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Frustrations and Challenges
This Book Is Not Ready! invites children to become part of the creative process as a book gradually takes shape through imagination, experimentation, and plenty of ridiculous mistakes. What inspired you to create a children’s book about a character trying to create its own story?
I’ve always wanted to create a character that was a little more expressive and unpredictable, someone who could break the fourth wall, be stubborn, make mistakes, and still find something positive in those mistakes. I wanted the Narrator to feel human in that way, even though he’s just a little scribbled character trying to figure things out.
Having already created two children’s books, I wanted to try something different with This Book Is Not Ready! My goal was to create a story that anyone could enjoy, whether they’re a young child, a teenager, or even an adult. I’ve always loved seeing people smile and laugh while reading my books, but some of my favorite moments are when they don’t realize I’m watching. I’ll catch someone out of the corner of my eye turning the book upside down or shaking it simply because the Narrator told them to. Those moments are exactly what I hoped to create: a story that doesn’t just entertain readers but actually pulls them into the experience and lets them have a little fun along the way.
How did you develop the personality of your scribbly little main character, and what do you hope children recognize about themselves in a character who doesn’t always know what to do next?
I actually based a lot of the Narrator’s personality on myself. As a relatively new illustrator, I’ve experienced plenty of the frustrations and challenges that come with creating a book, and I wanted to incorporate some of those experiences into his character. He’s stubborn, impatient, and sometimes a little dramatic when things don’t go his way, but he also refuses to give up.
Throughout the story, the Narrator encounters many of the same kinds of problems that writers and illustrators face, only exaggerated in a humorous way. Even when everything seems to be going wrong, and he doesn’t have the help of his author or illustrator, he keeps trying different approaches until he finally manages to complete his book.
I hope children recognize that it’s okay to make mistakes, get frustrated, or not know exactly what they’re doing. Nobody has everything figured out, and sometimes the things that go wrong can lead to something even better than what we originally imagined. I wanted the Narrator to show that a little determination, creativity, and a sense of humor can go a long way.
What do you hope children learn about experimenting with ideas and trying different approaches?
I hope children learn that creativity doesn’t always have to follow a perfect plan, and that sometimes our mistakes can lead to our best ideas. I’m actually someone who tends to be very particular about my artwork. I spend a lot of time correcting little details and making sure everything looks exactly how I imagined it. But creating This Book Is Not Ready! was a completely different experience.
Even though I started with a storyboard, I constantly found myself changing things as I went. I’d be illustrating a scene and suddenly think of something funnier or a different way the Narrator might react to the situation. Instead of sticking strictly to my original plan, I let those ideas shape the story. In many ways, I was discovering what would happen next right alongside the Narrator.
The mistakes, messy illustrations, and unexpected situations became some of my favorite parts of the book. I hope children take away the idea that they don’t have to get everything right the first time. Sometimes it’s worth trying something different, being a little silly, and seeing where their imagination takes them.
What kinds of creative activities or conversations would you love to see children explore after reading This Book Is Not Ready!?
More than anything, I hope the book inspires children to pick up a pencil, create their own characters, and come up with stories of their own without worrying so much about getting every little detail right. I want them to understand that drawing and storytelling don’t have to be perfect to be fun.
My youngest daughter, Charlotte, is actually a big part of why I started creating children’s books and was a major inspiration behind This Book Is Not Ready! One of my favorite things is sitting down and drawing with her. We don’t just draw pictures; we come up with silly ideas, invent ridiculous characters, and laugh at the crazy things we create together. Sometimes the most entertaining ideas are the ones we never planned in the first place.
I’d love for other children and their parents to experience that same kind of creativity together. Whether it’s drawing a funny character, making up a ridiculous story, or just seeing how silly their imaginations can get, I hope the book encourages them to have fun creating something of their own. Sometimes all it takes is a pencil, a little imagination, and the willingness to make a mess.
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What happens when a story has no plan, no plot, and a narrator who’s making it up as they go?
Follow along as a scribbled character tries to build a story from scratch — with your help.
Point, imagine, and laugh your way through a chaotic adventure filled with:
unexpected twists
oversized dragons
missing ideas
and a very opinionated squirrel
This isn’t just a book you read…
it’s a book you help create.
Perfect for interactive story time, this playful and unpredictable story encourages creativity, imagination, and lots of laughs for both kids and parents.
Packed with hidden jokes and silly surprises, it’s a story you’ll want to read again and again.
This Book Is Not Ready!
