Last April I attended a writers’ conference in the Poconos where I met a talented illustrator named Lee Harper. I was peeking over the shoulder of someone looking at his portfolio and horned my way into a look-see for myself. He was very kind and patient as I drooled over the protective plastic pages. You see, Lee works in watercolors, those paints with minds of their own. Watercolorists amaze me. Plus, he does nature and animals, and I like his style: playful, but not too cutesy, and more complex than simple. Of course, it is my not-at-all-secret wish to be able to draw and paint, and I’m dazzled by those who can.

Anywho, Lee’s first book, Woolbur, written by Leslie Helakoski (who I have not met), is now out in stores. Check it out, and when you see it, bounce up and down and tell everyone in the children’s area that you know someone who met the guy who illustrated this book! How cool is that?!