On this dusty dust pink day as the sun rose over the hills, Mr. Morrison and his chorus of one hummed such a tune of joyful thanks to KAREN WHITFORD, GRISSELLE01, JEFF CRUMBLEY, AND JESSICA WEIL GLASSMAN for putting us just a teensy-bit over the top!

Although, we have reached our goal there is still so much more work to be done as we are finding out everyday! AND NOW, Bitsy and Raff has just 4 DAYS left to convince, enchant, propose, twist, enthrall, illuminate, and otherwise simply ask all those who haven’t quite yet, to join in our campaign of inclusion and friendship!!! PLEASE take a peek and hop on BITSY AND RAFF CAMPAIGN! http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bitsy-the-heaviest-butterfly-and-raff-the-tenderest-reed-a-new-picture-book

Ma in her kerchief and I in my cap
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap… But before we do, we would like to say; for all the good cheer you have brought we would like to wish you one thousand and one butterfly kisses and much much more. WE are ever so very grateful to… LINDA KANE, AMY POUX AND ALBA LEONE FOR THEIR MOST GENEROUS LOVELY CONTRIBUTION/ORDER of a First Edition Signed Copy of Bitsy and Raff!!!

Although, we have reached our goal there is still so much more work to be done as we are finding out everyday! AND NOW, Bitsy and Raff has just 4 DAYS left to convince, enchant, propose, twist, enthrall, illuminate, and otherwise simply ask all those who haven’t quite yet, to join in our campaign of inclusion and friendship!!! PLEASE take a peek and hop on BITSY AND RAFF CAMPAIGN! http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bitsy-the-heaviest-butterfly-and-raff-the-tenderest-reed-a-new-picture-book

THERE IS SO VERY MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL FOR…Tis December 1st, O’ the winter solstice shall soon be here and the days will begin to be longer! Hooray!! And rumor has it… Little Bo Peep and all her sheep have
joyful ringing in their ears for they have heard the jolly news that Bitsy and Raff have surpassed their goal!!! So it is with a Baba here, and a Baba there, and one thousand and one woolly kisses that they would like to impart for all their friends at the pond to… DEBRA WEINFELD & MPTFLYNN FOR THEIR MOST GENEROUS LOVELY CONTRIBUTION/ORDER of a First Edition Signed Copy of Bitsy and Raff!!!

Although, we have reached our goal there is still so much more work to be done as we are finding out everyday! AND NOW, Bitsy and Raff has just a week left to convince, enchant, propose, twist, enthrall, illuminate, and otherwise simply ask all those who haven’t quite yet, to join in our campaign of inclusion and friendship!!! PLEASE take a peek and hop on BITSY AND RAFF CAMPAIGN! http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bitsy-the-heaviest-butterfly-and-raff-the-tenderest-reed-a-new-picture-book

Night has fallen on this clear December’s Eve and Miss Sweetpea Simmons wants to say the pond is all aglow, hoping to bestow one thousand and one prince and princess froggy kisses onto BART HOLLUB AND GMAGPAI!! FOR THEIR MOST GENEROUS LOVELY CONTRIBUTION/ORDER of a First Edition Signed Copy of Bitsy and Raff!!!

Although, we have reached our goal there is still so much more work to be done as we are finding out everyday! AND NOW, Bitsy and Raff has just a week left to convince, enchant, propose, twist, enthrall, illuminate, and otherwise simply ask all those who haven’t quite yet, to join in our campaign of inclusion and friendship!!! PLEASE take a peek and hop on BITSY AND RAFF CAMPAIGN! http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bitsy-the-heaviest-butterfly-and-raff-the-tenderest-reed-a-new-picture-book

On this brisk and crisp Novemberish day, I would like to say something to all our wondrous friends and family, far and near, OLD AND NEW who have made BITSY AND RAFF such a marvelous success… (IN THE WORDS OF ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS) “If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.” ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Also, we wish to bestow one thousand and one prince and princess froggy kisses onto OUR NEWEST FRIEND MARIA ISABEL GARCIA!! FOR HER MOST GENEROUS LOVELY CONTRIBUTION/ORDER of a First Edition Signed Copy of Bitsy and Raff!!! Although, we have reached our goal there is still so much more work to be done as we are finding out everyday! SO PLEASE, SPREAD THE GOOD CHEER OF BITSY AND RAFF’S O’ SO IMPORTANT MESSAGE OF LOVE, AND THE MAGIC OF FRIENDSHIP! AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, WE CAN ALL MAKE THIS WORLD, JUST A LITTLE BIT KINDER!

