Several years back I spent a week at Esalen talking fairy tales with Brother David Steindl-Rast. Silent is the tree that’s grown from the seed, Brother.
Many thanks to the wonderful people at Merit Press, Meredith O’Hayre, Frank Rivera, and my oh-so-invaluable copyeditor, Suzanne Goraj—and most especially my editor, Jacquelyn Mitchard, a great writer, who, as I’d always hoped an editor might do, found my book wandering in the woods and brought it home.
Thank you to all my dear friends who listened and read: Jack and Roberta Forem, Carolyn Yost and Larry Barber, Tinker Lindsay, Peter Chelsom, John Albanis, Fred Joyal, Jaci Sisson, Jackie Jaffee, Suzy Hertzberg, Michael Sigman, Selby Anderson, Carol Kline, and Scott Colglazier (who was there that week with Brother David).
Many thanks to the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program that introduced me to the redoubtable Laurel van der Linde. Thank you, Laurel.
Thank you to Lin Oliver and Stephen Mooser and all of the people at the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
Thanks to my mom and dad for their unwavering love and support. And to my brother Lance, who can do a heck of a shoulder stand in full lotus—but probably shouldn’t.
And endless gratitude to my brilliant writer’s group: Kristen Baum, Manisha Patel, Janine Pibal, Margaret Tellez, Mary Lynne Raske, and our glorious leader, Sheila Sobel. I guess you could write a book without a group, but I sure wouldn’t want to have to.
To my brother Christopher. Working on the book with you is a pretty good picture of what heaven might be like. Thanks, brother.
Finally, to my beautiful Judith, I could not have done it without you.