sealed the decision. The way she depicted them was amazing — realistic, intricate, and full of detail. As we worked together, I learned that Julianna was a Waldorf graduate, which suddenly made perfect sense — I now understood why her illustrations resonated so deeply with me.
My collaboration with Julianna was a true partnership. I provided her with a basic vision and encouraged her to embellish as she saw fit. For instance, I specified that Tumbleweed should have red curly hair, Primrose should be depicted as Native American, the root children should have diverse skin tones, and Mother Earth should be a plump elderly woman with her hair in a bun. Julianna brought her own creative magic to the project — one delightful touch was illustrating Mother Earth with a bird’s nest nestled in her white bun.
The level of detail Julianna brought to each page left me absolutely captivated. She enriched the story so beautifully that I also hired her to design the front cover and interior layout of my book. Her contributions exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t have been more pleased.
To ensure the illustrations aligned seamlessly with the text, I also hired Jennifer to oversee the story's layout. Her guidance was truly invaluable, and I learned so much from her — for example, she prevented a single word from appearing alone on a line and pointed out that having two consecutive pages prominently featuring the main character’s backside wasn’t ideal!
Achieving my dream of publication
I chose to hold my book launch toward the end of November, as Tumbleweed takes place in autumn. The launch was a great success, with many Waldorf parents, colleagues, and alumni purchasing multiple copies in time for Christmas.
Before the end of this school year, I plan to attend several school conferences where I will be selling my book. Additionally, I have scheduled a number of author readings at local libraries. After the success of my first reading, I look forward to connecting with more young readers.
My book is available on Amazon and in various independent bookstores in Canada.
Self-publishing my children’s picture book has been an incredible journey — one filled with creativity, research, and immense gratification. If there’s anything I’ve learned from self-publishing, it’s to trust my intuition, explore different avenues, and persevere.
