Potatoes, Sheep That Need Sleep, and Illustrations by a Friend

This past week seemed to slip by quickly, but it was a good week. Emily took pictures for her photography class, and some of them were extremely good.

I submitted a manuscript to a few agents (so wish me well)!

And I found a pile of books from my local library to read and review. What makes finding books even more exciting is finding books written, illustrated, or both by friends. This week my library offered up a book illustrated by the fabulous Don Tate. Now I have to admit, I have a tiny bit of a jelly streak when it comes to illustrators. I mean how do they make all those fabulous pictures.

The book Don illustrated that I snatched up is titled, No Small Potatoes. It tells the story of Junius G. Groves  and his potato kingdom in Kansas. I happen to love picture biographies and this one is no exception. Having never heard of Mr. Groves before, it was quite interesting to learn how he started life as a slave, but after gaining freedom, he headed west. Through hard work and determination, he managed to work his way up to landowner, and through even more hard work, he grew his potato venture into the largest around. And like any good illustrator, Don creates beautiful pictures that help tell the story and make it complete.

I also read Woolly The Wide Awake Sheep which is a story about a tired sheep that can't get to sleep. In an effort to figure out something that will help him doze, he asks all his barnyard friends how they get to sleep. They all tell him the same thing_ they count sheep. I don't want to give away the super fun ending, so I will leave you to find a copy of this book and read it for yourselves.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.