--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I make a book, I make it for the…" description: "\"When I make a book, I make it for the child and not for the parent - no jokes in it for the parents!\" — Dick Bruna" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/dick-bruna-30694_book_when-i-make-a-book-i-make-it-for-the-chi_97206.png" --- # When I make a book, I make it for the child and not for… ![“When I make a book, I make it for the child and not for the parent - no jokes in it for the parents!” quote by Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/dick-bruna-30694_book_when-i-make-a-book-i-make-it-for-the-chi_97206.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/dick-bruna-30694_book_when-i-make-a-book-i-make-it-for-the-chi_97206.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/dick-bruna-30694_book_when-i-make-a-book-i-make-it-for-the-chi_97206.png) > “When I make a book, I make it for the child and not for the parent - no jokes in it for the parents!” [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children's books should prioritize the child's imagination and enjoyment, not adult humor or expectations. **In simple terms:** Write for kids, not parents. Key Takeaway Child‑centered storytelling matters. Themes children's literature creative writing audience focus Mood playful protective Type advice creative When to use this quote - author workshops - parent‑teacher meetings Key Concepts developmental psychology Practical Applications - focus storylines on child curiosity - avoid adult‑only jokes Questions to Reflect On - How does adult perspective affect a child's reading experience? - When is it appropriate to include subtle adult themes? A Different Perspective Adult humor can sometimes enrich a child's understanding of nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-make-412711/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Jokes Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes-parents-1189827/) [Make Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-book-281605/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parent Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent-jokes-1189826/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [Then one day I thought it would be wonderful to make a whole book, to make my text and my drawings together, and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/then-one-day-i-thought-it-would-be-wonderful-to-make-a-whole-book-to/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [Because...Beacause it's so good, and there's only one chance to read a book for the first time, and I want it to last. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/because-beacause-it-s-so-good-and-there-s-only-one-chance-to-read-a/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“Even when you do nothing, you are doing something. Be aware of your decisions and what they mean for the book you are designing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armand-mevis/even-when-you-do-nothing-you-are-doing-something-be-aware-of-your/) [Armand Mevis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armand-mevis/) > [“Read a book, words by words, to find a story within and be amazed. Your heart will make that poor written book into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-aksara/read-a-book-words-by-words-to-find-a-story-within-and-be-amazed-your/) [Adam Aksara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-aksara/) > [When you're somebody who has the pretension to make art, it's completely different from when someone else says I want to make a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gonzalez/when-you-re-somebody-who-has-the-pretension-to-make-art-it-s/) [Luis Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gonzalez/) > [“You, the reader, make the book, but the book does not in itself exist between these decomposing covers. You read the script, you are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-henderson/you-the-reader-make-the-book-but-the-book-does-not-in-itself-exist/) [Jason Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-henderson/) > [The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading in order to write. A man will turn over half a library to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-greatest-part-of-a-writer-s-time-is-spent-in-reading-in-order-to-2/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Every filmmaker knows that when you make a book into a movie, the first thing you have to do is kill the book, unfortunately.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-raimi/every-filmmaker-knows-that-when-you-make-a-book-into-a-movie-the/) [Sam Raimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-raimi/) > [There are so many ways to make a book or comic, but most involve doing something online.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-north/there-are-so-many-ways-to-make-a-book-or-comic-but-most-involve-doing/) [Ryan North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-north/) > [To make a book is as much a trade as to make a clock; something more than intelligence is required to become an author.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/to-make-a-book-is-as-much-a-trade-as-to-make-a-clock-something-more/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man will turn over half a library to make one book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-man-will-turn-over-half-a-library-to-make-one-book/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [In a book, even the real bastards can't hurt you. And you can never loose a friend you make in a book. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/in-a-book-even-the-real-bastards-can-t-hurt-you-and-you-can-never/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I like big books and I cannot lie. You other readers can’t deny That when a kid walks in with The Name of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/i-like-big-books-and-i-cannot-lie-you-other-readers-can-t-deny-that/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [“Hey Revision. You can be a pain but you do make Book better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buffy-andrews/hey-revision-you-can-be-a-pain-but-you-do-make-book-better/) [Buffy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buffy-andrews/) > [I see how complicated it is to make a film and how many people are involved and I love the fact that I get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/i-see-how-complicated-it-is-to-make-a-film-and-how-many-people-are/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) ## More by Dick Bruna > [My father realised that for me to become a publisher in his firm would have been the end of the firm!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/my-father-realised-that-for-me-to-become-a-publisher-in-his-firm/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [I want a nice picture book with 12 pictures - I do my best with that format.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/i-want-a-nice-picture-book-with-12-pictures-i-do-my-best-with-that/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [I have been drawing all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/i-have-been-drawing-all-my-life/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [I did about 2000 covers altogether, for all sorts of books - from Shakespeare to James Bond - and I always had the idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/i-did-about-2000-covers-altogether-for-all-sorts-of-books-from/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [Each book first begins with a little idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/each-book-first-begins-with-a-little-idea/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [I thought it would be very nice to become Picasso or Rembrandt, or a van Gogh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/i-thought-it-would-be-very-nice-to-become-picasso-or-rembrandt-or-a/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [However, my father was a publisher and it was expected that I would become a publisher as well - in his firm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/however-my-father-was-a-publisher-and-it-was-expected-that-i-would/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [I come from a family of business people, but I had the idea I wanted to become an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/i-come-from-a-family-of-business-people-but-i-had-the-idea-i-wanted/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [But I don't sit down and think: this is meant for children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/but-i-don-t-sit-down-and-think-this-is-meant-for-children/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [Right at the beginning, I didn't know if Miffy was a boy or girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/right-at-the-beginning-i-didn-t-know-if-miffy-was-a-boy-or-girl/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [Now, I had been drawing all this time - especially in France of course - so, when I came back, my father gave me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/now-i-had-been-drawing-all-this-time-especially-in-france-of-course/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [Miffy has changed quite a lot since the early books, although I never realised it at the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/miffy-has-changed-quite-a-lot-since-the-early-books-although-i-never/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [Then one day I thought it would be wonderful to make a whole book, to make my text and my drawings together, and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/then-one-day-i-thought-it-would-be-wonderful-to-make-a-whole-book-to/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [But we discovered that, although I liked publishing, the commercial side meant nothing at all to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/but-we-discovered-that-although-i-liked-publishing-the-commercial/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) > [Before he went to sleep, I told him a little story about a rabbit we saw run around the beach house we rented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/before-he-went-to-sleep-i-told-him-a-little-story-about-a-rabbit-we/) [Dick Bruna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) [Explore all 17 Dick Bruna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I make a book, I make it for the child and not for the parent - no jokes in it for the parents!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dick Bruna" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/when-i-make-a-book-i-make-it-for-the-child-and-not-for-the-parent-no/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/when-i-make-a-book-i-make-it-for-the-child-and-not-for-the-parent-no/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/dick-bruna-30694_book_when-i-make-a-book-i-make-it-for-the-chi_97206.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/dick-bruna-30694_book_when-i-make-a-book-i-make-it-for-the-chi_97206.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/dick-bruna-30694_book_when-i-make-a-book-i-make-it-for-the-chi_97206.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I make a book, I make it for the child and not for the parent - no jokes in it for the parents!” — Dick Bruna", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dick Bruna", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bruna/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I make a book, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/when-i-make-a-book-i-make-it-for-the-child-and-not-for-the-parent-no/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bruna/when-i-make-a-book-i-make-it-for-the-child-and-not-for-the-parent-no/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```