The inspiration behind You Two, You Two
You Two, You Two is my first children’s picture book.
I’ve written loads of stories. It’s been my dream to be an author since I very first learned to write. But almost all those stories sit nestled in a drawer, never to see the light of day.
Why is this one so important? Why is this one the book that gets published?
Well, it’s a lot to do with the inspiration behind the story.
It starts with Poppy, my eldest.
When Poppy was born, we read the same book to her every single night for a year. It was Alison Lester’s Kissed by The Moon. For those who haven’t read it, it’s a gentle bedtime story that is part lullaby, part wish to the universe of what you wish your child’s life will be like. Every time we read it, it was like we were making a wish.
“‘May you, my baby, sleep softly at night, and when dawn lights the world, may you wake up to birdsong.’”
Enter Patrick.
When Patrick was born, I wanted a similar kind of story. But I wanted the book to be about two kids. After all, I had Poppy on my lap too (and I certainly didn’t have enough steam to read two books every night, sleep-deprived and befuddled as I was). More than that, I wanted a wish to the universe of what their adventures could be together. The fun, the silliness, the downright-craziness. Something that flung wide their imagination, but also focused on the tiny moments that make up a family.
But I couldn’t find that story.
So I wrote it.
I wrote it one night during a 2am feed with Patrick on my breast and the other arm typing one-handed furiously on my phone. I had the rhythm repeating in my head, over and over again. I could hear the voice - probably my own - saying half-exasperated, half-bemused: ‘Oh, you two.’ I could sense the quiet, tender moments and I could feel the big, expansive imagination explosions. The Notes section of my phone had a half-written, patchy draft that night. And I kept re-writing it over the coming days, weeks and months until it was right.
The perfect gift - new baby books
As other friends had their second children, it dawned on me that I found it really difficult to buy them a gift. I always opt for books in general as a safe bet for a gift - but when your friends already have a child, how do you know what they have and don’t have? Well, this book is the answer to that. It’s the book that parents will give to other parents when they are about to have their second child. It’s the book that grandparents will give to their children, to read to their grandchildren. This book solves the problem of what to give when baby number 2 comes along.
The perfect baby book for siblings.
(Picture: Jade Warne @hipstermumsocial)
And so I knew I had to birth this book baby. I can’t tell you how excited it makes me feel to think that I will be able to read this to my two children while they are snuggled on my lap. That they will see the dedication and know that it’s for them. And that other parents may take joy in reading it to their own children, and that their children may find themselves in this book.
I’ve been careful not to make this book just for siblings, by the way. It was important to me that any two children - be they friends, cousins, twins, in a blended family - of any colour or gender - can see themselves in this book. I took great care to make it universal. I hope that anyone can enjoy the little and big moments within this bedtime story.
You Two, You Two will be available soon in 2021. Click here to sign up to hear when pre-orders are available.
