It isn’t just about a cute dog and goofy humor.

Don’t get me wrong: A lot of the fun in creating and now sharing How to Make a Book (About My Dog) has indeed been the cute pooch and a sprinkling of silly — and occasionally groan-inducing — jokes, such as this one here.

Credit for much of the humor goes to Sarah Horne’s marvelous illustrations.

But I’m also excited about our revealing of 100% legitimate, behind-the-scenes information about the bookmaking process, not just in the main text but also in the detailed timeline at the back of this nonfiction picture book (published this past October by Millbrook Press/Lerner Publishing).

Two pages packed with kid-friendly research guidance

I’m particularly pleased with this “How to Find Out More About How to Make a Book (About My Dog) (and Everything Else)” research guide that we included — two pages packed with guidance so helpful that I plan to use it myself when I embark on my next nonfiction project.

And I’m just as excited and pleased to be giving away four personalized copies of How to Make a Book (About My Dog).

Subscribers to my monthly Bartography Express newsletter (folks can sign up here) are eligible for one of four signed copies.

If you’d like the winner to be you, by the end of February either say so in the comments below or email me directly, and you’ll be in the running. (U.S. mailing addresses only.)

Good luck, and here’s to you joining illustrator Sarah Horne, me, and the rest of the crew on Team Ernie!