I used to think children's books aren't serious art, but once I started reading books to my daughters I realized my mistake. There are good children's books and bad children's books. It doesn't take less effort to entertain a 3 year-old for 2 minutes as it takes to entertain a 30 year-old for 12 hours.
One of the best children's books I've read is Locomotive by Brian Floca. It's a sensory journey across the Old West via steam engine. It flows like poetry. The descriptions are accurate and fun. The artwork is detailed, immersive, and gorgeous. Best of all, Locomotive fires up the imagination of complex machinery and exploring new frontiers, worlds of technology and wonder.
But that's not good enough for some people.
Imagine being so "woke" that you find fault in children's books for not gutting the target audience's curiosity and sense of wonder. Misery loves company, I suppose, and the best way to make a person miserable is to teach them early.
There are too many people in the literary world who think like this, and I've come to accept the naiveté of ignoring clear ideological splits in the book market. I do not write for this kind of person. I want to take my readers on adventures, not jade their thinking with droll pedantry.
You can judge for yourself whether I've succeeded by reading the first 4 chapters of Seeds of Calamity for free. If it piques your interest, get yourself a copy at Amazon. I appreciate the support!
For a free digital copy of my debut book, Tendrils to the Moon, sign up for the mailing list on the right side of the blog page. Or, if you're viewing this on the mobile site, click here.
And as always, let me know what you think in the comments. I'll reply as soon as I can.
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