Writing for kids = honesty

As a children's book author I'm sometimes asked to visit schools. These are fun days for me as it's a chance to get out and meet my audience. I use a PowerPoint presentation where I talk about writing tall tales and stretching the truth. Afterwards it's Q & A time.
Sometimes the questions are very focused, "How old are you?"
Sometimes I don't get questions, I get declarations, "I have a dog. He farts."
Honesty. That's what kids like.

Sometimes questions come because students have visited my website (kittygriffin.com) and they find something they want to ask me about. Like the first grade boy from a nearby school. I'd finished reading Cowboy Sam and asked for questions. This boy's hand was up in the air and he was bouncing on the wooden bleacher as if readying for take-off. I nodded to him and he asked, "Why don't you eat your ferret?"
I'm not often speechless, but for a moment I was.
I repeated the question back to him and added, "Why would you ask me that?"
He stared at me as though he was the teacher and I the little kid. "Well, on your website you talk about your chocolate ferret. Why don't you eat it?"
He spoke the truth. I do have a chocolate ferret. But she's like having a chocolate lab, that's her color.
But he saw chocolate.
Something to eat.
Oh...oh!!! He thought it was silly to call something chocolate if it wasn't.

Lesson learned--don't forget how literal children can take things. Pay attention, because they certainly will be. And they will catch you every time.

If you're a beginning children's writer and you have questions, try Harold Underdown's site, "The Purple Crayon." You'll find lots of interesting articles there.