Here's the Astroblast crew

Radar - the communications officer

Apollo - the scientist

Jet - the geologist

Halley - the explorer

Sputnik - fix-it girl and junk specialist


At first there were a couple of extra crew members, but the power of editing and the confines of and early reader plot line.

Astroblast activity fun

The Astroblast series has extra fun built into the spreads. Things like mazes, find the mistakes and a lot of hidden picture stuff.

Everyone wants a logo

I've done a lot of freebies for friends and church. I really don't mind it when I have the time. Clients are usually very easy to work with when they aren't paying you.








This one got me a couple of free haircuts.

A high school project

My daughter Olivia wrote a short story for a FACS project. She asked me to illustrate it for her. When you create children's books, your work is very heroic in the eyes of young kids, as they grow up the novelty kind of wears off. I was happy still to be useful.

Alpha-Oops! H is for Halloween

There is something really emotional about getting that first copy of a new book. I find myself both excited and nervous. The last month or so of working on a book seems to get very intense. A lot of time and thought. Then it just goes away for about six months. When finally, and often unannounced, it shows up on your doorstep in the form of an advance copy. It's one of the lucky ones that got to fly back while most of the books are still on a cargo boat somewhere. I will examine the cover, sniff the fresh ink and then set it aside. I need to get up the courage to open it up. I know that it's done. I can't change it anymore, this is it, this is what the kids will get. I need time to take off the creator hat. I try to forget all the struggles, the alternate versions, the second guessing and try to look at it new, like someone pulling it off a library shelf.