Animals of All Shapes and Sizes - Book one and two

I wrote a book when I was ten.

It is called: Animals of all shapes and sizes.

It is dedicated to Pop, Briohny (my year 6 bestie) and Mrs Tighe (who was my year 6 teacher)

My Dad took it to his work and asked one of the secretaries if they would type it up for me.

Once it was typed up I had many copies made.

I painted each book cover individually (with Derwent water colour pencils) , some came up better than others.

I distributed them to the who's who of my family and friends - many still have a copy on the shelf!!!!

The prologue reads:

"Animals of all shapes and sizes is a book about all sorts of animals. From a cat that eats beards to a Loud Mouse - it is the first book by Sharni Montgomery"

the back cover has testimonies (which I remember making up, having asked no-one)

Student one: Cool!

Student two: Unpredictable!

Well, yep it was the first book and twenty years later, the follow-up is yet to hit the stands.

I thought I had better get on it.

I had a flick through Animals of all Shapes and sizes.

you know what?

I think it could be the second book.

It could be the first and the second book.

Sure it was self-published when I was ten - but there are a couple of poems in there that maybe could translate into something now.

Maybe I'm having myself on.

I have been daydreaming how it would make a wonderful marketing angle to publish a kids book that was actually written when I was a kid.

I can visualise being interviewed about this by Mel and Kochie

hahaha

- but seriously, I can

Visualisation is the key is it not?

One of the poems I wrote I will share, because I don't think it would make the cut due to animal cruelty issues:

But just to give you an idea of the style:

The Dog

The dog is at my window

howling for a bone

I wish the dog would go away

and leave poor me alone

The dog is at the window

howling for his dinner

because I just ignore him

the dog is getting thinner

so many of the poems are to this effect, but usually much kinder to animals.

I have zero idea about getting a book published - am purely running on an optimistic instinct here - I am sure there is a lot to consider.

But this is my goal.

My lifelong friend Lucia is an incredible artist and has some time up her sleeve and is working on some illustrations for me for one of the poems.

What do you think? A book I wrote when I was 10 getting made into a real book now I'm 30?

Worth a shot?

No idea what the next step to take is after we illustrate... anybody know?