Mud, Harcourt Brace 1996 This morning I received my daily email from poem-a-day with a poem called Mud Season by Tess Taylor. Here in Minnesota it seems a little early to begin rhapsodizing about mud season, but it offers hope and appreciation for the inevitable thaw that allows us winter animals to open our doors and windows to new colors, fresh smells, and the musical sounds of birds. And this poem reminded me to share with you that this new year of 2016 is an anniversary year for my first ever published book-  Mud !  Twenty years ago Mud was published with a dedication to my three year old daughter, "For Ruby and her toes", and she is now 23 and a choreographer living in Morocco where mud season is of a different color. Twenty years ago I began an editorial relationship with the editor, Allyn Johnston, who took a chance of trying out a new illustrator who had painted wooden sculptures, canvases, and furniture, but never a picture book. Twenty years ago I illustrated my first book with the wonderful author, Mary Lyn Ray, and have since then illustrated two more of her stories:  Red Rubber Boot Day  and Deer Dancer. And finally, twenty years ago, Mud, was published to great acclaim and it remains in print to this day celebrating a transitional season between winter and spring that is all to often neglected. Outside the ground is still frozen and covered with snow, but 2016 is a leap year, thus giving me one more day of winter to plan a magnificent mud party to celebrate  twenty years of Mud! 

 
2016 offers another anniversary to celebrate: Winter is the Warmest Season,  was published ten years ago and it is the first picture book I authored as well as illustrated!   Winter is the Warmest Season, Harcourt, 2006 0Ten years ago I met every two weeks with my wonderful writing group, The Inkslingers. It was after our very first meeting that I went home so excited to be part of a writing group that I culled through all of my early attempts at writing a story and came across a list of warm things in winter and cool things in summer, inspired by something my son, Cooper, had said when he was about six. (Go here to read more about that.) In my excitement I wrote the story in three days, sent it to Allyn, who said "Let's publish it!" and went to my second writing group meeting with my first story sold! We celebrated with champaign and cake. It was a heady time. I thought writing picture books must come quick and easy-- but I did not finish another manuscript of my own for another seven years!

It is snowing outside my windows as I write, letting me know that winter is here to stay for awhile. Winter is the Warmest Season reminds us of all of the warm things in winter, especially fires burning in fireplaces and candles burning in candleplaces. In the book, the main character declares: "I think parties are warmer in winter."  We have been hosting plenty of warm parties in our big, old pink house this winter, so I may settle for a quiet celebration of this tenth anniversary. A glass of wine, a cat in my lap, and a good book by the fire. 

"In winter, bodies sit closer,
books last longer, and
hugs squeeze the warmest."

- Winter is the Warmest Season, ​Harcourt, 2006