Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny by Emily Ann Davison

Debut picture book author, Emily Ann Davison, shares her story with us today- her love of books and her hopes of becoming an author!  Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny is written by Emily, with illustrations by Deborah Allwright.  It is published by Nosy Crow.

 

 

Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny

I have always enjoyed books and writing, ever since I was a young child. It wasn’t really a huge surprise then that as a grown up I returned to my love of writing. For many years, I worked with young children and this is where I discovered my passion for children’s books. During my teacher training, a picture book idea popped into my head one day and I wondered if maybe I could become a children’s author. That was all the way back in 2005. But it wasn’t until 2016 that my publication journey really began. I sadly lost my dad and it was a bit of a wake-up call for me. I suddenly thought that I should be doing all of these things that I’ve never had the confidence to do. My Dad was always such a huge support to me and always told me to follow my heart. It was then that I made the decision to do everything I possibly could to make my dream come true: become an author. I told myself I would keep trying until I’m 80!

There are lots of things I have done along the way that have helped me in my publication journey. As a writer, there are many things that are out of your control, and I’ve always tried to concentrate on what I can control.

One thing I did was throw myself into the world of picture books. I read lots and lots of them, old ones and new ones, and really sat and analysed them, thinking about them a little more deeply. I also became a children’s book reviewer for the My Book Corner blog and Macmillan Cancer.

Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny was by no means one of the first stories I wrote. Many, many, MANY stories were written before it. Each and every one of them helped me learn and develop the craft of writing. I am still developing and learning, and truly think it is important to realise that we are always learning.

I have always been determined to keep going, keep learning and keep developing my writing, even when it has felt as though I was getting nowhere fast.

I am a graduate of the Golden Egg Academy Picture Book Programme and over the years, I have attended many other writing workshops and masterclasses. It was during the Golden Egg Academy Picture Book Programme that I wrote the very first draft of a story that was to become Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny, during a writing exercise. It was a story about a family of monsters doing meditation.

A few months later, my daughter had been finding it hard to feel calm at bedtime, and we started trying different types of relaxation techniques to help. One thing that really helped was yoga! I suddenly remembered about the monster meditation story, so I dug it out and transformed it into a story about yoga.

The Children’s Book Circle held an event in the Nosy Crow offices, and I went along, taking my little story about yoga with me. I just happened to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right story, and that is how Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny found its publishing deal. The story is about yoga, calm and mindfulness and features an excitable bunny called Yo-Yo! I have always been a huge fan of Nosy Crow books, and feel so proud that my debut is publishing with them, in collaboration with The National Trust.

One of the first picture books I ever came across was The Night Pirates, written by Peter Harris and illustrated by Deborah Allwright. It felt like serendipity when Nosy Crow paired me with Deborah Allwright for Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny. I have been absolutely blown away by her wonderful illustrations. She has perfectly captured the essence of Yo-Yo, and the scenery in the book is beautiful.

I have been really lucky to be surrounded by supportive writer and illustrator friends throughout my journey. There are many highs and lows, and having a network around you makes the journey easier and more enjoyable. I am thankful to each and every one, and they have all been so supportive during Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny’s publication journey.