Why so many children's books are exhausting to read (and what I'm doing about it)

As a parent, I love reading with my son. Cuddled up together, winding down after a big day—it’s one of the sweetest parts of our routine. And something I looked forward to most in parenthood.

But here’s what no one told me:

• So many picture books are way too long to keep the attention of young ones.

• Some are hard to read in low lighting. (Did no one think of parents lying on beds to calm their kids, low lighting to prepare them for sleep?)

• And more than once, I’ve literally fallen asleep mid-sentence while reading to him.

(Sorry, little duck. Mama’s tired. I know I wake up waaay to early to survive warm, cosy cuddles without dozing off!)

As an author, I’ve started noticing these things more and more—especially during daycare visits, where under-fives lose attention fast and love to interrupt mid-page to tell me they’ve seen a dinosaur before... or that they've been on an aeroplane. 😂

So I thought… why don’t we write books that actually work for these moments? I have my feet on both worlds. Perfect timing.

I’m now designing my children’s books to be:

• Short & snuggly (finished before toddler or parent wiggle away)

• High-contrast & easy to read, even in low lighting

• Interactive & movement-friendly for daycare and group reads

• Bedtime-approved, by me and my toddler

Because real life isn’t always storybook perfect—but the right book can still turn it into magic.

So from now on, you’ll see these little stamps on my kidlit stories:

✨ Kid-Tested. Bedtime Approved.

💤 Short & Snuggly Stories for Real Life Reading.

Let’s make storytime work for the whole family—tired grown-ups and giggling, wriggling kids alike.

Want to know more about what children's books are upcoming?

📚 Sign up on the homepage for my children's books with updates and behind-the-scenes fun! You’ll hear all the latest on stories like:

🐥 Little Puddle Duck — SPLASH!

A splashy, stompy, rainy-day romp designed for under-fives (and sleepy parents). 💛

🐵 Haru & Yuka's second book

A snowy, silly bath-time story about onsen-loving snow monkeys—perfect for helping kids fall in love with the bath!

🦊 Little Moon Fox and Little Sun Bear

A companion picture book duology I hope to submit to trade soon. Wish me luck!

🌙 I'm even writing two books in Japanese first, which I’ll translate into English later. One’s about an owl finding a new home for a bit of nature learning, and the other is a funny story about the crazy things children get their parents to do (heehee).

A lot of fun adventures are coming—thank you for joining me on this journey. 💛

Happy reading!