If I could live barefoot or in flip flops, I would. So, summer, naturally, is my favorite season! Now that I’m retired and not committed to spending my days in a tiny office, summers are starting to feel more like they did when I was a kid. Endless. They aren’t, of course. The grown-up me knows it, but the kid me, the one who dreams up stories and draws cartoons and loves the feeling of the lawn under my bare feet, still believes they just might be.

This is our new welcome mat! How cool is that?

Per Ancestry.com, “The name July derives from the English language and is associated with the month of July, which adds to its significance. Its etymology traces back to the Latin word julius, meaning youthful or downy-bearded.”

For a picture book to be good, the story and the art both have to engage young children (and, for the best experience, their parents too!) Confession … sometimes my author-self and my illustrator-self don’t agree. AT ALL. Author-Me thinks she’s written a great story. Along comes Illustrator-Me who says, “Yes, Jo, it is a good premise, but the scenes are too much the same. I’m bored with the art!”

After three of these conflicts in as many months, I took a more wholistic look at the story I thought had the most potential for the illustrations to engage as much as the words. And I’m pretty excited about it!

Since you have been along with me for the ride and listened to some of my creative waffling, I thought I’d give you the first look at the first two completed pages of my next book, “Pig Newton’s Famous Cookies.” Keep in mind, the pages might change a bit, but I’m pretty sure they are final. I expect this wonderful book to be out in late September and will keep you posted!