Dog Life

How (and Why) Wombats Poop In Cubes

Posted by Sarah L. Thomson on Feb 19, 2021 in BOOK: Wombat Underground, Children's Literature, Dog Life, Illustration | 0 comments

Wombat himself, illustrated by Charles Santoso–just a snippet of the lovely, lovely art for this book

And…now we know. Check out CNN for more. The wombat’s intestine has two stiff sides and two flexible sides, and as muscular contractions force the, er, stuff through, it is shaped into a cube. Like a lot of other animals (anybody who walks a dog knows what I mean), wombats use poop to communicate, and leave little piles of their cube-shaped droppings in common spots to let other wombats know who’s around and what’s up.

No other animals poops in cubes–only wombats. Let’s hear it for the hero of Wombat Underground! There is no poop of any shape in this new picture book, which will be out next year, but (sigh) you just can’t fit everything fascinating and wonderful about wombats into 32 pages. There will be plenty of adventure and action and escaping of raging wildfires.

Writing With Pets

Posted by Sarah L. Thomson on Oct 7, 2020 in Children's Literature, Dog Life, Writing Process | 0 comments

Tessie thinking, “Yeah, your character development needs work in Chapter Three.”

I think all writers’ households should have pets (barring allergy issues and such). There are definitely good reasons to keep furry family members around, such as:

1) They make great, noncritical first readers, as long as you’re willing to read stuff out loud (which you should be doing anyway, since it’s a great way to catch errors or moments of awkwardness.)

2) Long walks are good for thinking out complicated plots, and dogs help with that.

3) It’s important to read a lot to keep up with the field, and cats help with that by insisting–insisting–that you settle down in the comfy armchair with a cup of tea so they can sit on your lap and purr.

4) They are good to hug after rejection letters.

So I’m pleased to announce that, as well as Karma the Puppy of Infinite Appetite, we now have a new furry family member: Tessie. She is still quite shy, but crept out of hiding this morning to sit on my lap in the comfy armchair, so I think she’s going to be great addition.

We Interrupt Your Work to Present This Puppy

Posted by Sarah L. Thomson on Jun 22, 2018 in Dog Life | 0 comments

Please do not write. Please snuggle. Thank you.

This is Karma, sixth month old rescue pup who is doing her best to ensure that I never write another word. Stay tuned for more insights about writing, children’s literature, house training, and chewing the furniture.