Debut picture book author Emily Ann Davison shares her tips and experience about writing a picture book.

‘Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny is a story about yoga, calm and mindfulness, written by me and beautifully illustrated by award-winning Deborah Allwright. It is published by Nosy Crow, in collaboration with The National Trust. The story is about Yo-Yo, a fidgety, bouncy, can’t-sit-still-ever type of bunny. Her Grandpa suggests the bunnies try yoga, but even that doesn’t stop Yo-Yo wiggling and giggling. But later, when she finds herself lost in a dark forest, she discovers that Grandpa’s yoga can help after all.

‘Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny is my debut picture book, and for this reason it’s a really important book for me. It was a dream come true to get a book deal, and I’m still waiting for someone to pinch me and I’ll wake up! I think an author’s debut book will always have a special place in their heart.

‘I honestly think the stars aligned for me! I just happened to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right story. I signed up to an event organised by The Children’s Book Circle, for oneto-ones with editors and agents, and it was held at the Nosy Crow offices. I took my little yoga story along with me… and the rest is history, as they say.

‘One of the tricky things about writing Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny was achieving the right balance between the story and the yoga element. I worked closely with my editor at Nosy Crow to ensure that the yoga moves didn’t slow down the pace of the story and that they worked seamlessly within it. At the end of the book, we have more detailed step-by-step instructions so children can stretch, feel calm and be a yoga bunny too.

‘If I could go back to the beginning of my writing journey and give myself three top tips, they would be…

‘Firstly, writing is a long game. It’s a marathon not a sprint. Don’t be in a rush to send things out to agents or publishers. Take your time and slow down. Your stories will be all the better for it. It’s helpful to give yourself a little distance from a newly written story, because often, when you look at it with fresh eyes, you can see what edits can help make your picture book text sparkle that little more.

‘Secondly, in complete contrast to that, don’t hold on to your stories forever. Pressing send can be hard, but if you would like to pursue a career in writing, then it’s no use keeping your stories in your notebook or on your laptop forever.

‘Lastly, don’t write to be published. Write for your own enjoyment. I think it’s very common for new writers to be focused on the end goal, but the thing is, the goal posts always shift. Writing is a long game, and focusing too much on pursuing a book deal can take the fun out of it, and sometimes make the writing journey feel stressful. When you step back, and write what’s in your heart, rather than what you ‘think’ publishers want, you’ll find that your writing will be stronger for it.’