Here you'll find unexpected moments in the recent history of this book, moments that don't seem to fit elsewhere.

In June I was shown a thick binder that must have weighed three pounds. Gabriella, a former student of mine who'd gone on to high school, had done a book study of mammoth proportions. She took two months to complete her study, which included new chapter titles, colourful pictures/interpretations of scenes, study questions and answers, vocab lists, and grading guidelines. (She got an A.)

In May I learned of a book club where the members had sewn their own dolls of canvas, stuffed them with oats, and planted them in their gardens to see what would happen. No word yet on whether the seeds sprouted.

In January 2006 I received a packet of letters from St. Alphonsus Elementary School in Toronto. The grade one/two teacher, Ms. Brennan, had read the book to her class. The students responded enthusiastically, and here's an example:

Dear Mr. Simons,

I like the book. When did you ever learn to write like that? Mr. Simons, you must be wirting lots and lots of story [sic]. You must be really hungry. My favourite part was when they found Jessy.

[student name withheld due to FOIP]