A Thinking Time

February 5, 2026 | “What’s a Thinking Time?”

Mister Mustache has had his thinking cap since ordering one from the Heady Hats company early in Book 4 (“Mister Mustache Adopts a New Pet”). However, the concept of “a thinking time” isn’t formally introduced until Book 6 (“Mister Mustache Saves Tiny the Dog”). So WHAT exactly is a thinking time anyway?

Well, it’s pretty much what it sounds like: a time for thinking. Mister Mustache isn’t the only one who needs those every once in a while. We all do. Whether we are mulling over how best to address a thorny problem or sensitive situation—or whether we are reminiscing about the good (or bad) old days or daydreaming about the future, a quiet time alone with our thoughts can be informative, amusing, calming, or even inspiring.

Whether you have a thinking cap or not (Liz and I do by the way—thanks to Liz, of course, as I never think of these things), take a few minutes each day to ponder something. It can be an important something or a mundane anything, but those quiet moments really do help. If nothing else, they remind us we have the CAPACITY to think, to reason, to solve, to remember, and to hope.

Now if only I could recall just where I put my thinking cap …

February 15, 2026 | “What Goes into One of Our Books?”

What goes into writing one of our books? A lot of work, I’d say.

It starts with a story idea.

I don’t know how other authors and teams do this, but Liz and I will chat back and forth, fleshing out the idea, and then I write the text. Sometimes I have thoughts on potential accompanying illustrations, and other times Liz will take inspiration from the conversations we’ve had and the words I’ve written.

I put everything together in a simple table, with the text of each page in one column, in a single row, and the illustration ideas in a second column. Once we are fairly happy with that, the real work begins. I add the text to blank pages and send those to Liz to layer onto her art. We often make minor changes as we go. Maybe a plot hole is identified, or unclear language, or (rarely) something in one of Liz’s illustrations seems a bit off.

It's a very collaborative process. As we build out the completed pages, I assemble them into our book. We fondly refer to this as our “so far” document. It is literally the book in its “so far” state. There are dedications to write, covers to lay out, and little details to study and refine.

We have completed a book together in as few as two weeks, but they usually take us about a month. A month of long and late hours, a lot of laughter, and some agony. We talk every day, sometimes for a few minutes at a time, sometimes for a lot longer. We don’t always agree on things at first, but we are always respectful and compromise. We need and admire each other’s talents and contributions.

It is hard to express how much our characters have become embedded in our thoughts and lives. We think about things when we’re driving, taking a shower, shopping for groceries. “What would Mister Mustache do in x situation?” “Wouldn’t it be funny if x character did such and such?”

They really have come to life for us (I credit Liz in large measure for this, as I fall in love with the expressions and scenes she draws and am always noticing some tiny something I didn’t notice before). Mister Mustache, himself, for example, might not be thought of as the sharpest blade in the drawer (I hope I haven't messed up that saying as I am always wont to do--just ask my kids), but he is utterly sweet and kind and lovable and always well meaning. And don’t even get me started on Gumdrop, his adorable cat. She is a helpmate extraordinaire and embraces what she loves fully and always with joy.

So what goes into one of our books? A lot of work, yes, but also a ton of love and heart and hopefully a good dose of humor, too!