This Book Is Not Ready!, written and illustrated by JWoodall.Art, turns the making of a story into a lively children’s book. Its central character is a wide-eyed, scribbly figure who discovers that it’s inside a book and immediately starts worrying about the missing plot, scenery, and supporting cast. What follows is a string of creative experiments, complaints, costume changes, and mishaps, with the reader recruited as a helper. The character’s exaggerated reactions give the book its personality: it’s bossy, easily flustered, and eager to keep things moving. There’s something funny and inviting about watching this little figure try to manage a project that keeps growing beyond its control.
The reader participation is one of the book’s strongest features. Shaking the book sends a jumble of objects tumbling across the page, including a banana, a treasure chest, and a rubber chicken. Pointing out a green crayon helps get the scenery started, while turning the book upside down creates a fresh problem for the character. These prompts make page turns feel like part of the action, and they give an adult reading aloud plenty of chances to pause, invite a response, and play up the surprise. The humor also moves between straightforward silliness and jokes about storytelling, such as a plot hole becoming an actual hole that needs construction work. Some references, including craft services and aviation approval, seem especially likely to amuse the grown-up sharing the book.
The illustrations carry much of the comedy. The main character’s round head, wiry limbs, and dark, crosshatched body keep its expressions easy to follow, from suspicious sideways glances to full-on panic. Against pale, textured backgrounds, bright crayons, yellow sticky notes, green trees, and scattered props stand out clearly. Slanted panel borders add movement, and oversized drawing tools make the act of creating this picture book feel physical. I especially liked the trees that resemble broccoli and the enormous dragon whose size overwhelms its creator. A small squirrel keeps appearing in different roles and situations, giving children an extra detail to track on another reading. As the pages fill with jungle foliage, outer space, and a winding path to a castle, the expanding artwork makes the character’s progress visible.
The book’s pace is busy and episodic, with each attempted solution opening the door to another joke. A search for coffee and a wardrobe inspection stretch out the preparations, so the experience works best when readers enjoy the character’s detours and the running commentary. The final castle doorway gives all that activity a satisfying destination, even as it suggests another adventure is waiting ahead. The closing thanks to the reader fits the book’s shared approach to invention, and the last pages of sticky notes keep the jokes going through squirrel complaints and reminders to buy more crayons. It’s a cheerful choice for children who like talking back to a book, spotting small visual surprises, and imagining how stories get made. Its most appealing idea is that a messy beginning can be enough to get everyone creating together.
Pages: 39 | ASIN : B0DKJRMJSS
My Friends and I Spot Fantasyland: A Puzzle Picture Book
My Friends and I Spot Fantasyland is the kind of puzzle book that feels like story time and play time rolled into one. It follows Evan and Page through a colorful fantasy world packed with hidden objects, magical creatures, and fun little surprises on every page. What makes it especially charming is that it doesn’t just ask children to read, it invites them to look closer, explore, and really interact with the book. It has that classic hidden-object appeal, with the same kind of excitement that made those puzzle pages in kids’ magazines so memorable.
One of the things I appreciated most is how fun this book feels. The illustrations are charming, and that gives the whole adventure a warmth and personality that really works for this kind of picture puzzle book. The artwork is bright, imaginative, and full of detail, so younger readers can still enjoy the search-and-find elements without getting frustrated. I also liked that there’s a light storyline running through the book, which gives children a reason to keep turning pages instead of just treating it like a random collection of puzzles.
The digital version works perfectly too, since kids can take it anywhere and enjoy the search-and-find fun on the go. The story has a fun old-school feel that reminds me of a classic text adventure mixed with a traditional search-and-find book. There isn’t a lot of text to read, but readers will find plenty of fun in soaking up the details on each page.
My Friends and I Spot Fantasyland is a fun and imaginative puzzle picture book that is perfect for children who love spotting hidden details and exploring fantasy worlds. The real joy is in the adventure of searching through each scene and discovering all the little touches tucked into the artwork. It’s an entertaining pick for children, a great shared activity for families, and the kind of book that can easily be enjoyed in classrooms. It seems like the sort of book that could keep kids happily busy while also entertaining adults.
Pages: 38 | ISBN : 978-1999481384
Truly See
Luna’s Colour Quest follows a little fox who receives a vintage camera and a simple challenge from her grandmother, who discovers that the most beautiful moments aren’t always captured on film, but felt with the heart. What inspired you to create Luna’s story?
I was inspired to create the story of Luna when I would daydream about spending time with my daughter, and wanted to create something that I could share with her when she gets older.
The story explores the difference between looking and truly seeing. Why was that important to you?
I believe that to “truly see” is to allow yourself to be present in a moment, which can sometimes get lost in the noise of technology today, so making that distinction was very important to me.
The watercolour illustrations are very soft and nostalgic. What did you want children to feel when they open the book?
