Twee, Twaddle, and Writing for Children

It's been suggested to me many, many times that I write a children's book to go along with the little illustrations I like to do. Don't get me wrong: I love the idea. I'd really like to bring life and utility to my tiny cute characters. Sometimes, I even have ideas. It's just that... I'm afraid I'll wind up being too twee. 

Twee: infantile pronunciation of sweet. Baby-talk is twee. Too precious for words is definitely twee. 

There's nothing really wrong with being twee, other than it bringing spontaneous tears to my eyes when I catch myself doing it. It's simply that over-the-top cutesy embarrasses me. Twaddle is far worse. I first came across it while reading books and preparing myself to homeschool (which wound up taking far longer to actuate than I'd ever dreamed, but that's another story). Charlotte Mason used the useful word in connection with dumbed-down reading material written for children. 

"They must grow up upon the best. There must never be a period in their lives when they are allowed to read or listen to twaddle or reading-made-easy. There is never a time when they are unequal to worthy thoughts, well put; inspiring tales, well told." --Charlotte Mason

As a mother of four, I noted from a very early age how each of them owned their unique, distinct personality. From birth, they were unalike, and it delighted me that they explored the world around them in their own unique ways. They still do, as they enter adulthood. The difference is that my guiding hand is far more distant, and far less likely to involve a lap and a cuddle when disappointments inevitably arise. 

As an author, I tend to look back over the span of years between me and their toddlerhood selves with a sort of peculiar helplessness. Am I remembering them clearly, or am I sentimentalizing through the softening mists of time? Can I write to the 'real' child that was, and will be? 

When I write my 'adult' stories, I can safely say "I enjoy this. Ergo, some other grownup may as well." Therein lies the rub. A children's book I enjoy might nor be the one a child would. I won't talk down to the teens - I opted not to water down Vulcan's Kittens although I was initially advised to. However, at the reading level for a picture book? Can I manage that? 

I can draw little characters. I can imagine little bits of scenes for them. I'm frozen at the idea of a lot suitable for the very young. 

"Second-rate story books, with stale phrases, stale situations, shreds of other people's thoughts, stalest of stale sentiments." -- Charlotte Mason