Kite in the tree

Dear Aidan,

I did like visiting your school. I had a great time. It was very nice to be invited.

You’ve included some unusual details in your forest scene. Let’s see. There is a kite caught in a tree. There is an almost camoflaged tree fort. There are turtles burrowing deep beneath the forest floor. Someone is fishing off of the new moon. A storm is a-brewing. Someone appears to be watering the trees. Or, torching them. Not sure. And who is looking out the window??

I think this would make a marvelous opening scene for your next story.

Happy reading,
Jessica

 

Middle Age weaponry

Dear Abey,

Thank you so much for your drawing of the Middle Ages, complete with a King wearing sandals. I wonder what he is decreeing to his knights from his fancy throne? You’ve certainly included a variety of weapons. Look at how one of the knights dropped his sword into the ground, so close to your time capsule. Something big is about to happen, or perhaps already happened.

I hope you write a story to accompany this complex illustration. Well done!

Happy reading,

Jessica

 

Family pictures

 

Dear Summer,

I am curious to know if you prefer photos printed on photo paper like you’ve drawn in your box or put into frames, or if you prefer to view them on a computer or a cell phone?

I have many albums of photos carefully labelled by the year that I took the photos before I bought a digital camera. Sadly, we never look at the older photos anymore because the albums take up so much space and are stored in a faraway trunk.  At some point, I must scan my favorite ones to add to my digital collection.

I do like family photographs the best, especially family travel photographs. Like your brother, my son looks like his grandfather very much. That was the inspiration for two characters in my new novel, which will be published this fall.

Happy reading,

Jessica

Toy shark with wheels

Child's drawing of a top car in the shape of a shark.

Dear Jake,

I have a collection of small toy cars that my son had when he was little, but none of them are in the shape of a shark! I really like the flames on the side of the shark, which I find quite curious because sharks swim in water. It is too bad you lost its teeth in the sewer. I’m always so sad whenever a part of a toy comes off.  Still, having a toothless shark-car is better than losing the whole toy. Perhaps you could write a story about that.

Happy reading,

Jessica

Tree with time capsule

Child's drawing of a tree

Dear Kalley,

What a great place to hide a time capsule! Under a tree! I have a tree like that in front of my house – an oak tree. I also have a time capsule, which I put together back in 2000. I plan to open it in 2025. At this point, I can’t even remember what I put in it, but I do remember where I hid it. It is in the bottom of my grandfather clock.

Happy reading,

Jessica

Yellow helicopter

Children's drawing of a yellow helicopter

Dear Mathew,

What a wonderful illustration of your remote control helicopter and your cat going nuts trying to catch it. It looks like your cat is bouncing off the walls! You’ve done such a nice job that I feel as if I was actually there. Are you sure you’d put your helicopter into a time capsule? It sounds like so much fun to play with!  Your cat might miss it, too. Maybe put a photo of your helicopter or this nice drawing in the time capsule instead. 🙂

Happy reading,

Jessica