Why do I want to write for children?

All of my life, I have wanted to write. I did not care what people had to say about it. I did not want anyone to say, "You have the skills, knowledge, apptitude, or whatever." I have always wanted to write for children, just because. Maybe a part of it lies in the fact that I missed some things as a child, and I feel like I can make them up by writing for children.

I know a lot about children. I think that I know how they think, too. I love to see children excited by books and illustrations. They are so easy to please, and they do not judge the work as an adult. They look at it though "kid's eyes." I love that. They look at the simple things. Children explore things from a children's view. It is amazing. Life is simple to a child. I love that simple life.

I love to read children's books. I do not claim to have read the best or everyone's favorite, but I have favorites. I want someone to pick up my books one day and read them and love them. It is not an ego thing; it is a part of my heart that I want to share. I want others to see what I love.
Children are impressionable. They listen to what you say and they believe it. They are affected by the words and the pictures. They almost live them in most cases. I do not think it is easy to write for children. I think it is the hardest thing to do. Children can spot a fake a mile off and smell them even closer.

I want to write something that stands the test of time. I want to see it become a classic among children's books. It is not about money. It is about doing something worthy of being a children's book. That is why I write for children. I want them to see something in it that makes them smile. I want children to laugh. I want them to dream. I want a child to read something that I have written and say, "I can do that. I want to write a story. I want to write a book."

That is why I write for children.