A week ago, I was in a Zoom meeting that got interrupted by my dog barking at the door. When I went to see whether he was alerting us to the mail carrier, a neighbor, a plastic bag floating in the wind, another dog who dared to take a walk, or some mystery visitor, I could see through the glass door that we had a package. I wasn’t expecting anything, but when I brought the box in and looked at the return address, it was from my pubisher, Kar-Ben. My book, Just Say Welcome, doesn’t come out until September 9, so I was pleasantly surprised and beyond thrilled to receive my author copies! The book looks even better than I could have imagined, with beautiful, vibrant illustrations from the talented Nathalia Takeyama and a shiny book jacket! Although I have written about 50 children’s books, this is the first one to sport that added accessory, so it was extra exciting. Thank you to Kar-Ben for making my day. Just a few more months until everyone can officially hold the book, which can be pre-ordered here.
Emily Raij 