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They gathered in Los Angeles a few months ago for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books - the faces behind the words and the pictures read by millions of parents in the wee hours of the night as children snuggle in a chair or on a rug to begin the process of reading - and to fuel the imagination. Eight authors and illustrators, some of whom will be present Oct. 3 at the first annual Orange County Children's Book Festival at Orange Coast College, explained how they write and illustrate the great story. The ideas that emerge from their youthful minds are poignant; so are their thoughts in the following Q&A drawn from a 90-minute session near Westwood. Adeline Yen Mah, former anesthesiologist, points out: "Reading is so important for children. Adults and children read for different reasons. Adults read for relaxation and entertainment, but children read to learn about life." And author Monica Gunning notes: "It's amazing how what an author writes can change the life of a child. When I read 'The Ugly Duckling,' I made up my mind, I was going to be a swan one day. So we never know how we are going to influence lives by what we put on the paper." There is power in the words that reach each home. Says author/illustrator Julie Mammano: "Once you publish these books and they're out there, they take on wings, and we don't know where they are going to, who they are going to affect. I find it such a privilege." Yet, for all the acclaim, keep in mind that writing can be a humbling experience. Relates Mammano: "I went to a thrift store in Orange County and I was looking at the books, and I found one of my books, so I bought it for 99 cents." The following is the cast of authors and illustrators: 1 Ann Whitford Paul is an author and poet of several books, including "Little Monkey Says Goodnight," "Owl at Night," and "Hello Toes! Hello Feet!" 2 Adeline Yen Mah divides her time between Huntington Beach, Hong Kong and London and has written "Chinese Cinderella," "Falling Leaves," and "Watching The Tree." Coming out in January: "Chinese Cinderella and The Secret Dragon Society." 3 Monica Gunning is an author and poet. Jamaican-born, she resides in Laguna Niguel. Her books include "Not a Copper Penny in Me House" and "A Shelter in Our Car." 4 Julie Mammano of Huntington Beach is an author and illustrator. Her first book, "Rhinos Who Surf," began a series that includes "Rhinos Who Snowboard," "Rhinos Who Skateboard," and "Rhinos Who Play Soccer." 5 David Carter , an author and illustrator, is one of the kings of the pop-up books. His books include the newly released "Birthday Bugs," "The 12 Bugs of Christmas," "Feely Bugs," "Bed Bugs," and "Alpha Bugs." 6 Monica Brown also is a professor at the Center for Chicano Studies at UC Santa Barbara. Her first book, coming out this month, is a bilingual effort, "My Name is Celia." 7 Steve Gray is an illustrator known for his wacky, humorous cartoons. A third book coming out is "Farmer McPeepers and His Missing Milk Cows." 8 Susan Peterson, a former Orange County Register reporter, has written helpful guidebooks for families, such as "Fun and Educational Places to Go With Kids in California" and "Fun and Educational Places to Go With Kids in Los Angeles and Orange County." Excerpts from the group interview follow: Q: Why should we read books to children and why do you write and/or illustrate them? Ann Whitford Paul: For wonderful moments, to be close with your child, to be focused with your child on this book, this experience. With all the fracas we have in the world, that's an important parent-child time. Also, it introduces children to books. The earlier you introduce children, the more likely they are to succeed in life. Adeline Yen Mah: My children's book, 'Chinese Cinderella,' is an autobiography for children. I had a very painful childhood. It was Charles Dickens who said, 'An unhappy childhood is a writer's whole capital.' As a child, you are vulnerable, you are powerless, and you don't have the vocabulary or opportunity to express yourself. All the emotions are bottled up, dying to get out. Somehow, this is why a lot of writers who had an unhappy childhood, write. Monica Gunning: I grew up in a Third-World country, in Jamaica, and there were no books in the house except the Bible. And my grandfather read it every Sunday. It was my greatest joy to sit at his feet and hear those Bible stories. When I came to the United States and had my own children and went to the library and had books in my home to read to my children, I thought I was the wealthiest person in the world. Monica Brown: I write because it's the most joyful experience. I've been a journalist, I've written scholarly work, and this is, by comparison, the most personally satisfying. My first two books are about strong, Latino women. It brings me pleasure that I will be introducing these women to little girls, like my daughters, who don't know about them. I feel like I'm opening up the world to them, and the Americas to them, in the way that I was lucky to have, the daughter of a Peruvian woman. Q: Why do even the simplest books have such an impact on children? Julie Mammano: I struggled with reading. I didn't like reading as a kid. So the books I was