“What should I write about next?” I asked my kids.
“Write a story about a baby crab who goes to the market with his mommy and tries new foods,” said my five-year-old son, Dominic.
“You got it, babe!”
I gave the people what they wanted. We chose the name Bob because the kids had heard that name on Bluey and thought it was hilarious. Dominic originally wanted to name his character Poopy, but I couldn’t bring myself to write about a crab named Poopy.
Dominic helped choose the vegetables that Bob would try. I wanted to allow the character to dislike a vegetable. It’s unrealistic to expect children to like every vegetable we put in front of them. The message of the book is to try it. You will like some but not others, and that is ok! Both my kids despise tomatoes, so that was the veggie I sacrificed.
Lily, my eight-year-old daughter, also had a say. She came up with the names Squishy, Tickle, Socks, and Slippers for the crabs’ neighbors. I love being able to pull from my kids’ sense of humor!
The best part of writing Bob Goes to the Market was the day it arrived in the mail. My son shouted with joy and couldn’t wait to read it! It’s such a good feeling to see kids get excited about reading. It’s the reason I write.