Who's Counting?

Who's counting? Every young counter in the house, that's who!

As a curious puppy pads across the fields and through the barnyard, young children can use all their fingers to count the geese, moles, birds, tadpoles, and other living things that the puppy encounters.

His final destination will surprise and delight the youngest and oldest fans of this Caldecott Honor Medalist.

"I remember drawing at a very early age. I loved it. And my parents and teachers told me I was good at it -- that made me love it all the more.

"I also loved books, and the ones I was lucky enough to own were reread, looked at over and over, and regarded with great respect. To me "great respect" meant that I took them everywhere, and the ones I still own prove it. They're brimming with all the telltale signs of true love: dog-eared pages, fingerprints on my favorite illustrations, my name and address inscribed on both front and back covers in inch-high crayon lettering, and the faint smell of stale peanut butter on the bindings. I wondered about authors and illustrators back then -- What did they look like? Where did they live? Did they have families? How old were they? --but I never imagined that one day I would be one myself.

"I became an author-illustrator when I was nineteen years old. I flew from my home in Racine, Wisconsin, to New York City with my portfolio, hoping to find a publisher. And magically enough Susan Hirschman at Greenwillow Books made my dream come true. My first picture book, All Alone, was published in 1981. Since then I've written and illustrated many picture books and written several novels. I like the variety of trying new ways to fill the pages between two covers. Experimenting with words and paint and ink keeps my job interesting.

"I used to live with my parents and brothers and sister and work at a card table in my bedroom. Now I live with my wife and son in our own house and work at a drawing table in my own studio. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to be a real author and illustrator. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Kevin Henkes lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Sun & Spoon is his twenty-third book for children; all were published by Greenwillow Books. His novels include Protecting Marie and Words of Stone. Among his picture books are Owen, a 1994 Caldecott Honor Book; Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse; and Julius, the Baby of the World.In Her Own Words...

"It's a wonderful thing being able to go through your life doing exactly what you want to be doing--that's how I feel about both the writing and illustrating of children's books. To know that youngsters will be eager to turn the pages of a book that I have helped form gives me a strong sense of accomplishment and pleasure.

"I adored snuggling up to my mother while she would read (or I read to her) the same favorites over and over. Maybe that, coupled with crayons and endless hours of coloring and the love of nature, has helped form my destined fate.

"I entered the School of Visual Arts to study children's book illustration, though only one course really dealt with the subject itself. The other courses were related, combining graphics, type, painting, etc. I learned enough to know that I had better prepare myself for a graphicsrelated career because you just don't walk out and become a children's book illustrator. It's something that I found I had to work a very long time to achieve.

"In the interim, my husband, Tom, and I formed a graphic design studio, dealing with book jacket design (both trade and paper), photography, logo and movie design. I won't include all my growing pains with children's books but only mention the ultimate highlight. It was when, after numerous rejections-and a great deal of effort--I walked into the offices of Greenwillow and was greeted with smiles, had my portfolio reviewed, and was handed a manuscript.

"It was to me a now-or-never situation and I was petrified. The manuscript was The Piney Woods Peddler. Tom modeled for the peddler, and I spent some months in a stone mill in Millback, Pennsylvania. It was a perfect backdrop for the book, and many of the town residents are pictured.

"So much has passed since then, but a part of me still reacts the same every time I sit down at the drawing board to start a new book. It's that exuberance that comes over me, making every book just like the first one, even after thirty-five books and twenty years.

"My vision has grown since my daughter, Cristina, was born, because I see firsthand how important the early years are. I hope that the feelings I try to project within my booksthrough line, color, shape, and story- will make a difference to some young lives."