I thought I was done with the manuscript for my second picture book, Virginia Loves Dogs, about a dog-obsessed kid (inspired by my then-three-year-old granddaughter Virginia). The character loves dogs so much I worried her enthusiasm would get her bitten.

The book starts with, "Virginia loves dogs." In three scenes, her misguided actions to make dogs happy get her into trouble, but the irrepressible Virginia carries on until an encounter with an unfriendly dog shocks and saddens her. She realizes she has to change how she approaches dogs (and their humans), and gets past her hurt feelings.

Originally, the ending was, "But Virginia still loves dogs." It didn't quite land. It wasn't enough.

As I read it aloud to Virginia, she stopped me on this page. "No, Grandma," she said. "Put: 'Virginia still loves ALL the dogs.'"

Et voilà, it became a story about unconditional love and inclusion. My brilliant illustrator, Elena Kochetova, showed the character on this last page drawing a picture of what little readers call "the bad dog." They love spotting that little detail, and it's amazing how often they do.

Trust the kids. They're the best story coaches.