Fat & Bones (9 page)
Authors: Larissa Theule
Like most cats, I'm a philosopher. Like most philosophers, I try to make sense of chaos. Some moments of this tale are conjecture, I admit, but of this I am certainâ with Mrs. Bald as flat as one of those pancakes Bones loved so well, my shiny red food dish would have remained empty. And I know from experience, an empty food dish means chaos. By getting rid of Fat and Bones, I restored order. I restored peace. Not bad for a tailless cat, if I do say so myself.
Author Acknowledgments
This is the part of the book I was most looking forward to writing, the part where I can thank the many people who have been patient and kind during this story's journey to publication.
Mom and Dad, thank you for being exemplary parents and teachers, for living with conviction, and teaching us kids that love will make a difference. My siblings, Shaelyn, Shannon, Luke, and Joshâthank you for all the Dutch rubs and ribbing. I owe you one. Jane, Uma, Shelley, and Ritaâyou are gifted teachers with wide-open hearts; thank you for freely sharing your wisdom and taking the time. My intrepid agent, Linda Prattâyou took a chanceâthank you, thank you for knowing where this book needed to be. My thanks also to my super-smart editor Greg Hunter, who guided the many strands of this story into a coherent whole. And to the entire team at Lerner, most especially to Andrew Karre, who welcomes the unusual. To the Super Secret Society of Quirk and Quill; my peeps, you are true friends. Adam Doyle, you found just the right tone; thank you. Edit Ford, I'm so grateful for your humor and encouragement. Bear and Booâmy peanuts, I love you. And Philip, you know all of itâthank you.
About the Author
Having recently returned to the United States after living six years in China, Larissa Theule resides in Pasadena, CA, with her family and dog. Once a barista, a billing assistant, and a high school teacher, she now devotes her time to writing stories and growing a rambling garden, where no fairies have been sightedâat least not yet.
Fat & Bones
is her first book.
About the Illustrator
Adam S. Doyle grew up in Boston and later earned his BFA from The Rhode Island School of Design and his MFA from The School of Visual Arts in New York City. So far he's also lived in Los Angeles, Rome, Auckland, and Hong Kong.
Adam draws inspiration from nature, mythology, the human condition, and the magic of creationâthe way a splatter of paint transforms the blank page into a living being or vast landscape. Between these two worlds, the real and the imagined, he keeps the window partly open. In addition to picture books, Adam's work appears in galleries, on cards, on bodies, on trucks, and on book covers, including Maggie Stiefvater's bestselling Raven Cycle. You can see more at
adamsdoyle.com
.
