In Celebration: Roy McKie

Welcome New Year! I, for one, have to say, am glad to be turning over a new leaf. I understand that with each year, I grow older (and so does - aghast - my son), but with each year new wisdoms come along with new beginnings and new hope.

Which brings me to today. A few weeks back, I had the honor and pleasure of sharing a phone conversation with one of my all-time favorite children's book illustrators, Roy McKie -- the man who helped create the classics 10 Apples Up On Top, Summer, My Book About Me, and my fave, Mélisande. I love a lot of books and a lot of authors, but for me, as a writer and a parent, there are certain people, certain artists, that if I met them in person, I just knew I'd discover we were cut from the same cloth.

Simply put, Roy McKie is a treasure. I'm going to spend the next few days celebrating his work and sharing with you parts of our conversation. Through it, I came to understand a great deal about living life to the fullest, cherishing the kindness in people, aging with grace and the sometimes heartbreaking realities of love. I might not get all the facts exactly right -- an occupational hazard of taking a spunky almost 90-year-old genius down memory lane -- but the heart is there.

Through this blog, I'm often reminded how wonderful it is that we all have stories to tell... all we have to do is listen. Join me.

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