Lately I’ve been poring over a contract for my new picture book, Reading Beauty, which should arrive next year!  It’s an exciting process.  I hope to share more with you soon!

Meanwhile, let’s talk about London in June, and the way we meandered through Kensington Gardens at twilight to find Peter Pan surrounded by fairies:

At Peter Pan’s statue in Windsor Gardens

Wendy kneels at his feet, looking up at him wistfully as he plays a bewitching tune.  Unfortunately she also seems to be peeking–“Right up his tunic!”  as my sister sputtered behind me, shaking her head!

Still, what a wonder!

Mrs. Darling first heard of Peter when she was tidying up her children’s minds. It is the nightly custom of every good mother after her children are asleep to rummage in their minds and put things straight for next morning, repacking into their proper places the many articles that have wandered during the day. If you could keep awake (but of course you can’t) you would see your own mother doing this and you would find it very interesting to watch. It’s quite like tidying up drawers. You would see her on her knees, I expect, lingering humorously over some of your contents, wondering where on Earth you picked this thing up, making discoveries sweet and not so sweet, pressing this to her cheek, as if it were a nice kitten, and hurriedly stowing that out of sight. When you wake in the morning, the naughtiness and evil passions with which you went to bed have been folded up small and placed at the bottom of your mind and on the top, beautifully aired, are spread out the prettier thoughts, ready for you to put on.

-J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan