What are you doing reading the acknowledgments? Don’t you think Jenny would roll her eyes if she saw you looking at a list of cheesy, sentimental stuff? But even she would have to admit that sometimes a heartfelt thank-you is in order, so here we go:
To Ray Brierly for being an awesome husband, best friend, and first reader.
To my amazing family and friends for a lifetime of love and support.
To my critique partners—Sheryl DePaolo, Anne Handley, Megan Kudrolli, and Alisa Libby—for letting me know when I’m on the right track and not being afraid to tell me to start all over.
To my fabulous agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette, for an unlimited supply of wisdom and enthusiasm.
To Rebecca Frazer, Aubrey Poole, and the rest of the Sourcebooks team for taking a chance on my wacky little book.
To the Associates of the Boston Public Library for giving me the opportunity to call myself a real writer and to the PEN New England Discovery Award committee for reassuring me that I was on the right path.
To the faculty, students, and friends at Simmons College for continuing to challenge and inspire me.
And to all the writers, readers, librarians, booksellers, and bloggers who make the children’s book community such a rewarding place.