Behind-the-Scenes Look: My Thoughts Have Wings

From bedtime conversations to picture book

Hi, Friend.

Somehow it’s the new year. 2024 sounded so futuristic to me when I was a child, but alas we’re still waiting on the personal jetpacks I thought we’d have by now. And I work from home, so where would I would be blasting off to each day, anyway?

Next month I have a new book coming into the world, my very first book for children and one that’s very close to my heart. My Thoughts Have Wings, illustrated by the incredible Leanne Hatch, was inspired bedtime conversations with my own children. I wanted to share a little about how this book came to be.*

In 2020, both of my kids were grappling with a lot: the pandemic, the divorce, and their father’s impending move. Tucks-ins that year were often difficult. Frankly, I wasn’t sleeping well either. Weren’t many of us lying awake at night, staring at the ceiling or tossing and turning, our minds whirring like overheated laptops? I know I wasn’t alone in that.

When my son had trouble settling at night, telling me “I’m trying to think good thoughts, but the bad thoughts keep pushing them out of the way,” I wanted to fill him up with good thoughts before bed, and to crowd out as many of the worries and sad thoughts as possible. So this became our routine: listing happy memories and things to look forward to. And you know what? It helped.

This routine is one I wanted to share with other caregivers and other children, so I began developing it into a picture book manuscript. My Thoughts Have Wings is full of Rhett’s happy thoughts—in fact he and I call it “our book”—but it’s also an invitation for caregivers and children to think of and share their own happy thoughts.

What happy thoughts would fill your pages?

A sneak peek of a spread, illustrated by the incredible Leanne Hatch. This spread is extra-special, because it’s about fishing in the creek behind my parents’ house.

Recently someone asked, “What is your big hope for this book?” My answer was that my hope for this book is actually very small. Small, but meaningful. I hope this book makes bedtimes calmer, sweeter, and just a little bit easier for other families. We’re juggling busy days—work, childcare, caring for parents and other family members, managing our own physical and mental health, driving to activities and sports, helping with homework, volunteering, preparing meals…the list goes on and on. Bedtime is an opportunity to connect through books, songs, and conversations. And yet, when we or our kids are “cooked” at the end of the day—when we’re anxious, stressed, distracted, overstimulated—we may not connect the way we’d hoped.

I can’t be the only mom who’s wound up the music box, turned off the light, and walked out of a child’s bedroom only to come downstairs feeling wrung out or just plain sad. Maybe I didn't say what they needed to hear, or I wasn’t able to comfort them in a way that would “stick” and help them settle down and rest. (And yes, even now, I sometimes creep back in for a do-over. I’m yet to crawl back into bed with a grumpy kid, offering a simple “I love you” and a kiss on the forehead, and not be wrapped up in a big hug. I believe in the power of the do-over.)

“Offering a portrait of a family addressing a child’s fears, this mindfulness-oriented work explores accessible techniques whose practice offers pleasure, too.” —Publishers Weekly

My Thoughts Have Wings is being published on my birthday of all days—a complete coincidence, but it feels just right to me. And what do I want for my birthday this year? I’d love for you to pre-order a copy for yourself, your children, your nieces and nephews, your friend who’s expecting, your child’s preschool classroom, or your neighborhood little free library. And if you live in the U.S. and pre-order from my local indie bookstore, Gramercy Books, you can have your copies signed, personalized if you wish, and shipped right to your door.

If you’re in Central Ohio, we’ll be launching the book with story time and crafts at the Bexley Public Library on February 25. It’ll be a fun event for the whole family, so I hope you’ll join us.

Thank you for helping me shepherd this book—“our book”—into the world. It’s dear to us, and I hope it will be dear to you and yours, too.

Love & gratitude,
Maggie

*Pssst: paying subscribers, keep an eye out for a Sparks & Starts post about writing, revising, submitting, and producing this picture book, with an opportunity to ask questions, in case you’re curious about the process.