Well, as it turned out, two grown men reading children’s stories aloud to each other was indeed a good time, and a productive one, too. Here at my house yesterday morning, while our sons played, Don Tate and I went about the business of critiquing each other’s manuscript.

In a way, there were four of us around the table, as we both brought biographical picture book manuscripts, and Don and I spent a couple of hours discussing our subjects and our efforts to get to know them and get their stories right.

I’d say more, but I got so much good stuff out of the get-together that I’d best save my brainpower for putting that feedback to work.