"At least once in life, Heaven gives each creature a clear view of the universe. In that instant, we know exactly who we are. Too often, though, as the moment passes, our understanding fades. That didn't happen to Billy. Her illumination lasted a lifetime..."

Such was the opening of the first picture book manuscript I submitted to a critique group. I loved that opening by my narrator, an inchworm, hanging from a maple tree. To me, he eclipsed the insight and charisma of Jiminy Cricket.

I was so PROUD of him! But, my word choice didn't match the age level of my intended audience. Also, children's publishers didn't seek narrators like Carlo Collodi's in The Adventures of Pinocchio, published a hundred years earlier.

I still cherish my narrator and learning how to tell better stories in words and art.