Your Future Is Bright

Author Q&A

Your Future is Bright is an uplifting picture book that celebrates the endless potential in every child. What inspired you to write this story?

When I was a kid, I remember worrying about what the future might hold, and whether or not I’d be able to succeed in what I set out to do. So I wanted to write a book that told kids to be excited about what’s to come, rather than fearful. In fact, the first drafts of this book went from the past to the present. It reminded them how helpless they were as babies, how incredibly difficult it was for them to go from that to all they could do today, and that compared to those achievements, everything else they do in life would be easy! But soon enough, it became a book that looked to the future, imagining who kids might grow up to be, based on who they are (and what they love) today.

There are so many heartwarming moments in this story, perfectly captured by the gorgeous watercolor illustrations. Do you have a favorite image or spread from the book, and why?

All of Shelley’s work is phenomenal, but the spread that really blows me away is the one where the child uses her powers of deduction to become a detective. Somehow, Shelley created an entire self-contained visual scene on those pages, showing a girl taking on, and cracking, a case for her friend. It’s a whole added layer of storytelling that makes the book so much richer!

What do you hope readers take away from this story?

I truly hope that readers come away from this book with a sense of excitement. Adults are always asking kids what they want to be when they grow up, but not only is it okay not to know right away, many adults haven’t figured it out either! There are a lot of great choices out there, and it’s never too late to explore. Because truly: if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.