Acknowledgments

Thank-yous are a revolting business. One is expected to gush and praise wildly. Make heartfelt declarations of appreciation and whatnot. It’s monstrous! Why on earth must I acknowledge people, simply because their efforts were instrumental in getting this book into print? Yet, if I don’t offer undying gratitude to the small army of people who helped bring Ivy Pocket lovingly to life, there will be hell to pay. As such, I will be brief. Madeleine Milburn is utterly dedicated, hugely effective, and awfully loyal. As far as literary agents go, I suspect she is one of the very best. She is ably assisted by Cara Lee Simpson. Cara is smart and astute and thoroughly pleasant.

On the publishing side there is Virginia Duncan, who did a brilliant job knocking Ivy into shape. Sylvie Le Floch’s art direction is rather wonderful—with great care and artistry, Sylvie has pulled all the pieces together and created a truly beautiful book. Barbara Cantini is an illustrator of whimsy and wonder. She has somehow managed to capture the Ivy Pocket of my imagination—which I put down to great talent. Or witchcraft. At Greenwillow/HarperCollins and many other publishers around the world, there are teams of people who have done terrifically important work bringing this book to market. If Anyone But Ivy Pocket roars into the bestseller lists, I offer you all my heartfelt thanks and a thousand good thoughts. But if Miss Pocket finds herself in the discount bin six months from now, then I wish each and every one of you a lifetime of disappointment and regret. Which is rather harsh, but there you are.

Closer to home, there are parents. Mine are above average and I thank them. Paul printed whatever needed printing. Carol urged me to stop waffling and write the damn book. Various nephews and nieces feigned interest from time to time—especially Shannon and Kaelin. While others urged me to prepare myself for literary failure—thank you, Dylan. Which brings this torturous groveling to a close. And if you happen to still be reading this, and you know what books can do—how they are a door to another world, how they are a refuge and a wonderland, how they thrill and comfort, how they break hearts and kindle hope—well, then there is no need for me to thank you as well. For you already know that life is simply better with books. And with that in mind, I would urge you to go out this instant and choose your next adventure.