Here’s a picture of me
with my DOG, Rosie.
Growing up, I loved my special pencil.
But I no idea I would become a WRITER. In fact, writing scared me!
Life is full of surprises.
I’ve written over 100 books!
I started with my ideas, paper, and a new special pencil.
Later I got a computer. Wait…that’s not me. It’s Rosie!
That’s better.
Writing can be a lonely job. There are no teachers, kids, or other people around. A pet makes good company.
I spend much of my day writing.
Anything and anyone can inspire me. I even wrote a book about
When I’m proud of the story, I share it with an editor. Come meet Thea Feldman at Disney Press. OOPS! What’s Rosie doing there?
I hope Thea won’t mind.
Whew! Thea’s happy to meet Rosie. (Who wouldn’t be, right?)
Editors help writers make their stories as good as they can be.
Um, excuse me Rosie, that is not your chair.
Good news! Thea likes my story! She wants to publish it!
Good news for Rosie, too. She’s an official Mouseketeer! Go, Rosie!
Editors, art directors, and illustrators are some of the people who work hard to turn a story I write into a 
you read.
To each of them I say,
THANK YOU!
And thank YOU for visiting my site.
Do YOU like to WRITE? Do YOU want to TRY?
Here’s an IDEA:
Imagine ROSIE is your dog.
Where will you take her? What will happen there?
Write a STORY or a POEM. Draw PICTURES, too.
Here’s a poem I wrote about Rosie.
SHAGGY DOG
by Stephanie Calmenson
I have a shaggy dog named Rose.
She has hair that grows and grows
And grows and grows.
Past her eyes, past her nose
It goes way down to her toes.
Can she see? I don’t suppose —
Unless, of course, a big wind blows!
Poem copyright ©1994 by Stephanie Calmenson. Reprinted from Give a Dog a Bone written with Joanna Cole, published by Scholastic Books.
Thank you for sending me your drawings. I love them!
Would you like to hear me say and talk about my name?
It’s long — 18 letters.
Top and bottom photos by Justin Sutcliffe © 1994, from Rosie, A Visiting Dog’s Story by Stephanie Calmenson
