FAQs

Do you illustrate your books?

I wish! Sadly, I cannot draw, but I had fun making the collages on this site.

Where do you get your ideas?

They’re everywhere, if you just remember to pay attention. The idea for SPIKE, THE MIXED-UP MONSTER hit me one day when I was reading a photography book about baby animals. I turned the page and stopped short at the sight of an axolotl. I couldn’t believe this Muppety-looking creature with its feathery spikes and sweet smile was real! When I found out it was endangered, I knew I had to write a book about it.

I wrote THE TOOTH MOUSE after interviewing a little French girl about her everyday life for a magazine. Since she was six, I asked her what happened when she lost a baby tooth. I was surprised to hear that French kids don’t have a Tooth Fairy, but a Tooth Mouse!

I recently got an idea for a new book from a thank-you note! So you never know where ideas will pop up. Look for this button on my site to find out how I got the idea for each of my books.

What’s your favorite book?

That’s an impossible question. There are too many! Some favorites include: BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, FROG & TOAD, GEORGE AND MARTHA, HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, A HOLE IS TO DIG, INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN, MANY MOONS, MISS NELSON IS MISSING! MISS RUMPHIUS, THE MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK, OUT OF THE DUST, SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE, TUCK EVERLASTING….

How many books have you written?

Hundreds. For a list, check Barnesandnoble.com or Amazon.com or your local library.

Do you use your friends and family in your books?

Many of my books are loosely based on things that have happened to me, my kids, or my pets. My PUP AND HOUND series of beginning readers is based on my dog, Hollie, and her friend Tucker.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A ballerina

What’s your favorite animal?

I have many favorites: axolotls, hippos, otters, dogs.

When is your birthday?

January 21

Do you have any children?

Yes, I have two daughters, Emily and Allison. They read and comment on everything I write.

What’s your favorite color?

All shades of blue, probably
because I’ve always lived near the water.

How did you become an author?

I worked as an editor in children's publishing for many years before becoming an author. The pay wasn't great, but ah, the perks! Here I am interviewing a kidlit hero of mine—Arnold Lobel.

I started by reading thousands, literally thousands, of children’s books. As a child, I was lucky enough to have a mother who read to me every night. As an adult, my first job was reading hundreds of picture books for a children’s book club at Scholastic. Later I reviewed children's books, worked as an editor for Sesame Street, and was the Children's Content Director for Nick Jr. Magazine.

I didn’t start trying to write books until I was in my twenties, but I published my first book at age 28. It was DR. GLOOM’S MONSTER JOKES AND PUZZLES, published by Harcourt.