Inspired by some over-enthusiastic social behavior on the part of my dog, Henry, I wrote a little ditty called Puppy Dog Jig.

My dog likes to dance,

Likes to wiggle waggle wig,

Likes to WOOF, WOOF, wiggle waggle,

Dance a puppy jig.

     WOOF, WOOF, wiggle waggle,

     Wiggle, waggle, wig.

     Wiggle woof, wiggle wag—

     Puppy Dog Jig!

While I refer to it as a “little ditty”, I didn’t just whip it out in one sitting. I worked long and hard on Puppy Dog Jig, completing several drafts and enlisting feedback from Heidi Bee Roemer, a professional poet. I mention this because, like anyone who’s ever written a picture book or a children’s song, it’s all too common to hear people declare how easy it must be to write one.

After submitting Puppy Dog Jig to a few publishers and receiving several rejections along the lines of, “Wow, it really made me want to get up and dance… but I’m not really a picture book.” I sent it to award-winning, singer-songwriter, Owen Duggan, and he put it to music! Better yet, he made Puppy Dog Jig the title track on his children’s album.

If you have a little one–BUY IT! Not just because I wrote the lyrics, but because it’s one of the best collections of children’s songs I’ve ever heard.