Authorial Debut: Paper and Tape

Recently, Gus participated in a child-written, illustrated, and handmade book exchange hosted by a terrific crafting and homelife blog that I read. Basically, each participating kid writes, makes, imagines, draws (according to the child's wishes and desires) a handmade book and is assigned a partner to swap with through the mail. Our partner was a boy named Joseph from Florida who helped his mom fold a clever sticker book filled with stickers. Gus was so, so pleased to get mail from a peer and imagine what Joseph was like. For Joseph, Gus wrote and illustrated his first book. Gus is a small boy of very big and specific ideas, and he did not want me to help AT ALL except to write down his words for the story (and OH how he wanted to be able to do this, he is so keen to be able to read and write) which I wrote down EXACTLY, and to help assemble his paintings illustrating his story. He wanted to use "lots and lots of tape" which keeps with the thematics of his story--a tale about a girl named Paper and a boy named Tape. His story is pretty funny and strange, and I think my favorite picture is of the lightbulb spreading light in a swirl all around--or possibly the little eyes of Paper peeking from her tunnel. Ultimately, the story is about Gus' deep desire to be allowed to sit on the kitchen table. The first two pictures are of him enjoying his book from Joseph. Hi Joseph!