They have to find something between the pages that strengthens them, informs them, embraces or just tickles them. 'I want the book to be worth the time children spend with it. Her goal now is to insure that children who read her books will find a bit of themselves, their world, and their stories reflected in the pages. Cummings doesn't recall having picture books with positive Black characters as a child. The book had few illustrations, but I still remember scenes as they appeared in my mind while she read.' I recall scenes with dragons and princesses and heroes who turned into stars.

We lived in Germany then and would visit castles along the Rhine that made the stories come to life. My earliest memories are of stories that my mother read to us from a book called Tales of the Rhine. My whole family was-and is a very close-knit and supportive unit. Luckily, my parents encouraged my interest in art. My dancers had pinpoint waists, huge flowered tutus, and legs that tapered down to tiny, needlelike toe shoes. 'In fifth grade, I did a healthy business selling ballerina drawings during recess. 'Through the years, drawing was a constant form of entertainment and a handy ice-breaker in new school situations. Now it is research for different books that leads her to African marketplaces, castles in Spain, or unexplored comers of New York City. My sisters and brother and I were always the new kids on the block.' She appreciates having been exposed to different places and lifestyles and still likes to travel and team about other cultures. We never lived anywhere for more than three years at a time.

'My father was in the army,' Pat recalls, 'and, as a result, we were constantly traveling. Repeatedly changing Artie's name (to avoid legal action) has made it possible for her to sneak several books about him into print. Ten years later, she began writing them as well when she realized that exposing her younger brother's childhood exploits was an ideal means of revenge. She has been illustrating children's books ever since her graduation from Pratt Institute in the mid-seventies. 'In addition to the Coretta Scott Kingand the Boston Globe-Horn Bookawards, Pat Cummings is the recipient of nine t-shirts, thirteen mugs, 315 ballerina drawings, and one embroidered pillow from readers. An instructor of children's book illustration at the Parsons School of Design in Manhattan, she lives with her husband and a big cat named Cash in Brooklyn, NY. She is also the author/illustrator of the Harper Growing Tree book, My Aunt Came Backand Angel Baby. Pat Cummings is the illustrator of the Coretta Scott King Award winner My Mama Needs Me, written by Mildred Pitts Walter.

My Aunt Came Back by Pat Cummings