attracted to were the ones with all the pictures and few words. So I write books that I would have liked. Simple books are good to introduce to struggling readers. It got me started. Often, simple books are comforting. I loved Dr. Seuss; it was simple, I could read it all at once, and it was imaginative. David Carter: It's a way of dealing with simple concepts in a creative way. I always see my books as art books that are visually entertaining and exciting. And if at some point I draw in the reluctant reader to the point where they learn to love books, then that is a strong point. Q: How does the illustration make the book for the child? David Carter: There is so much out there, and a child is able to go in and find what they are naturally attracted to. It may be the art style - big, bold images or little detailed drawing. As an illustrator, I'm not thinking what children will like, but what I think is the right solution for a certain problem. Steve Gray: It gives a lot of people (an opportunity) to create, and for children to find all kinds of different things. Julie Mammano: There are a million different ways to draw (for example) a cat. It shows kids that there is a variety and a different way to approach things. Illustrations really contribute to the story. Ann Whitford Paul: The young, pre-reader, can read the pictures while we are reading the words. Monica Brown: Sometimes the illustrator's interpretation of my words have solved problems. To me, it's a partnership. Q: How have children's books changed over the years to reflect not only a changing family dynamic, but a changing nation? Steve Gray: I think we're seeing a lot more bodily functions. Kids are a little more hip and informed than they were 20 years ago, in some ways. But I go to a lot of schools and find they are as sweet and innocent as they always have been. Ann Whitford Paul: Children are not as cynical; they are young and open and excited about a rock on the sidewalk. They're drawn to the wonder of the world; everything is new to them. Q: We're not Ozzie and Harriett anymore. How do you put that into play? Susan Peterson: Kids are more sophisticated nowadays, sometimes to my sorrow. My kids know more than I did when I was growing up, and I'm not always sure that's a wonderful thing. Monica Gunning: I am delighted that so many topics relevant to children are being discussed in children's books today. Children can feel that they are not alone in their situations. Q: What are the elements and themes that are still important to include in children's literature? David Carter: One of the general, overall things I try to keep in my books deals with the general curiosity. The pure joy and pleasure of being a child. Everything is a question, so I try to work on those themes. Try to keep it fun and light and deal with curiosity. Monica Brown: Kids enjoy reading about characters that are a little rebellious or have some sort of conflict to overcome. Adeline Yen Mah: One of my favorite children's authors wrote 'Harry Potter.' She is a genius. Her theme is essentially an age-old theme that has not changed for the last 2,000 years. It is about good and evil, and the empowerment of the child to believe in himself. A lot of children are put down and emotionally abused: 'You are ugly, you'll never get anywhere.' The book that changed my life was 'The Little Princess.' I realized that adults could be wrong about the child; she herself will determine her own fate. This is important for children, to learn that the only person who can change your life is you, yourself. Julie Mammano: I always identified with the underdog. The kid who was beaten down, or was picked on, or was unsuccessful or struggled. That's a theme a lot of kids can identify with. When I go to schools, they're all cute, but I know there is a hierarchy. The books that I write, there are no great morals to the stories. But it's fun. Monica Gunning : The book that really changed my life was 'The Ugly Duckling.' Q: Is a happy ending always necessary? (Everyone responds, "No.") Ann Whitford Paul: I don't think all books...have to be tied up in a nice knot. But I do think books have to give hope to their readers. They don't close all the doors to a young child. They empower the child, and if the character does not get exactly what he or she desires at the end, there is either a satisfying ending, or coming to terms with that or some hope that in the future they will have the strength to do this. Q: Children are growing up in such a visual age - watching movies in cars; playing video games; instant messaging. You have 8-year-olds using cell phones. Sometimes they do all these things at once. Is this destructive or does it stimulate the imagination? Steve Gray: I'm impressed that they can do these things. These are skills they are going to need because the world is becoming more technological. It's just the way our world is going. I don't see it as a bad thing. Susan Peterson: I'm really proud that my son knows the computer better than I do, because when I need help, he's the one I call...I think all the technology has its place, but nothing should or could ever replace the absolute joy of reading. Julie Mammamo: Technology is a good thing, but too much of anything is not good. Be exposed to the old-fashioned