My lyrical picture book, The Edgecomb Jar, was a finalist in this year's Picture Book Party and resulted in my signing with my agent, Helen Masvikeni, of Megibow Literary.

Published in Dirigible Balloon, the poetry magazine for children.

My short story Racing Rules took second prize in the Owl Canyon Press competition.

The Japanese maple in my yard growing up was designated as "the little kid's tree". The low branching pattern made this particular tree easy for even small people to climb. Chubby hands could grasp the thick bottom branch. With a hop and a heave, I was up, up, up, twelve full inches off the ground and into a world of my own.

I could be a princess in a castle or a firefighter on a ladder, or - if I brought a banana - Curious George. The change in elevation made anything possible in my personal...

One of my goals is to write a children's book about death. I know, bad idea, right? But I've worked with refugees and displaced persons. I've seen children at their first funeral. I tend to write about things that are overlooked. It seems to me that very few books deal with the sadness of permanent loss.

Here are some things I've heard kids ask or say. Each speaker was less than eight years old:

Why are we putting her in the ground? Heaven is up.

I'm sick and tired of Trey being dead.

Can't we...

Lellooooo..... Lelloooo....

A tiny friend is learning her words. She giggles, squirms, hides her eyes behind small pudgy hands while she gathers the courage to speak. And then - after a sneak peek at the audience - tries out her latest achievement. In a breathy, surprisingly deep voice, she tries to say hello.

Lelloooo....

It's clear she's both proud and nervous. She's feeling accomplished - look at all this attention! Yet she wonders - did I get the words right?

I wish I could tell her, we have...