For Valentine’s Day we gave Miss Boo a bubblegum pink three ring binder filled with blank paper and brand new markers in a rainbow of colors. Boo spent about four straight hours that day filling the pages with scenes from the stories that exist in her head.  Since then Boo and her book are inseparable.  I sit down with Boo each night and she tells me the stories and I write them below her pictures.

I think her enthusiasm for illustration comes from preschool.  Boo’s teachers make it a point to show the kids where they can find the name of the author and illustrator of the books they read in class. Sometimes Boo’s homework assignment is to read a library book, write down the name of the author and illustrator, and draw a scene from the book.

Last night I sat down to check out her latest drawings.

Me: Boo, why does this crazy person have green squiggles around her body?

Boo: She doesn’t have on makeup, her hair is messed up, and she smells funny.

Me: So it’s a picture of Mommy?

Boo: No, this is you.  Here’s the dresser and Mowee is stuck in the underwear drawer.  Zappa is on the dresser looking worried about Mowee.  You are covering your face and laughing.

Me: Wow, that’s really good,  Boo!  Ok, what’s this picture about?  I see a girl and she has three thought bubbles.  One says, “I’m a,” one says, “a a a a ” and  what does this one say?

Boo: She’s thinking about who she is but she forgot.  She’s saying, “I’m a…aaaa….” and that’s a question mark.

Me: Another picture of Mommy, huh.  So Boo, what do we want to call your book?  Let’s write the title page.  Do you have a title in mind?

Boo: The Old Times And The Evil Times.

Me: Really?

Boo: Write it out, Mommy.

Me: Ok, I’m writing…

Boo: No, you’re doing it wrong!  Put a period at the end of the.

Me: There’s no period at the end of the.

Boo: What do you know about writing?

Me: You’ve make a great point, Boo.

The Old Times And The Evil Times goes on to feature girls dancing with umbrellas in the rain, monsters chasing princesses, and Hello Kitty’s quest to find a Halloween costume.  Or it’s more fun if you call her what Avie calls her.  Hello Titty.

I think I need to pitch The Old Times And The Evil Times the next time I’m in Hollywood. Miss Boo’s gonna bring back the mini series!