""Any story that starts will also end." As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores "what it means to be seen, to find someone...

"In this collection of interconnected essays and poetry- covering subjects ranging from the importance of staying in conversation with other forms of life to a consideration of how innovators such as Matisse, Rodin, and Beethoven saw the world- Nepo presents a lyrical ode to the creative urge that stirs in each of us. Whether it's the search for a metaphor to reveal life's beauty or the brushstroke that will thoroughly capture the moment, Drinking...

"A stunning picture book ode to the joys of the creative process and the spirit of collaboration. This lyrical story from Danielle Davis and Mags DeRoma is perfect for fans of Kevin Henkes, Gyo Fujikawa, and Julie Fogliano. To make ... a cake, a garden, a song, you first gather, then make--and wait. To make a story (like this one), you gather, make, wait. To make anything--big or small--it will take some time. You may have to gather more, make more,...

"For more than five years the cartoonist Lynda Barry has been an associate professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison art department and at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, teaching students from all majors, both graduate and undergraduate, how to make comics, how to be creative, how to not think. There is no academic lecture in this classroom. Doodling is enthusiastically encouraged. Making Comics is the follow-up to Barry's bestselling...

"One summer, Ellie Evelyn Orrell reunited with her mother following the death of their respective grandfather and father. They returned to the small village of Betws Gwerful Goch in North Wales. Ellie returned from studying at university, while Jeanette had been studying the art of indigo dyeing in Japan. An Indigo Summer invites readers into their hillside garden as these two women grieve through art. Orrell draws on the history of indigo dyeing...

"Born a baby late at night there's no parade just crashing rain She listens listens writes and draws stitches pages sews a book She finds another way to tell a tale This unique picture book biography provides a mesmerizing look at the life of children's writer Ruth Krauss, best known for books like The Carrot Seed, A Hole is to Dig, and A Very Special House. With an imaginative, spontaneous text from Carter Higgins that pays homage to Krauss's distinct...