2010-2014

“Judith Viorst? Of course I’d love to work with her!” I yelled into the phone. “‘The Tenth Good Thing About Barney,’ ‘I’ll Fix Anthony,’ the ‘Alexander’ books? All favorites.”

The text for Lulu and the Brontosaurus had a classic feel to it so I wanted to give the illustrations the soft, timeless look of some of the books I grew up with. I did them in pencil on grooved pastel paper which gave them a “woven” look.

Each morning before sitting at my drawing desk I’d take a walk with my wife Molly, the book designer of Lulu. In a wooded preserve in the Connecticut hills I’d point and say, “Look at that funny tree!” Or, “I’m going to use that fern!” I scribbled many sketches on these walks and most found their way into this book. For the tiger, bear, snake and brontosaurus I had to rely on my imagination.

—Lane

★ STARRED

Pitch perfect for the beginning chapter-book crowd.

Kirkus

Plenty of child-friendly humor. . . . This inventive, lighthearted fantasy should be a solid hit with young readers looking for a lively first chapter book.

School Library Journal