Why Felt Illustrations?

When deciding how to illustrate How the Clownfish Got its Name, I knew that I wanted the pictures to be simple and childlike. I didn't want fancy illustrations that detracted from the message of the story, and wanted just a few colors to stand out. Since I knew that many children would be reading the kids ebook on their Kindles, I also realized that complicated images with many colors would not look good on that platform.

I actually landed on the felt idea one morning while playing with my daughter. She has a book that is made up of two scenes, upon which you can place different felt characters and objects. She adores this book and has a great time arranging the felt figures and talking about what they are doing. It really gets her imagination going. While she was playing with this book, I thought about creating my own felt scenes for the clownfish and his friends. I hoped that this would add an endearing element to the book and complement the story.

How the Clownfish Got its Name: Inspiration for the Book

I have had the idea for this children's ebook in my mind for a long time. In fact, I created a very simple version with my own illustrations many years ago. Unfortunately, aside from the fact that the illustrations were not too great, the book didn't survive my dog's puppy stage!

How the Clownfish Got its Name
The message of the story is simple but important. It reminds children to find their own strengths and to be proud of themselves as individuals.

After the birth of my first daughter, I realized just how important this message is. After her first birthday, I started thinking about the book again and felt compelled to create the story in honor of my beautiful girl.

My daughter is very unique in many ways, and in her very short time in this world she has taught me that "perfection" is not about being the fastest, strongest or smartest. It's about being exactly who you are, and finding your own strengths. The little orange fish in the story compares himself to everyone else, and feels so sad that he can't be like the other fish in the ocean. In the end, however, he realizes that he is special in his own right, and has so much to offer others. I know that my little girl has great things to bring to others around her, and I hope that I can help her find things in life that she is passionate about to give her confidence and joy.