On developing your style:
"Experiment. Be adventurous. Try a lot of different things. Who cares if it doesn't work out? It's only paper! I was exposed early to the work of classic book illustrators, and for a long time I practiced recreating something of their styles. As a result, they are certainly influences."

On growing as an artist:
"I don't think it's a coincidence that I found my audience at the time I started having kids, in the early 1980s. Before that, I was drawing fantasy, fairy tales, castles, dragons, bizarre things like that. After kids, the things happening were more interesting to me than unicorns and castles. So I started illustrating them. I just started depicting the events, ideas and values that were important to me."

On licensing agreements:
"You have to remember that you're the one with the talent who's offering the licensees the gift to be cashed in on. You're certainly bringing something to the table, too, which you're entitled to be paid for. Always try to keep your copyright. Retaining the copyright is crucial. Plus, it's important to sign the contract for the shortest time period possible. That gives you more control if the product isn't as nice as you had hoped."

On running a business:
"Hire an attorney. Don't think you're saving money by having your dad or your husband or friend look at the contract. It's important to have an attorney and you have to operate as a business from the word 'Go.' "