Martha Brockenbrough: It’s been hard to focus at times. I don’t think I’m alone there. This was entirely unnecessary suffering, made worse by leadership that refused to do the right and difficult thing and then use the power of our collective resources to help people through. I urge anyone who thinks it had to be this way to look at what other countries did and how they are faring. Good government matters and this is a painful, devastating reminder.

I’ve traveled far less for obvious reasons, and that’s been good for me personally, even as I miss my colleagues and the in-person discussions about writing immensely. But I’m an introvert who needs lots of time to think, and that’s what this has been. I’ve drafted several new picture books (who knows if they’ll sell), revised a novel coming out from Scholastic, and researched another nonfiction work that Feiwel & Friends will publish. So I’m doing my best to make the most of the time, to see it in some ways as a gift, even as I ache for everyone suffering.

Adding our dear Max and G here–because Martha’s THIS OLD DOG will resonate with dog lovers everywhere! (Including our house.)