Five Questions

Thanks to Kane/Miller, I have been lucky enough to work with authors and illustrators from around the world during my six and a half years with them. Several of these individuals have been quite friendly through email and some have even offered to show me around should I ever make it to their homeland.

Trudy White is one such author/illustrator. She is the creator of a very intimate book, Could You? Would You? I say intimate because you cannot read through the questions and instructions in this 96-page picture book without taking an intimate look at yourself, or those who you might share it with.

Kane/Miller Book Publishers

Inspired by the responses of several kidlit blogsters, I have taken the time to answer the five questions that Trudy selected for her mention in this past weekend's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast posting.

• How would someone find you in a crowd?
  

I'll be the one with the purple glasses and the tattoos. Oh, and I sort of look like Emma.

• If your house had a secret room, what would be in there?

My secret reading room would have plenty of natural sunlight shining down through the skylights along the vaulted ceiling. The room would have built in, wall-to-wall bookshelves. Oh, and there would be a wine cellar (and a small bathroom) not too far away.

• Where do you like to walk from your house?

I enjoy walking up the street to the playground which is on the campus of a community college. It has tennis and basketball courts, a community swimming pool, baseball and soccer fields and a volleyball court. There are always happy people and children there to inspire me.

• How will you change as you grow up?

I hope to never grow up in that I enjoy living in the moment and seeing the world from a child's perspective. I would imagine that as my son grows and changes I will too but I can only hope that I will be even more happy, healthy and hip than I am now! And au naturel.

• What sort of animal would you like to be?
  

I liken myself to a snake, seemingly vulnerable yet powerful and strong, moving smoothly and constantly shedding my skin.

The questions and instructions from Trudys' book that would make great first-date discussions:

• What is the best thing about you?
• Can you wiggle your ears like a rabbit?
• Draw a picture of your family.
• What is the best thing about where you live?
• What special thing will you keep until you are old?
• What makes you smile?
  
• What makes you angry?
• What is the funniest thing you can remember?
• What helps you feel better if you're sad?

Oh, and just in case you're curious, Trudy and her partner recently "bought a block of land by the beach along The Great Ocean Road in Victoria - an hour or so from Melbourne."

I'm looking you up when I get to Australia, Trudy. I have some questions for you.