His memories of wandering through the fields to catch butterflies, dragonflies, fish and pond snails became sources of inspiration for his painting.
當時鄭明進經常在綠野上奔跑、捕蝴蝶、捉蜻蜓，在河裡抓魚、摸田螺… …，這些點點滴滴，都成為鄭明進日後創作兒童插畫的基本素材。