Im working on a bunch of things with my daughter Emily. In some ways, shes a smarter and better editor than I am.

I have to write what I can write, and writing the text of a picture book is like walking a tightrope, if you ramble off... As my friend Julius Lester says, A picture book is the essence of an experience.

Sometimes poetry--words--give us a small, lovely look at ourselves. And sometimes that is enough.

Fact and fiction are different truths.

My greatest fear is being somewhere without a book.

What is perfect? Journey, a thing doesn't have to be perfect to be fine. That goes for a picture. That goes for life....Things can be good enough.

I love to talk to children about making mistakes. Its important that I tell them about how I dont get it right the first time. We live in such a perfectionist society, and they see so many finished products and polished performances.