From the age of five, Warner dreamed of being an author, and began writing in ten-cent blank books as soon as she was able to hold a pencil. Her first book was an imitation of Florence Kate Upton's "Golliwog" stories and was titled "Golliwog at the Zoo". It "consisted of verses illustrated with watercolors of the two Dutch clocks and the Golliwag." Warner presented this book to her grandfather, and every Christmas afterwards, she would give him a hand-made book as a present.