Bossy Flossy by Paulette Bogan

Hello, Paulette Bogan! Happy Saturday! Welcome back to Watch. Connect Read. 

Hi, Mr. Schu! Thank you for celebrating Bossy Flossy with me. 

Thank you for finishing my sentences. Are you ready? 

Yes! 

Flossy is a strong, opinionated, little girl learning how to channel her bossiness without losing her strength and hutzpah. 

My favorite place to work is upstairs in my studio with my two dogs, a latte, and some Neil Young playing…loudly!

My daughters would say that I am the best mother in the whole world, NEVER too bossy, and ALWAYS right… okay they would probably say I’m very bossy, sometimes right, and I talk to myself a lot, but I make them laugh.

According to Paulette’s daughters…

Sophia: Mom is an expert napper, and a coffee enthusiast.

Rachael: Mom is a world class list maker, and I can always count on her to laugh even when my jokes aren’t funny. And yes, she is bossy.

Lucille: Mom is very loud and she loves to embarrass us, but she says she always has our best interests at heart.

The strangest source of inspiration for me was my daughter’s high school biology project in Ms. Serpagli’s class. Lucille did a children’s book about the systems of the body. It was very cool. The white blood cell was a detective (Detective Albus, latin for white) who searched through the different systems of the body looking for a bacterium on the loose. When she did the art she cut out Detective Albus and the other characters leaving a white border around each of them, and then glued them onto colored paper. I loved the contrast and the way it looked. She even let me help! I was allowed to help cut out the characters and hand her the glue. I was also allowed to help clean up. I loved the technique and decided to try it in Bossy Flossy. I told my editor, Sally, and my art director, April, I had never done this technique before. I showed them a sample and they said go for it! I can’t wait to try it again.

Picture books are little packages of art and literature that are meant to be read, and cherished, and chewed on, and stuffed in diaper bags, and taped together, and passed down.

Reading is an adventure, an escape, a portal into another world, a way to connect with someone, or a way to connect with yourself, a way to feel comfortable, or uncomfortable. Reading is a life long gift.

Look for Bossy Flossy on July 19, 2016!