I wanted the world of Willowbrook to feel “lived-in,” so when a child opens the book, they’re dropping straight into Luna’s life, as it’s happening, and they feel a sense of anticipation and excitement along with Luna.
Will Luna return in future adventures?
I honestly thought of this being a one-off story, since I’m a first-time author, but after finishing, I’ve been motivated to explore future stories for Luna.
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When Luna receives a beautiful old film camera from her Grandma Fox, she’s given a simple challenge: “Look closely at the world around you.”
As Luna sets off on a colourful picture-taking adventure, she soon discovers that seeing is just as important as capturing.
Luna’s Colour Quest is a heartwarming picture book and the beginning of a gentle adventure about curiosity, creativity, and learning to slow down and notice the magic in everyday moments.
Perfect for children ages 3 – 7, this story celebrates imagination, colour, and the loving bond between grandparents and grandchildren, reminding young readers that some memories are best captured with the heart.
Luna’s Colour Quest
Rayhaan Jay’s Luna’s Colour Quest is a picture book that feels comfortingly familiar, yet still nudges readers to see the world with new eyes. From the first pages, the fairytale-style illustrations create instant warmth. They make the story easy to settle into. I especially love the watercolour backgrounds. They lend each spread a calm, softly dreamlike glow. Children will be drawn to the richness of the palette. Adults may feel a quiet pull of nostalgia.
At the centre is Luna, a little fox who receives an old film camera from her grandmother for her birthday. A simple prompt follows: photograph things in her favourite colour. That small idea opens into something larger. Luna begins noticing details she once skimmed past. Dew resting on a spider’s web. The fine curve of petals on a flower. Tiny moments that often vanish in the rush of the day. Each discovery becomes a lesson in attention. Not just looking, but truly seeing, then choosing what to hold onto.
The message that lingers is gentle and clear. The book encourages children to appreciate what’s around them. It also offers a quieter reminder. Not every moment needs to be captured to matter. Some experiences are valuable simply because they are felt. Seen. Lived. That idea lands with real emotional clarity, especially now, when so much is processed through screens.
There’s also something moving in knowing the author is a photographer with a deep care for preserving memory. That background gives the story a personal undertone. It feels rooted in a sincere desire to help children observe more closely, and to meet the everyday world with creativity and wonder.
Visually, the book is truly lovely. My favourite part is the way the colours bring softness and life to every page. The effect is calm. Immersive. Inviting. Young readers will linger over the illustrations, hunting for small details in the same spirit as Luna.
Luna’s Colour Quest is a warm, thoughtful picture book that balances simplicity with emotional meaning. It invites children to slow down, observe, and appreciate the beauty already present in their everyday lives. I loved the visuals, and I think children will too.
Pages: 28 | ASIN : B0GF92L551
The Seal of Thomerion
Daniel J. Heck’s The Seal of Thomerion captivates with its interactive format, immersing readers in a meticulously crafted fantasy world. The story follows you, the reader, in the role of a veteran dwarf on a dangerous quest to save your friend Fedwick, who is suffering from a deadly and mysterious curse. Set in the enchanting land of Ambrosinia, the novel offers multiple pathways and endings, making each reading experience unique. Your choices throughout the story directly shape the characters’ fates, leading to one of 49 possible outcomes.
The novel’s standout feature is its inventive storytelling method. The interactive format introduces a level of immersion that traditional narratives struggle to achieve. Every decision carries significant weight, and the immediate repercussions make the story more engaging. The branching narrative isn’t just a clever addition; it deepens the story by allowing readers to uncover various facets of the world and its rich lore. This variety encourages repeated readings, with each session revealing fresh dimensions of the plot and character dynamics. Heck’s writing is vivid and rich in description, bringing the world and characters to life with great detail. The expansive narrative paths allow for deep exploration, though some sections offer a more leisurely pace that invites readers to fully immerse themselves in the story’s richness. The characters are skillfully developed, each with unique personalities that come alive through their dialogue and actions. The protagonist, driven by a strong sense of loyalty and honor, is relatable, and his interactions with others, such as the thoughtful and occasionally humorous cleric Bartleby, add significant depth to the narrative. The book excels at making readers genuinely care about the characters’ fates, making the choices within the story even more impactful.
The Seal of Thomerion is a must-read for enthusiasts of interactive fiction and fantasy. Its innovative format, paired with a compelling narrative and well-crafted characters, offers a refreshing twist on the genre. This novel is ideal for readers who enjoy immersive storytelling and seek a narrative that goes beyond the conventional linear structure.
Pages: 511 | ASIN : B00THH6GQ4
The Seal of Thomerion and its two sequels, The Gate to Thomerion and The Wrath of Thomerion, are self-published works on Amazon in print or ebook format.
