Generally speaking, we don’t do what we need to do until we need to do it. Tomorrow we have a 90-minute meeting with the editor-in-chief, senior executive editor, and creative director of one of the big children’s book publishing houses, which means that we need to prepare for it.

Right now.

Being the nominal manager of this operation, I just walked Robbi through a list of all that she has to accomplish between now and 9:00 tomorrow morning when we leave for New York.

This is how it made her feel.

Part of my job as nominal manager is helping the “talent” through the occasional doldrums. And so I informed Robbi that we have a freezer full of ice cream and that she is on doctors’ orders to put on weight. I have given her a bell that she may ring at any moment, the sound of which will compel me to bring her a fresh bowl.

It’s miraculous how easy it is to motivate an illustrator, provided one knows what carrot to dangle.

For my part, I’m busy making little stacks of books to give away. People like little stacks of books, don’t they?