Rabbits illuminated

The Pacific Northwest Children's Book Conference in Portland, Oregon was last week. Many stories and illustrations were transformed with the help of exceptional faculty. We had incredible teachers who work in children's book publishing as editors, writers, and illustrators including Linda Zuckerman, Editor, Ann Whitford Paul, Kirby Larson (Newberry Honor winner), Suz Blackaby, Susan Goldman Rubin, Margaret Bechard, Susan Fletcher, among others, and the incredible illustrators Marla Frazee and Elsa Warnick. We were also honored to have Marcia Leonard, editor from Clarion Books as a speaker on more than one day. Every reading seemed to demonstrate the evolving of a writer. Marla and Elsa inspired us to surge ahead in our own visual voices. We were kept busy for 5 days without wasting a minute! It felt as nurturing and exciting as camp does to a kid. While we didn't have marshmallows roasted over a campfire, there were way too many desserts. Consider attending next year's conference. I'm hoping to attend. I should be done with at least a four-step dessert abstinence program by then.