Sandra Boynton got her start writing stories at a mere four years old. Here are the words from her very first book:

“Once there was a funny animal. One day he had a birthday party. All the animals came. They did not like it so they left. The End.”

That particular book of Mrs. Boynton’s never made it into print. But when she grew up, more than 60 others did!

As an adult, Mrs. Boynton didn’t start with books. She started by designing greeting cards. Just like her books, these had a distinctive style. That’s probably why they sold so well.

Now Mrs. Boynton lives in New England. She does her writing and drawing in a barn with a hippo weathervane on top. (Perfect!) She has sold over 70 million copies of her books. Some of the world’s most famous actors and musicians have performed her songs. People love day planners, coffee bags, ties, jewelry, and mugs decorated with her work. No wonder she gets her own imprint!

Just how do those hippos, horses, ducks, and snuggly puppies make it from Mrs. Boynton’s brain to the beautiful, sturdy, glossy book you can hold in your hand? God uses people with many different vocations (callings).

Mrs. Boynton tells Forbes Magazine, “I almost always start with a title and a cover design. This way I can fool myself into believing that the book already exists.”

It takes her about two weeks of lots of work to get a book almost finished. Then she works with an editor to make it perfect. Next, the publisher comes in: Within about six months to a year, the next Boynton book has been written, drawn, colored, designed, printed, marketed, and sold.

God has made the world a wonderful, interlocking puzzle of vocations. Mrs. Boynton needs editors, printers, publishers, marketers, book sellers, and—of course—readers—to make even one little book come to life. And they need her too.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. — Ecclesiastes 4:9