Where Do Kids’ Book Ideas Come From?

(Hint: Not Always the Way You Think)

People sometimes ask where my ideas come from.

The honest answer?

Everywhere… and occasionally from complete chaos.

Some ideas are intentional.

Some show up uninvited.

And some get tossed into a mental “reject pile”—only to come back later like they have unfinished business.

The Frog (Yes, Really)

Coquí Chiqui didn’t come out of nowhere.

He’s an homage to my mother, who was from Puerto Rico—where the coquí frog is more than background noise. It’s part of the culture, the rhythm, the feeling of home.

Chiqui just happens to be a little more talkative… and much more interested in turning everything into a song.

The Kids (Who Are Not Tiny Dictators)

The Drew and Lucy series started with a simple goal:

Let kids be creative. Let them be curious. Let them be kids.

But also… maybe don’t reward behavior that turns them into tiny, adorable dictators.

There’s a balance.

These stories live in that middle space—where imagination is encouraged, feelings matter, and boundaries exist for a reason.

The Reject Pile (It’s Real)

Not every idea makes it.

Some get written down and quietly abandoned.

Some feel brilliant for about ten minutes… and then less so.

Some are genuinely terrible and deserve their fate.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

Ideas don’t really go away.

They resurface.

They evolve.

They come back in a different form—sometimes better, sometimes weirder, occasionally both.

So Where Do Ideas Come From?

A mix of:

– memory

– observation

– curiosity

– and a willingness to follow something just long enough to see what it becomes

Sometimes it’s a story.

Sometimes it’s a song.

Sometimes it turns into something I didn’t plan at all.

Final Thought

If something I create feels a little unexpected, slightly different, or just a bit off—in the best possible way—

There’s a good chance it started as a throwaway idea that refused to stay thrown away.

Want to Explore More?

You can explore all of my books, projects, and slightly unexpected ideas here:

[Books & Projects]

Or scan below to visit my author page:

(Scan to view all books and projects)