One of the most joyful (and complex!) projects I've worked on recently was Peek-a-Boo Missy Moo, a lift-the-flap board book starring everyone’s favourite Highland coo. This book is more than just a story — it’s an interactive experience for little readers, and it was a labour of love from start to finish. Here’s a peek behind the scenes at how it all came together.
It started, as most books do, with words on paper. I drafted the first version of the story and then worked closely with children’s book editor Jennifer Rees to shape it into something just right — something that would read aloud beautifully and lend itself to page-turning fun (and surprise!).
If you’re in the market for an editor - I highly recommend working with Jennifer Rees. I met her last year via Reedsy when she edited the first Missy Moo book, Missy Moo the Highland Coo. If you’re looking for an editor, marketer or even an illustrator (you can find me there too!) I highly recommend signing up for Reedsy to find a publishing professional.
If you’re in the market for an editor - I highly recommend working with Jennifer Rees. I met her last year via Reedsy when she edited the first Missy Moo book, Missy Moo the Highland Coo. If you’re looking for an editor, marketer or even an illustrator (you can find me there too!) I highly recommend signing up for Reedsy to find a publishing professional.
From there, I moved into rough sketching — planning out how each page would look and how the flaps would function. This was a bit like solving a puzzle: not only did the story have to flow, but each flap had to feel exciting, intuitive, and durable to withstand the love of toddlers.
Once the sketches felt solid, I began building out the dielines of each spread — the precise cuts and folds needed for each flap to work properly. I printed and mocked up a few test pages at home, trimming, folding, and gluing by hand to make sure the flaps opened cleanly and that the surprise reveals worked just right.
With that foundation in place, it was time to bring everything to life in colour and add my text. I illustrated each spread, making sure the palette was bold, cheerful, and kept the same vibe as the original Missy Moo book.
Before finalising the files, I printed a mini, scaled-down version of the whole book — flap mechanics included — to double-check every interaction. This again was cut, glued, and folded by hand (including the cover). Once I was confident everything worked, I sent the files off to the printer.
From there, I received a PDF proof for review, followed by a physical sample copy of the book. This final step was so important — it let me check every flap and fold in real life before we went to full print. And let me tell you: flipping open that first sample copy was pure magic.
I was also able to allow my two kids (ages 4 and 2) to flip through it and interact with it. Ensuring it worked for their ages and to see if anything seemed awkward or not intuitive to the core audience.
I was also able to allow my two kids (ages 4 and 2) to flip through it and interact with it. Ensuring it worked for their ages and to see if anything seemed awkward or not intuitive to the core audience.
Creating Peek-a-Boo Missy Moo! was an adventure in storytelling, design, and a lot of very meticulous cutting and folding — but it was all worth it to see my kids lift those flaps and giggle/moo with delight.
Peek-a-Boo Missy Moo! is now available for pre-order with orders shipping and in your hands for July 29, 2025.
You can get your copy here:
https://www.brownpaperfox.com/products/peek-a-boo-missy-moo
You can get your copy here:
https://www.brownpaperfox.com/products/peek-a-boo-missy-moo
