Inspiration is an interesting concept. So many things can inspire us to create works of art or to get motivated to do things: nature, good weather, an overflowing hamper (okay, maybe not so much on that last one). In my case, the inspiration for one of my picture books, The Kangaroo Pouch, came from necessity. At the time the book was originally conceived (2004), children’s books introducing the concept of surrogacy were unavailable in the retail market. As a parent, I like to use books as conversational spring-boards when I have to talk to my children about complex topics. I was about to become a compassionate gestational surrogate on behalf of a family member and needed a book to help me explain the situation to my children. Since there were none, I wrote and illustrated The Kangaroo Pouch. It wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done.
Original Version of The Kangaroo Pouch
I discovered that my children would often refer the book throughout the pregnancy and afterwards. They would discuss the various stages with each other and would bring the book over to me to ask questions. I realized that they were using it like a “What To Expect” manual and that’s when I thought that perhaps other surrogate families would get some benefit out of it too. I changed the book to reflect a gender neutral couple and had it professionally illustrated.
Professional Version of The Kangaroo Pouch
