An award does not change the quality of a book.

Santa is our culture's only mythic figure truly believed in by a large percentage of the population. It's a fact that most of the true believers are under eight years old, and that's a pity.

At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.

I pore over every word on the cereal box at breakfast, often more than once. You can ask me anything about shredded wheat.

I've always thought of the book as a visual art form, and it should represent a single artistic idea, which it does if you write your own material.

I write for what's left of the eight-year-old still rattling around inside my head

At first, I see pictures of a story in my mind. Then creating the story comes from asking questions of myself. I guess you might call it the 'what if - what then' approach to writing and illustration.