I got something special in the mail this week. It came in a slim, puffed-up manila envelope. My daughter was expecting some pants we ordered, which look like this:

 

She’s way cooler than I ever was and when those pants do come she’s gonna rock them. Anyway, she tore open that envelope she said, “Whoa, these are not my pants.” Nope. The contents of that slim, puffed-up manila envelope were even better than rainbow pants covered in tiny emoticons.

 

It was my first Advance Review Copy of my first picture book! In the book world we call Advance Review Copies ARCs. They get sent out to book reviewers and buyers, teachers and librarians, mistakes get found and fixed (we already found one), and hopefully people decide to buy it!

But honestly, right now, the most important thing about my first ARC is… I get to hold it.

Turn the pages.

Cuddle up with kids and read it.

Pore over the adorable illustrations by Laurie Allen Klein.

      

I feel like if they made those rainbow emoticon pants in my size, I could rock them too!