That highly anticipated box of books arrived on my doorstep a few days ago. And exactly one week from today, IF I WERE A KANGAROO by Mylisa Larsen and me will land in bookstores. It's a sweet lullaby-like tale about the bedtime rituals of animals such as otters, giraffes, gorillas, and, of course, kangaroos. Mylisa's text is lyrical and lovely.

Kirkus Reviews had some nice things to say, as did School Library Journal:

"Raff's illustrations are soothing, done in jewel tones on minimal backdrops…The animals are expressive and charming, making this selection perfect for bedtime and one-on-one sharing."

As noted in an earlier post, kidlit ambassador John Schu turned over his blog to Mylisa and me to interview each other, and premiered the book trailer.

And if you'd like to see some sneak peeks at the art, here's the link on my site.

This was a really fun book to research and illustrate. At the end of the book, there is a section called "Sleepy Animal Notes" withfacts about the baby animals mentioned, and their sleeping habits. For instance, did you know that the wolf spider carries her babies on her back after they hatch? "The babies ride around…in a big, spidery pile."

Recently, I came across the mini version of KANGAROO I made last summer while finishing the art. I always like to print my books before sending out the illustrations to check on pacing and other potential issues. For my own ya-yas, I also like to make tiny versions of them. Here you can see it to scale. :^)

It looks like I'll be sharing KANGAROO at some book festivals this fall, so watch this space for news on that. Now it's time for me to get back to addressing envelopes and postcards for my publishing pals. I've been drawing stars for several days, but the task is made much more enjoyable thanks to the NCAA basketball tournament. I like to think of this mailing as my own version of March Madness. Here's a look at what's coming soon to an Art Director's inbox near you. And be on the lookout for KANGAROO in your favorite bookstore, or you can place an order here. Thanks!

(add photo of mailing stuff.)

If I were a kangaroo, I'd pick you up and carry you In my pocket, sleepyhead, And hop you gently off to bed. It's time for sleep, and this fun-to-read rhyming tale envisions the bedtime rituals of animals from whales to otters, squirrels to gorillas. So curl up, imagine your favorite animal, and...zzzzzzzzzzz.

It's hard to believe that one month from tomorrow (April 4th) my next picture book, IF I WERE A KANGAROO will be in stores! It seems like yesterday that I was researching sleepy baby animals, such as otters, bats, and wolf spiders.

Earlier this week, generous kidlit ambassador Mr. Schu (Mr. Schu Reads) premiered the trailer I made (also seen above), and shared an interview between author Mylisa Larsen and myself. The two of us have yet to meet in person, but this virtual meeting was a terrific way to start. You can read the interview here. We talk a bit about our creative processes, and I shared my most hilarious bit of art direction, ever.

If you'd like to pre-order a copy of IF I WERE A KANGAROO, click here, or here. It arrives in time for Easter, Passover, and Mothers Day! Nudge, nudge, wink, wink...