
At school, Kevin, Carlos, and Minji greeted each other in their usual way.
“Hi guys,” Carlos said.
“Good morning,” Minji smiled.
“If you say so,” Kevin moaned.
Carlos and Minji rolled their eyes.
<<From Kevin the Complainer, my work-in-progress>>

At school, Kevin, Carlos, and Minji greeted each other in their usual way.
“Hi guys,” Carlos said.
“Good morning,” Minji smiled.
“If you say so,” Kevin moaned.
Carlos and Minji rolled their eyes.
<<From Kevin the Complainer, my work-in-progress>>

“Harvey woke up and complained to his mom that he felt a headache coming on.
His breakfast was overdone.
He couldn’t find his favorite gloves.
He heard something outside: Thunder rolled and cracked.
Oh no! There’s a storm! Now we won’t be able to play Kick and Cover! He muttered to himself.
He did not like the way his day was starting.”
From Kevin the Complainer


I showed my husband this illustration for my next book, Kevin the Complainer. This is Ms. Meretta, Kevin’s teacher. (My favorite teacher of all time was Ms. Meretta and she’s becoming a mainstay in all my books!)
Husband – sans glasses – squints. Awkward wait time follows.
At last he says, “Oh! I thought that was a chestnut!”


(For Kevin the Complainer – my next book. Kevin is a chameleon)

We attended our daughter’s concert tonight. She’s a member of the Youth Symphony of the Southwest (members are aged 15-20). They played Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor and it was 45 minutes of absolute bliss.
I learned something new: Brahms so admired Beethoven and wanted so badly to create something in the same caliber that it took him fourteen years to complete this concerto. Fourteen years.
He toiled and created on one project for fourteen years. That’s some serious perseverance.
So if you’re working on a masterpiece of any kind and you’re stressed about how long it’s taking you to create it, don’t sweat it. Just keep at it and pay no mind to time.

This is the perfect place to store ink and paint. It’s airtight and only 75 cents at Target (travel-size section).

Minji (left) and Carlos (characters in my next book, Kevin the Complainer)

Kevin the Complainer. I was going to make his complaining in red ink, but then realized it would look like he was spitting up blood. I think I’ll re-do this one. He looks much plumper than the first rendition and the fourth stripe bled out.

Holding myself accountable for my illustrations on my second self-published book (Kevin the Complainer). Here’s Lily, eating a carrot while Kevin complains.