Author Ann Marie Kraus held a book signing for her children’s book “When I See Through My Eyes” at Wren and Purl Saturday, Oct. 26.
Kraus, a former elementary librarian, said the idea for the book came about sometime roughly two years ago. As she was starting the writing process, she worked with the Society of Childrens Book Authors and Illustrators in the process.
Kraus stated that she had this idea for approaching looking at other’s differences through children’s eyes in the writing process.
As she started the writing process, she said she kept thinking the book would work best with something like the watercolors of Jo Myers-Walker.
“At one of the next meetings I attended, I bumped into Jo,” Kraus said.
The duo worked on the book over the span of two years from conception to self publishing. Kraus also thought it would be fun to take this book, which was written in most of a poem and set that to music.The book has a link to the Iowa City Children’s Choir performing “When I See Through My Eyes.”
During Saturday’s reading, however, her grandchildren Abby, 11, and Emmy, 8, sang the book as Kraus flipped the pages. Kraus said that the self publishing route was faster than traditional publishing of a children’s book.
“Even that is a scary route that if you don’t know what you are doing, is fraught with potential danger,” Kraus said. “Working with others who have went through that process, we were able to find the right publisher to work with and allow me to do the ala carte process.”
Kraus said she hasn’t put as much effort into self-promoting the book to schools, libraries and other areas as she should. Libraries she is worried about the cost of making sure the book is bound in hardcover, as she chose to self-publish in soft cover.
Mandy Farber-Moellering, who teaches at a preschool, said that this book is one of the children’s favorite. The child who speaks Spanish and is learning English has items she can easily identify on pages and has shown her development in learning English through repeated readings.
Copies of “When I See Through My Eyes” are available at Wren and Purl.