way of reading a book. Ann Whitford Paul: When do you get your most creative ideas? Do you get them when you are watching television and the phone is ringing? Or do you get them when you are in a more quiet, internal mood? I think technology is wonderful, but what our kids need more than anything is not to be busy 95% of their waking hours. They need quiet time...I wish they had more time to sit and just do nothing. Q: There is this competition for a child's time. How has "Harry Potter's" success refocused the importance of children's literature? Monica Gunning: The wonderful thing about the 'Harry Potter' series is that it has made boys, especially, love reading. Any book, or books, that let children enjoy reading and to see children lined up all around the world to get reading this story...I really have a lot of admiration for J.K. Rowling. Fantasy really sells; children like to fantasize. Adeline Yen Mah: It is phenomenal; never in the history of publishing has a book sold like J.K. Rowling's books. Some 235 million. I was in a bookstore in Sun Valley when the fifth book came out, "Order of the Phoenix." At midnight, to see all these children buying this book, clutching and reading. It shows that with a good book, boys and girls are really encouraged. This is the best thing that has happened to children's literature for a long time. David Carter: Something I'm seeing is that the same children reading the J.K. Rowling books are also doing all the other media. It's a time when our children are given more and are able to absorb more. Things are just advancing. Great literature is good, and I believe the other media can be valuable, too. It's all within reason. One of the things I do as a parent also, we call it down time. Spending time doing nothing. And that's hard these days. Q: The celebrity factor. Everyone is writing children's books. Jay Leno, Madonna, Jamie Lee Curtis, Julie Andrews. Even athletes such as David Eckstein. Is this good literature? Is it helping or hindering the market? Julie Mammano: Just because it's a celebrity, you can't say it's wonderful just because they wrote it. You need to take each book, each and of itself. I just read John Lithgow's on 'I'm a Manatee.' It's well-written; it's rhyming; it's really witty. And then the one by Madonna, 'The English Roses,' and I have to admit, it needed editing. It needed more work on it. Monica Gunning: Jamie Lee Curtis has written a very good book on feelings ('Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods that Make My Day'). Maria Shriver has written a good book about treating death ('What's Heaven?'). Publishers are looking for books that are going to make them money. I'm sure they would be very anxious to have a big name on a book because they know it's a certain sell. Monica Brown: The thing we can hope for the publishing industry, and those celebrity authors themselves, is that they will have a sense of ethics about it...Maybe they can take a risk on new authors who are really gifted. And hopefully some of these celebrity authors can use their instant popularity and influence to enrich the field and help grow new children's book authors. Ann Whitford Paul: I feel very strongly that editors, publishing companies, writers, illustrators, have to give children nothing but their very best. We want kids to be hooked into books right from the beginning. We have to give them the best books. Q: Can you predict new trends in children's literature? Adeline Yen Mah: Probably fantasy, because of 'Harry Potter.' Julie Mammamo: I have a fear that in the future, children's books might become more mean-spirited. I see our society becoming more mean-spirited in attitude. And bodily function jokes. They're kind of funny, but there is so much of it now. It's a quick and easy sell. Kids need to have the innocence of childhood. That whimsy, that wonder, that daydream that kids have. Susan Peterson: There will be more and more reality in the sense that this is what's really happening in real life. I also hope that there is more of a trend of good writing. Q: Literacy in America is a huge concern. What you all produce is the first step to a literate child. That's a rather important job. How do you feel about that? Julie Mammano: I got a couple of letters, where a parent or teacher writes, 'Little Johnnie hated reading, he never got into it, but he read 'Rhinos Who Surf,' and he really identified with it. Now he's trying other books.' I was so thrilled, as a person and an author, that my book was something that started them in reading. I can't change the world, but it's neat to know that all of us, in some small way, helped some kid. Susan Peterson: My 14-year-old son wrote a book, ("Animal Tongue Twisters," by Bryce Peterson). He did the illustrations himself. It came out last year. He got excited by reading kids' books and one of his points was, if mom can write a book, pretty much anyone can. David Carter: My interactive artwork hopefully will draw in some reluctant readers to the point where they love books. And maybe start with one of my books where they can play with it, and move it and get drawn in. If that creates new readers, that's great. Monica Brown: If you are going to write for children, you have to have an ear for their dialogue, their