Behind the Scenes: The Making of Mirror Little Mirror, Who Are You?
- Mar 19
- 5 min read
Some stories come from long brainstorming sessions and careful planning. Others—like Mirror Little Mirror, Who Are You?—appear in a single, unexpected moment, sparked by a memory, a mirror, and a curious little mind.
This is the story of how a casual chat with my daughter, an old memory, and one very innocent-looking mirror led to the creation of a book that means the world to us.
The Moment of Inspiration (AKA, When My Brain Decided to Pay Attention)
The Making of Mirror Little Mirror, Who Are You
Like most life-changing moments, this one snuck up on me while I was thoroughly distracted. I was sitting in my daughter’s room, absentmindedly watching her put on makeup while my mind cycled through a to-do list of doom—dinner, laundry, whether the plants were still alive.
As I watched her, my mind drifted into an old, dusty corner of my memory—back to when she was a tiny toddler, barely walking, standing in front of a mirror, utterly gobsmacked by the small human staring back at her. The confusion, the curiosity, the hesitant pokes at the glass—it all came rushing back. And just like that, I knew we had a story.
The Writing Process: Powered by an Endless Supply of Snacks and Some Wild Debates
During COVID, my daughter was juggling the stress of preparing for her GCSEs, so I thought we needed a break—something fun, something different. Writing stories had always been a fun pastime for us, so why not try writing a children's book? At first, we laughed at the absurdity of it—this was just for fun, not something we expected to publish. But we've always been the ‘why not?’ type, so we decided to give it a shot.
That was until I suddenly remembered—she had plans that evening! So, our grand writing session had to be postponed to the following day.
As a morning person, I was up and ready, eager to get started. But knowing teenagers and their sacred sleep-ins, I granted her an extra hour (just one—my excitement could barely be contained). Finally, we began—no elaborate planning, no painstaking outlines, just a parent, a daughter, a laptop, and an unshakable determination to recapture her forgotten toddler memories that had remained with me.
Of course, writing a book with your child isn’t all smooth sailing. It involved:
An embarrassing number of snack breaks (because creativity demands sustenance, preferably of the chocolate variety).
A heated discussion over whether babies think mirrors are magic portals or if they just assume they’ve met their tiny clone.
At least three full minutes of doubting the spelling of reflection because our brains had short-circuited.
A Pandemic Project (Because We Weren’t About to Start Baking Sourdough)
Lockdown was a strange time for everyone. What did you do to pass the time? Did you take up baking—how did that sourdough starter work out? Or maybe you decided to master the art of decluttering, only to find yourself emotionally attached to a collection of old concert tickets and birthday cards? Perhaps you got way too invested in TikTok dances, convinced you'd become the next viral sensation—only to realize your coordination is best left to activities that don’t involve choreography. Or maybe you binged an entire series in one sitting and considered that a personal achievement.
As for us? We wrote a book. It started as a random idea, something to break up the monotony of lockdown. We didn’t set out to publish it—just to create something together, something we could look back on and say, Well, that was unexpected. And somehow, in between snack breaks and debates over toddler psychology, Mirror Little Mirror, Who Are You? became our personal time capsule of resilience, laughter, and creativity. That’s how Mirror Little Mirror, Who Are You? became more than just a story; it became a personal time capsule of resilience, laughter, and creativity.
Deleted Scenes: The Book That Almost Was
Every book has things that don’t make the final cut, and ours was no exception. Some tragic casualties:
A longer version packed with even more childhood memories (but we realized we were getting dangerously close to a memoir no one asked for).
A talking mirror that gave life advice (cut immediately because we had enough strong opinions in the house already).
An accidental time-travel subplot that made it sound like my daughter had literally met her toddler self. This led to five minutes of laughing so hard we had to take a break.
With my daughter balancing revision for her GCSEs, we decided to keep things simple for our first book. Partly because a straightforward story has its own charm, and partly because, let’s be honest—if we attempted anything too complex, we’d probably create a plot so tangled even we wouldn’t know what was happening. Plus, between exam prep and snack breaks, neither of us had the energy for an epic saga!
The Real Challenge: Capturing That Magic Moment
There wasn’t any deep research involved—just pure memory and emotion. But that didn’t mean there weren’t challenges.
How do you actually capture the wonder of seeing yourself in a mirror for the first time? That wow, is that really me? moment—the pure, unfiltered awe of self-recognition?
Turns out, it’s harder than it sounds. But we knew that if we got it right, it would resonate with any toddler experiencing that first moment of self-recognition—the realization that the face staring back belongs to them. And for the parent witnessing it? It's a mix of wonder, amusement, and a little heartbreak, knowing that this tiny human is already starting to understand themselves in a whole new way..
Personal Connection: More Than Just a Story
At its heart, Mirror Little Mirror, Who Are You? isn’t just about a child discovering their reflection. It’s about self-awareness, about those tiny, seemingly insignificant moments that end up shaping who we are.
Parents tend to focus on the big milestones—first steps, first words. But sometimes, it’s the quieter moments—the ones we don’t even realize are important at the time—that stick with us forever.
The Title That Almost Wasn’t
Titling a book is an adventure in itself. Some of our rejected ideas:
Mirror, Mirror, Not Quite There
Who’s That Kid in the Glass?
Reflections of a Toddler (which sounded like it belonged in a philosophy class)
In the end, Mirror Little Mirror, Who Are You? captured that moment of curiosity and self-discovery perfectly. We would also like to thank our wonderful friend who helped us settle on the title—because without their input, we might have ended up with something far more questionable!
Moments of Doubt & Writing Mishaps (Because, Of Course)
No writing process is complete without some existential doubt. Ours included:
"Will people even get this?"
"Are we just over analyzing a simple childhood memory?"
"Have we used the word mirror so many times that it’s starting to lose all meaning?"
And, of course, there were plenty of accidental funny moments:
Accidentally writing a sentence that made it sound like my daughter was having a conversation with the mirror instead of just looking at it.
Realizing after multiple read-throughs that we had completely skipped over a key moment and had to go back to fill in the gap.
Over-explaining her toddler’s reaction so much that it started sounding more like a grand adventure than a simple moment of self-discovery.
A Book That’s More Than Just Words
At its core, this book is a reminder. A reminder that the most extraordinary moments are often the ones we don’t see coming. A reminder that self-discovery is an adventure—whether you’re a toddler seeing yourself for the first time or an adult still trying to figure things out.
And, most importantly, a reminder that sometimes all it takes to start a book is a mirror, a toddler, and a parent who zones out at just the right moment.
Get Your Copy
Let your little one experience this story—Mirror Little Mirror, Who Are You? is available now on Amazon! This delightful book not only captures the magic of self-recognition but also creates a special bonding moment for parents and children. A perfect addition to any little reader's collection!
Comments