One of my (many) obsessions is children’s picture books, and I’ve been enjoying the various articles posted over at The Horn Book Magazine’s website recently in celebration of Picture Book Month. I had to laugh when I read some short pieces first published nearly fifteen years ago, by artists discussing their favorite medium for illustrating picture books.

Chris Raschka titles his piece ‘My Next Medium‘ and declares “My favorite medium, my ideal medium, is the one I haven’t used yet.” Oh how well I know that feeling. People often ask me about my favorite kind of puppet. Marionette? Hand and rod? Shadow or table-top? And like Raschka, I’m always tempted to say “Whichever one I haven’t tried yet.”  Raschka goes on to say “Or maybe it’s the one I’m contemplating using, toying with using, in my next book Lordy! I think to myself, Lordy!, in my next book, I’m going to CUT LOOSE! In my next book. With my next medium.” There is endless magic in the possibilities of the future.