language. And I feel lucky, because I write picture books, and I have this 4- and 6-year-old, two daughters, and so I'm immersed in their language and I know what can capture their imagination. Monica Gunning: Many children's books have been used to get adults literate. We're getting interesting material at their level, something really meaningful. Q: How do book festivals such as the upcoming Orange County Children's Book Festival fuel the interest of children and their families? Adeline Yen Mah: It is an event where the whole family can be involved. It is very stimulating; it's a great idea. Ann Whitford Paul: It's all about books. You realize that you are not alone; there are other people who love books. David Carter: It's one great, big, bookstore, isn't it. There is something for everybody. When you are looking at a child's life like a pie, the certain slices, this is a really good way to promote that slice of pie that is books. Monica Brown: Books are irreplaceable because of the interactiveness, of the active reading to your child. The book festival adds a new dimension because you get your authors to read. 10 ways to get your kids to read If your child is finally reading, thanks to Harry Potter, keep the momentum going. Robert Gould, creator of "Rex" and "Rex2" - the first titles in a series of adventure books - has these 10 tips for motivating children to read. 1. Encourage children to read aloud. Kids of all ages enjoying reading aloud to their parents and peers. It lets them show off their ability and allows parents to spend quality time with their children. 2. Take field trips to the bookstore or to the library. Take time out to browse through a store and allow children to pick out his or her favorite book. Point out books that might be interesting to them. 3. Keep books in the car or tucked into backpacks. Children can read while traveling. In a car, on a bus, sailing on a boat, or flying in a plane, a book makes the perfect companion. 4. Encourage the reading of a series. When young readers fall in love with a series -"Harry Potter" is a good example - their next book is easy to find. By the time they are through with a series, they are reading better and have begun to form a lifelong habit. 5. Connect reading with favorite activities. Find books that match a child's interests - riding bikes, skateboarding, secret fort-building. He or she will connect reading to these favorite activities. 6. Location, location, location. Encourage children to read where they are comfortable. A good book knows no bounds, whether it's on the porch, up in a treehouse, or under the bed. 7. Books make great gifts. The next time your child is invited to a birthday party, give a gift certificate to the local bookstore. 8. No lights out! Don't give your children a lights-out time at night. Let them read in bed if they want to. They'll feel grown up, and reading before bed could prompt a long habit. 9. Relax a little. Try not to over-commit your children to too many activities. They may be too tired to sit down and relax with a book. Let them know that lying on the bed reading a book is not a waste of time. 10. Show your child that you value reading. Parents should spend time reading. Take out the daily paper or open a geography book while the family is watching TV to learn about and discuss a faraway place. - Courtesy of FeatureSource Orange County Children’s Book Festival The first-ever family event comes to OC By Sandy Bennett Local residents will no longer have to drive to L.A. to enjoy a day at a book festival. Next month, one will come to Newport Beach - the first-ever Orange County Children's Book Festival. The interactive family event, which has been in the making for two years, will be held on Sunday, Oct. 3 from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Orange Coast College's 164-acre campus in Costa Mesa. "This is a day to inspire reluctant readers and to spur ahead avid readers," says Pat Burns, co-founder of the festival The free event, designed to encourage literacy, invites children of all ages, from preschoolers to high school students, to experience the magic of books. The fun, though, won't be reserved solely for kids. The family affair will also feature a number of offerings, including books, presentations and entertainment, geared specifically toward parents and grandparents. In addition to more than 150 literacy-related and book vendors that will host displays, families will have the opportunity to meet the people who create them. Several admired authors, for example, will be reading from their books. Others will take part in panel discussions. And most will participate in book signings. The festival will also feature renowned illustrators of children's books who will display their work, share how they create their characters and demonstrate their artistry. Participants include: Patty Hall, tribute books to Johnny Gruelle and Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls and stories; Barbara Odanaka, "Skateboard Mom"; David Giddings, "Harry Rips Australia"; Michelle Madrid-Branch, "Tummy Mummy"; "Uncle Ted" Afetiam, "The Adventures of Midas and the Little Red Airplane"; David Finstrom, "Lost in Etchitopia: A Giggleglyph Adventure"; Lori Mackey, "The Piggy Bank"; Etan Boritzer, The what is