ONE NEVER KNOWS WHEN, HOW, OR WHERE ONE WILL MEET A TRUE FRIEND… SO ACT ACCORDINGLY!

Many years ago a friend gave me a copy of “The Little Prince”… and underlined these words…

“I am looking for friends. What does that mean — tame?”

“It is an act too often neglected,” said the fox. “It means to establish ties.”

“To establish ties?”

“Just that,” said the fox. “To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world….”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

…and with each passing year these words are more and more powerful to me! This is why I love and am so very grateful that David Caudle and his most powerful and moving story Bitsy and Raff have magically found their way to me… So today, and perhaps all the days to come I shall be so humbly grateful.

Also, we wish to bestow one thousand and one prince and princess froggy kisses onto PETER O’ KUHN!! FOR HIS MOST GENEROUS LOVELY CONTRIBUTION/ORDER of First Edition Signed Copy of Bitsy and Raff!!! Although, we have reached our goal there is still so much more work to be done as we are finding out everyday! SO PLEASE, SPREAD THE GOOD CHEER OF BITSY AND RAFF’S O’ SO IMPORTANT MESSAGE OF LOVE, AND THE MAGIC OF FRIENDSHIP! AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, WE CAN ALL MAKE THIS WORLD, JUST A LITTLE BIT KINDER!

On this dark and stormy day before Thanksgiving, I would just like to send one thousand and one butterfly wings to all who are traveling on this day to be with their loved ones. And one thousand and one prince and princess froggy kisses to ANE CRABTREE, JANET KALAS, CAROL ENG, DGOS17, DLJM58 AND DAVE HARTWIG!!! So it is with great cheer and much thankfulness that we extend our most heartfelt thanks FOR THEIR MOST GENEROUS LOVELY CONTRIBUTIONS/ORDERS of First Edition Signed Copies of Bitsy and Raff!!! Although, we have reached our goal there is still so much more work to be done as we are finding out everyday! SO PLEASE, SPREAD THE GOOD CHEER OF BITSY AND RAFF’S O’ SO IMPORTANT MESSAGE OF LOVE, AND THE MAGIC OF FRIENDSHIP! AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, WE CAN ALL MAKE THIS WORLD, JUST A LITTLE BIT KINDER!

LET’S SNEAK A PEEK AT THE PROGRESS OF BITSY AND RAFF, SHALL WE? HERE IS JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT EENSY-WEENSY CORNER~ Watercolor in progress by Anastasia Traina ON LOWLY SCRAP DRAWING PAPER ~ 2013

“Just outside of a town near you,
A pond ripples softly with waters of blue. Written by David Caudle

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, I recall our wonderful experience last week reading for the very young children at PS 51. Whenever we asked the kids for their thoughts, they eagerly raised their hands, though it turned our that some either didn’t know what to say or felt shy to say it. I realized they raised their hands mainly because they just wanted to take part. I think about that expression, ‘to take part.’ It occurs to me that none of us should ever need to ‘take’ part. We all are born with an equal part to play in this world. It is ours by right. No words or actions from any person can minimize the value of any other. Lets look for reasons to celebrate each person’s presence in this world with us! This goes to the very heart of the story of Bitsy and Raff, a message we feel it is important to instill in children from a very early age. The overwhelming support you have all shown makes me give thanks that so many of you value this message of inclusion! Thank you to all who have supported thus far and to those who will join us! We have ten more days to make this the best it can be! Bless you all for doing your part!

On this snowy white day in November my thoughts drift… to a little quote by J. B. Priestley ~ The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?

So it is with great cheer and much thankfulness that we extend our most heartfelt thanks to the magical, JAMI RUDOFSKY FOR THEIR MOST GENEROUS LOVELY CONTRIBUTIONS/ORDERS of First Edition Signed Copies of Bitsy and Raff!!! Although, we have reached our goal there is still so much more work to be done as we are finding out everyday! SO PLEASE, SPREAD THE GOOD CHEER OF BITSY AND RAFF’S O’ SO IMPORTANT MESSAGE OF LOVE, AND THE MAGIC OF FRIENDSHIP! AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, WE CAN ALL MAKE THIS WORLD, JUST A LITTLE BIT KINDER!