Let's Play by Karen Tyrrell is a FUN interactive picture book for kids aged 0 to 5 focussing on play, illustrated by Maddi Gray at Little Brother and Co, published by Play Matters Australia.
Come discover all the fun and exciting ways children play. From supporting children's development, to the joys of playing together, there's plenty to celebrate about play!
The Inspiration behind Let's Play
My goal was to write a FUN interactive picture book about play that kids and families would love to read together. A story that children could sing, clap along, do playful actions, and connect with their parent and/or care-giver.
I'm the Children's Rights Ambassador for Logan, Queensland. This year our theme is PLAY.
What was the hardest thing about writing Let's Play?
The short time-frame. I had only 6 weeks to research, write and submit a polished manuscript that would stand out from other entries and satisfy Play Matters' detailed brief.
How did you overcome it?
- Read the submission brief carefully and multiple times. I printed it, circling keywords.
- Researched interactive books and songs about play. I borrowed over 20 books.
- Tapped into my lived experience as an early childhood teacher, as a playgroup co-ordinator, a singer in my school choir and participant in Baby Time (songs & rhymes) with my grandson.
- Brainstormed ideas, keywords and phrases, turning them into lines and pages.
- Then the rhythm of a song seeped into my heart and wouldn't let go.
- Every day I worked on the words, the rhythm, the rhyme, the repetition and adding little surprises to Let's Play. I created a proposal with a blurb, illustration notes, notes for parents, a bio and why I would be the best person to write this book.
- I received feedback from my hubby, Steve, and critique buddies at Write Links.
- I wrote two versions, one with 16 verses, the other with 32 verses and submitted them both for consideration.
What's the hardest thing about being an author?
To keep going and believe in oneself as a writer in the face of uncertainty and rejection. To juggle writing and rewriting multiple books simultaneously and hope that one story somehow resonates somewhere.
Recently, a publisher rejected a beloved manuscript that was close to getting published. One I'd invested considerable time and energy. I was heart-broken, but my creed is never give up.
How do you overcome it?
- Allowing my mind to develop a NEW idea, I started writing a NEW story, which gave me confidence to rewrite my OLD story.
- Read fiction and non-fiction books to extend my self-confidence, creativity and knowledge.
- Challenge me to enter NEW competitions, awards and submissions.
- Attend writing courses at QWC, AWC, SCBWI, Write Links or Book Links.
- The support and encouragement from my writing buddies at Write Links, Book Links and SCBWI. This has made all the difference.
- I studied how I could re-structure the story arc, the character's goals and re-write the sizzling start on my OLD manuscript. I reviewed feedback from the CYA Writing competition.
- I slowly rewrote the "rejected" manuscript using all of the resources and inspiration above.
KAREN TYRRELL is a Brisbane award-winning child empowerment author, Children's Rights Ambassador for Queensland, early childhood teacher, keynote speaker and workshop presenter.
In 2023, Karen wrote ANDY & GHOST BOY to empower kids to be brave and live strong.
LET'S PLAY is available from:-
https://playmatters.org.au/childrens-books/lets-play
www.karentyrrell.com/mybooks
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