It’s hard to believe that with the release of this book I now have a trilogy out in the world. And to think, just over two short years ago I wasn’t even a published author yet! This truly has been a dream job.
Thanks to Elizabeth Kaplan, my wonderful agent, who continues to be a steady guide and adviser and who keeps an ever-vigilant eye on all the business stuff related to writing that a head-in-the-clouds writer might overlook.
Thanks to Lisa Yoskowitz, my editor at Little, Brown, who has championed each book in this series. Her passion for this story and these characters has been greatly appreciated, and every page has benefited from her keen editing.
My thanks as well to the rest of the team at Little, Brown for all their hard work, including (but by no means limited to) Kheryn Callender, Jeff Campbell, Jackie Engel, Shawn Foster, Karina Granda, Jen Graham, Mike Heuer, Katharine McAnarney, Hannah Milton, Emilie Polster, Jessica Shoffel, Victoria Stapleton, Megan Tingley, and Karen Torres. Also, thanks to folks at Hachette Book Group Canada, especially Dominique Delmas, and to Jacques Filippi from Canadian Manda Group.
Thanks to Mariano Epelbaum, who created the art for all three books. I was captivated by his work the moment I first laid eyes on his portfolio, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with his illustrations. He has captured the heart of this story, and readers always give high compliments to the artwork everywhere I go.
Many thanks to the hardworking booksellers who have gone above and beyond to support and promote this series.
A special thanks to Lee Gjertsen Malone, Janet Johnson, Patrick Samphire, and Phillip White, all fabulous writers in their own right, for their insightful critiques of an early draft of the book. It is unquestionably stronger for having received their input. And thanks as well to Wendy McLeod MacKnight and Casey Lyall, my fellow Canadian writers and sometimes school tour partners, for their support over the past several years.
Thanks to my wife, Wendy, for her love and support and encouragement and wisdom, and to our three boys for their ongoing enthusiasm for (and occasional contributions to) these stories. Thanks also to our cat, Ariel, who inspired one of the characters in the series (Princess Whiskers) and whose picture continues to delight students at all the schools I visit.
And finally, thanks to the many readers who have enjoyed and supported these books. Your letters and pictures inspire me to continue writing.