by Micol Ostow
“You’re definitely ready for your fabulous debut, Louise,” Mama said.
“Definitely, completely, and totally!” I did a happy twirl. “I’m at least ninety-nine percent ready now.”
Daddy laughed. “Ninety-nine percent is plenty.”
“I agree!” I said.
This was the cheeriest birthday ever. I couldn’t wait to put on my new costume and be the Number One Special Star of the Easy Trapezees’ show. And I couldn’t wait to have Clementine there with me, too! Because important times are for friends, after all.
Maybe I wasn’t totally, one hundred percent, fearless—yet.
But actually, I was definitely getting close!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A giant, Clementine-sized THANK YOU to: Debra Dorfman, for planting the seed; Lynn Weingarten, for watering it; Jodi Reamer, for sending Louise off and out with flying colors; Jill Gottlieb, for sharing her own childhood List of Scaredness Things; Judy Goldschmidt and Melissa Walker, for early reads and feedback; Brigette Barrager, for bringing Louise’s world to life so perfectly and vividly; Nicole de las Heras and Elizabeth Tardiff, for the sparkly design; and Jenna Lettice and Alec Shane, for timely assistance. And an extra-extra-extra HURRAH to Michelle Nagler, as our professional relationship has now come full circle, delightfully (much like a hip circle over the flying trapeze—right?). Finally, thanks to my family, and most especially Noah and Mazzy, for keeping me young at heart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fact: MICOL OSTOW is only about sixty-three percent fearless. Her List of Scaredness Things includes thunderstorms, ghost stories, and the pigeon that sits on top of her air conditioner and looks at her through her office window while she writes. (That pigeon’s eyes are the beadiest!) She lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, her daughter, and a small French bulldog that is actually a gigantic fraidy-cat. Learn more about Micol and Louise at micolostow.com.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
BRIGETTE BARRAGER is an artist, illustrator, designer, and writer of children’s books. She recently illustrated the New York Times bestseller Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. She resides in Los Angeles with her handsome husband, cute doggy, and terrible cat. Visit Brigette at brigetteb.com.