series... "What is Death"; Susan Peterson, "Fun and Educational Places to Go With Kids and Adults in Southern California"; Patty Hanson, "Chicken Soup for the Pre-teen's Soul"; Marcia Trimble, The Trimble Tots Collection; Cheryl Russell, "The Story of the Star Hearts"; Steve Gray, illustrator of "Farmer McPeepers and His Missing Milk Cows" by Katy S. Duffield; and illustrators Raul Colon and Debra Norse. "It's like when you go to a museum," says Burns. "Maybe you've heard about the Mona Lisa; maybe you've seen some of the famous art of Picasso or another famous artist that you love. It's one thing when you look at it in a book and it's another when you go to the museum and you see it in the flesh. It changes everything. "And this is what we want to have happen at the Children's Book Festival. People will see the authors. They'll meet the illustrators. They'll watch drawings being created on a stage. They'll hear storytellers. They'll have characters to relate to so that the next time they pick up a book, they won't have to be asked to read - they'll want to read." Other highlights include panel discussions, with topics ranging from writing children's books to the best books for parents to read to their young children, along with a host of entertainment. In addition to live performances, presented throughout the day, the Orange County Children's Book Festival will offer an array of activities for children, such as face painting, clowns and musicians. Food and drinks will also be available. The festival is the brainchild of co-founder Barry Ackerman, who has been involved in the conference and festival industry for more than 30 years. "(He has) been involved with the UCLA/L.A. Times Festival of Books since its inception," says Burns. "And it was something that he just couldn't understand why we had to go so far and why Orange County never had a book festival, and particularly one for children and families. "What really made it happen, though, is the fact that we got so many other people who got behind this and got behind us and said, 'Let's make this dream a reality.' It really is about the amazing volunteers and people that have stepped up to say, 'We want to help.'" Sponsors of the event include OC Family Magazine, OC METRO Magazine, Warner Books, Rockstar Energy Drink, KOCE, Radio Disney AM 1110, Borders, Comcast, Lavinia's World and Chemers Gallery. For more information on the Orange County Children's Book Festival and to volunteer visit www.otcbf.com or call 949.836.4722. Sandy Bennett is associate editor at Churm Publishing, Inc. A Storybook Marriage A couple's whimsical journey through the world of children's book art By Lynn Armitage People start hobbies for all different reasons. But Mark and Dana Susson stumbled onto their favorite pastime by sheer happenstance. About 15 years ago, the Newport Beach couple strolled into an art gallery in Tustin where a children's book illustrator had blindly sent his work, hoping to attract the eye of an art aficionado. The Sussons were intrigued. After some healthy - and occupational - debate (they're both lawyers), they bought one of the pieces. It was the original watercolor of Little Red Riding Hood from a collection of fairy tales by Daniel San Souci, an illustrator who has since become a household name around the Susson place. Now, hundreds of framed pictures later, the Sussons have, arguably, the largest collection of children's book art originals in the country. "It started out as a hobby. Now it's an obsession," confesses an unabashed Dana, 50, a private judge in medical malpractice cases. She started amassing what is now a library of children's books when their son, Matt, 20, was born. (The couple also have an 18-year-old daughter, Sarah.) "One of my favorites is 'The Rain Babies' by Laura Melmed." Their 3,000-square-foot home near Fashion Island, decorated in a style they call "happy," is literally a gallery - a respectful bow to the art of children's book illustration. Charging admission at the front door wouldn't be a stretch. As much as a visitor is pulled in by the whimsy, he or she is equally taken by what this collection is - astonishing art. On every wall, everywhere you turn, hangs original artwork created by the best-known children's book illustrators the world over; vivid watercolors, brilliant oils and vibrant acrylics lifted from the pages of beloved, and in some cases award-winning, books we've no doubt read to our own children. Some are familiar, some not: Chris Van Allsburg ("The Polar Express"), Mark Teague ("How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?"), Alexandra Day ("Good Dog, Carl"), Mary GrandPré ("Harry Potter"), David Shannon ("No, David!") and Tony Diterlizzi ("The Spider and the Fly") are a few Susson favorites. "We've run out of walls," laughs 49-year-old Mark, a litigation attorney and partner at Smith and Susson in Newport Beach. "But that hasn't stopped us so far." Not even close. He and Dana continue to fall in love again and again, buying one whimsical illustration after the next, although "we don't always agree on what it is that we want." Spoken like a true lawyer. What drives the Susson's passion? "The satisfaction of showing people the pictures," says Dana. "Children's literature is such an enriching genre, with