It can be difficult as an artist to be compared to other artists. It can make your work feel sort of like a game - like you get points for style, or heart, or humor.

But sometimes people compare you to your heroes, and while it can feel absurd, it also feels pretty damn good.

For the record, I'm not comparing my work to the work of the late and great Arnold Lobel - author and illustrator of some of my favorite - and my one absolute all time favorite children's books. But it was nice of the Bul...