AUTHOR'S NOTE
Photo: © Jan Decher, 2020.
LAUREL DECHER writes stories about all things Italian, vegetable, or musical. Beloved pets of the past include “Stretchy the Leech” and a guinea pig that unexpectedly produced twins. She’s famous for getting lost, but carries maps because people always ask her for directions.
HOW THIS SERIES GOT STARTED: In school, I was the girl who didn’t sharpen her pencil because she didn’t like going up in front of the classroom. The pencil sharpener is too noisy! Everyone will look at me.
For years, I didn’t know what my teachers looked like, but I can still see the floors. Tile is what you notice when you look down all the time. TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS is about a much braver and more inventive person, the kind of person who looks up and sees everyone. The k