everything going on in the world today; to continue to read to your kids is a very important thing." Framing the deal Married for 25 years, they're the perfect team. Dana scouts the art; Mark relishes the art of the deal. "The thrill for me is the chase," he says. "I enjoy hunting down the illustrators on the Internet, then negotiating a price with them over the phone." His treasure hunts through cyberspace have procured illustrations from all over the world - Canada, Wales, England and the U.S., at prices between $200 and $5,000 apiece. Some artists have never seen their art framed and don't understand the value of it. "Several illustrators have quoted a price and I've said it wasn't enough. I've actually paid them more." Mark recounts the story of Krysten Brooker, an illustrator in Canada so flattered by Mark's diligence in tracking her down that she wanted to give her painting to the art-loving couple for free. But the Sussons wouldn't hear of it. These voracious collectors do have their limits, however. For years, they'd been trying to snag a Maurice Sendac, illustrator of "Where The Wild Things Are," probably "the most famous children's book of all." Sendac's agent had "the perfect piece for $325,000." Tempting, but over the top. Mark politely declined. "I think I'll buy a vacation home instead." Every picture tells a story For the Sussons, a picture, literally, is worth a thousand words...and then some. The irony is, by collecting artwork from some of the world's most gifted storytellers, Dana and Mark have become storytellers themselves. Stand in front of the oil painting by Alexandra Day of her legendary Rottweiler Carl, and they'll tell you how they drove to San Diego after Day called out of the blue and said, "I'm moving to Seattle tomorrow and have a piece you might want. But you'll have to get it tonight." Day had never sold an original before, so it was a rare opportunity. "I was so excited, I was coming out of my skin!" recalls Dana. Or, on a fascinating tour down a hallway spotted with colorful, storybook rugs, you'll hear about the Rip Van Winkle by Gary Kelley loaned to the Chicago Art Museum for a year; and the Dr. Seuss lithograph, a source of friction in the household. Dana likes lithographs, but Mark thinks they "cheapen the collection." Most surprisingly, you'll discover that Mark, surely an imposing figure in the courtroom, is really a big softie. Through the years, he's surprised Dana on anniversaries, birthdays and other days that just matter with sentimental, romantic pieces. Like the Romeo and Juliet he wrangled from David Shannon. "I don't think he would have sold this piece. But I told him Dana loves his work and it was our 25th anniversary." An interesting twist Look closely at the Sussons' artwork and you'll notice something different. Subtle, like Hitchcock in his own movies, but it's there. The frames are customized with carved symbols and/or or special finishes that capture the essence of the illustration. It's the couple's own trademark, a signature way of saying, "Hey, these are ours!" "We've tried to come up with something clever on all of them," says Dana, pointing to a heart carved into the frame of a Giselle Potter that Mark gave her for Valentine's Day. The gold frame surrounding "the Spider and the Fly" poem has a crackle finish resembling a web, with a spider crawling down the side. An alphabet piece by Scott Gustafson has A-B-C-D blocks in the frame's corners. You get the picture. How do they decide on the special touch fashioned into each frame? "Mark will want something very goofy and I'll want something more subdued. Then we wind up in the middle somewhere," says Dana, a polished negotiator. Kids at art The couple treasure their one-of-a-kind, storybook collection. But along the way, they've built something even more valuable...wonderful, enduring friendships with people connected to the art world: bookstore owners, Phil the framer, Roger the picture hanger who, sadly, died a few years back, and even the illustrators themselves. It's like a collection within a collection. Many of these illustrators have been invited to the Susson home on more than one occasion for a good meal and a nostalgic visit with their framed art. Each artist has signed a special guest book - yet another keepsake - and autographed books from which their original illustrations came. The couple have separate hobbies, too. Mark plays paddleball, raquetball and golf; Dana reads and makes custom quilts. But with the Susson children nearly grown and gone, collecting art has allowed the couple to fuse passion and, together, create something extraordinary. One particular illustration by David Shannon says it all - another gift to Dana when their son graduated from high school. Paul Bunyon and his wife are sitting side by side on the Grand Tetons, looking up at a luminous moon. Mark wrote on the card that accompanied the gift, "To the start of our empty nest." I'm reminded of a scene from "Mary Poppins" where Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke hold hands and jump giddily, like two carefree kids, into a whimiscal illustration. For the Sussons, real life is like that, too. Lynn Armitage is a senior writer for Churm Publishing, Inc. |
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