The state of my passenger seat on a trip such as this... Essentials, one and all!
From my hotel room in Moses Lake, WA, I give you Moses Lake :)
An excellent mural painted on the exterior of the Quincy Public Library.
The Horsharkasaurous Maximous: Also discovered in Quincy. BEWARE!
"Points of Interest" along my route. After Moses Lake, Warden and Ephrata, WA, I headed north again through Soap Lake and into Grand Coulee country. Some incredible geologic history in this area. Visit the Ice Age Floods Institute for more info. I took too many pictures of cool rocks and canyons to post here :)
A reason for smiles in Soap Lake, WA. The Pigeleken!
From my day's end stroll around Coulee City. Although sage brush and grasses rule, this small town on the south end of Banks Lake reminded me a lot of places in rural Minnesota.
An finally, just some cool clouds above the neatly hospitable Ala Cozy Motel. To wit, I spent 3-6 hours every night working on my project d'jour: POLAR POLKA. It is nearing completion, but still getting lots of work. Back to it!
Hello to everyone in the North Central Regional Library system. With visits in Republic, Tonasket and Oroville last week, my summer tour of this terrific library system is offically underway :) This is the complete summer schedule:
Sasquatch has gone completely freelance with it's design staff of late, so no one aside from little old me will really "design" anything until they have all of the final art? I like having mucho influence in such a process, but then again it's also VERY nice to have some help. I'd love to hear what some opinions on this particular option. Cheers!.jpg)
PS It's kind of a count down book for the pre-k set, thus option No. 2 with the screened-in numbers.
A brief interview with Besty Byars, Betsy Duffey, and Laurie Myers, was posted recently at www.childrenslit.com. They about their inspirations as writers and readers, and give us just a few hints about the origins of DOG DIARIES. Enjoy!
One of the really fun, non-homebody, parts of my job is visiting schools. This past week I embarked on a mini-tour of sorts, visiting 5 different elementary schools in three different towns -- and a public library for good measure -- in four days. 
All totalled, I spoke with nearly 1500 kids, shared some "festival" time with fellow author Peggy King Anderson, AND I met the newly christened National Teacher of the Year, Andrea Peterson. Kids and teachers alike were very welcoming. I've done numerous visits in the past, but this was one of the first times that schedules aligned in such a way to make such a concentrated effort a possibility. This is also the first time that I have ever remembered to bring a camera! Darrington, Enumclaw and Granite Falls all have their scenic allure - as each is tucked away near the western Cascades - but Darrington Elementary, with its jagged snow-capped peaks takes the cake. Enumclaw's Sunrise Elementary wins praise for the most creative (and flattering) "welcome author" decor, and Granite Falls was abuzz with some seriously enthususiastic readers, writers, AND illustrators!
Aroooo.... My latest book debuted today! Dig it up at your favorite brick & mortar bookseller or online at this new and neatly convenient locale.
With much thanks to author/illustrator Jeff Newman, of Hippo, No Rhino fame, I am the proud winner of a recent contest! I'm very excited to post pics of my prize when it arrives. Hippo, by the way, is a very cool book and a recipiant of the most recent SCBWI Golden Kite Honors Award for Illustration. Way to go Jeff!
To Willie's constant surpise, even the slightest friction between thumb and index finger, would always wake them up...
There's a wee bit 'o pink in them thar dino scales...
The American Library Association made its major award announcements (Newbery, Caldecott, Coretta Scott King...) this morning. Special congratulations to fellow Washington state authors Kirby Larson (Newbery Honors for Hattie Big Sky) and Laura McGee Kvasnosky (The Theodor Seuss Geisel Beginning Reader Award for Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways)!
A new Art Exchange for 2007. This year's featured participant, Gaio Lakin, is a friend from college. I'll be posting images here (hopefully from both of us) in lieu of futher complicating my website. Cheers!
I'm just starting a school visit residency (creating a picturebook with 6th graders) and thought that a comic about my process -- my first book in particular -- might be a fun way to reinforce some of the ideas. This is just the beginning, but if I pull it all off in some sensible way then I might just post the rest. Enjoy!
