I'm now Regional Advisor for Indiana SCBWI

I'm the new Regional Advisor for Indiana SCBWI!

I've learned so much from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Getting my portfolio critiqued at conferences by children's book art directors and following their advice has been so beneficial to my career. It helped me to learn the difference between the look of educational illustration, mass market illustration, and trade book illustration, and how to better portray emotion, narration, interaction, characters, and color. I've also learned a lot about what makes a great picture book manuscript (and no, not everyone can write a publishable picture book!). I want to give back to SCBWI and other children's book writers and illustrators as a volunteer Regional Advisor. It's a time-consuming job, but I'm looking forward to meeting more professionals in the ever-changing children's book industry.

Children's book people are so genuinely nice!


Photo: Trish Batey (our former Regional Advisor), Peggy Archer (Assistant Regional Advisor), and me

The Goodbye Cancer Garden

Janie spots a couple pumpkins hiding beneath elephant-ear leaves.


I'm excited to announce a picture book that I illustrated, The Goodbye Cancer Garden, is now available for pre-order from Amazon. It's written by Janna Matthies and published by Albert Whitman & Company.

In this story, Mom has cancer. When the doctor says that Mom will probably feel better by pumpkin time, the whole family decides to plant a garden. As the healthy veggies grow, Mom grows healthier too. Janna has written a beautiful story, and I pray that this book will bring hope to many families.