Another Unbelievable Week: Bestseller Rankings, Website Glow-Ups, & Sneak Peeks! ✨
Wow. Just… wow. We are still pinching ourselves over here at Moonbeam Learning Studio! It has been another whirlwind week, and we are bursting with excitement to share these massive milestones with you.
First Month Bestseller Rankings
If you follow us on social media, you might have seen some screaming-happy posts on your feed recently. We officially surged into the Top 1000 Books in the Children’s Values category on Amazon! In fact, it’s happened three times so far, with our peak rank hitting an incredible #868 on May 22 in just our very first month since our debut release.
To be completely honest, seeing these numbers is entirely surreal. When I first wrote this story back in 2024, I reached out to traditional publishers. After hearing the high costs and taking a trip to my local library & staring at the mountain of children’s books that already existed, I felt so discouraged. I asked myself, “Would my book even reach people? Does the world need another one?”
So, my husband and I decided it would just be a poem we would share with our son. But in 2026, we re-read the note on my phone and felt others needed to hear the message. The fact that it is making this kind of impact and reaching hundreds of families today feels like a dream. This is just a little book I illustrated during my toddler’s nap times, using skills I hadn’t touched in a decade since I last picked up a paintbrush!
We continue to be absolutely amazed by our incredible community of supporters. Our hearts overflowed this week when we received this beautiful review from a reader:
“The book is so sweet and the message, meaningful. I’m struggling between donating it to the school I used to teach at and then buying another copy or keeping it for my family! Gotta wait til payday but I’m leaning towards spending the money to get a second copy because every child deserves the message this book spreads ❤️”
Website Glow-Up (New Aesthetic Visuals!)
Our website just got a major upgrade! The brilliantly talented Rita Stabile from Loomis Lane Photography partnered with us on a creative shoot, and the results are stunning. We have more exciting collaborations cooking up for the future, so stay tuned for how you can get in on the action!
Archival Process: Protecting the Magic
Ever wonder how we keep the original artwork safe for generations to come? Right now, we are in the middle of archiving and protecting the original, raw illustrations from When I grow up, what will I be?.
It’s a meticulous, satisfying process. Here is exactly how we lock in the colors and protect the pages:
- Safety First: In a well-ventilated area, we place the painting vertically.
- The First Layer: Shake the UV Archival Varnish Aerosol Spray well, then coat the painting in a perfectly even layer.
- Patience Part 1: Let it dry completely (approx. 1 hour).
- The Secret Sauce: Spread a thin, even layer of Cold Wax Medium over the painting to give it that gorgeous, durable finish.
- Patience Part 2: Let it dry and cure (approx. 4 hours).
Behind the Scenes: Want to see more of this satisfying process in action? Keep an eye out for our upcoming archival video drops on TikTok!
Book 2 is Officially Underway (From a Car Ride to Kansas!)
The news you’ve all been waiting for… We have officially begun illustrating Book 2: When I grow up, who will I be?
As a toddler mom, you quickly learn to paint whenever and wherever you can…including a long car ride to Kansas, no less! We actually painted the background for the cover art right from the passenger seat, balancing brush pens, colored pencils, and bumpy roads.
Want to see the very first character sketches and messy concepts? Follow us on TikTok and YouTube!
Show Us Your Littles! (Leave a Review)
Word of mouth is everything for an independent studio like ours. If our book has brought a smile to your little one’s face, we would love to know!
Please consider leaving us a review on Amazon or Etsy. Better yet, tag us @moonbeamlearningstudio in a photo of you and your little one enjoying the book together on Facebook or Instagram. Seeing those smiles makes every single bit of hard work worth it.
Thank you for being part of our journey! 🌙✨
Blog post and video by Laura Teichen. © 2026 Moonbeam Learning Studio LLC. All rights reserved. The music featured in the video of the glow up creative shoot is “BORN FOR THIS” by Foxxi. Product photography by Rita Stabile. © 2026 Loomis Lane Photography. The music featured in the video of the glow up creative shoot is “Driving” by JerryJeyy.