We're sorry we haven't sent you peeps an update lately. The truth is, the last month has been nuts. Jenna's been taking a break from illustrating, and since then, she's been on the go, go, go; among other things, she's planted her very first vegetable garden. Don't get her started on the squirrel interlopers she's been battling, especially around her strawberry plants. Suffice it to say that she's built a protective cage around the burgeoning berries, which she's nicknamed "Strawberry Thunderdome." Hopefully that will teach those rascally varmints not to mess with the fruits.

Does anyone have any good tips for keeping the critters away? Jenna feels as if she's tried everything — she even has a fake owl on the scene. Unfortunately, the squirrels are just smart enough not to fall for it.

As for Kara, since Rabbit & Squirrel pubbed on May 1, things have been hoppin'. Some terrific reviews have come out, like those seen here and here, and here and here, and here and here, and here. Borders named the book an Original Voices pick, and Amazon featured it as a notable children's book and showcased it on their home page. And Kara and Scott Magoon have a few events lined up for June. Here are the deets:

Saturday, June 14
Cornerstone Books
Salem, MA

Saturday, June 21
Books on the Square
Providence, RI

Sunday, June 29
Rock n Romp event
Great Scott
Allston, MA

Kara and Scott will be reading from Rabbit & Squirrel and UGLY FISH at each event, and will be signing books and handing out super-cool buttons and candy. Hope we'll see you there!

Hey, friends! Kirkus just gave Rabbit & Squirrel a nice review! Here's the concluding section:

Along with the idea that wars can be touched off by jumping to conclusions or other mistakes, the lack of a pat resolution to the hostilities makes this a good discussion-starter—and also sets it apart from the general run of simplistic peace-mongering titles.

Also, Scott's art was called "deceptively gooney." That's a compliment, right?

Hello, friends! Long time no blog, we know. The LaReau Sisters are still working on spiffing things up around here, but we just wanted to take a moment to tell you about some exciting developments.

On May 1, Kara has a new book coming out! It's called Rabbit & Squirrel, it's illustrated by Scott Magoon (Kara's partner-in-crime for UGLY FISH), and it's about two critters who can't learn to share the garden in which they both live. As you might imagine, misunderstanding and chaos ensue.

So far, the book has received two super reviews, here and here. Our favorite lines? "LaReau’s tales are always sugar-free. Just honest. And funny as all get-out," and "Sometimes war is just a series of miscommunications and sometimes the two parties are communicating perfectly. This book gives it to you both ways. Smart stuff that’s easy on the eyes." Not too shabby, we say!

We'll keep you updated as things develop, with Rabbit & Squirrel, our website and blog spiffification, and other LaReau Sisters pursuits. Stay tuned!

...Kara and Jenna are remodeling. Their website and blog, that is.

Thanks for your patience as we spiff things up around here. If you'd like to be notified when we're back in business, we'll be happy to drop you a line — just send us your email address.

In the meantime, the LaReau Sisters hope you're all having a great 2008 so far. Especially the Smurfs, who celebrate their 50th anniversary this year. Our blue friends may only be three apples high, but like you, they occupy a big place in our hearts.

Smurfy regards,
K & J

Dear Friends,

Sorry we haven't posted in a while. To be honest, the LaReau Sisters have been feeling a bit ho-hum lately and are in need of re-energizing. So we've decided to take a sabbatical for the rest of this month.

We'll be back in 2008 — hopefully with a few changes in store. In the meantime, enjoy your holidays, be safe and stay warm, and go easy on the eggnog. (We learned that last one, *urp*, the hard way.)

K & J xoxo

P.S. The clip below is currently Jenna's favorite commercial. You'll soon see why. Enjoy!

Surely, you remember the troubles the LaReau Sisters have had with squirrels, and their recent encounters with wild turkeys. Now, a new threat is on the horizon, and we feel obligated to bring it to your attention.

Kara was going about her workday yesterday when she noticed a ladybug making its way across her living room window. Awww, cute, Kara thought, coaxing the little lady onto her finger and freeing it just outside her front door.

A few minutes later, Kara's cats began fidgeting. Two more ladybugs were in the room, crawling on the wall. Kara dispensed with these (humanely) as well.

Then, another appeared.

And another.

And another.

Within half an hour, no fewer than twelve ladybugs were captured and released. And in that time, Kara went from Awww, cute to Auuugh, annoying to Ewww, creepily Hitchcockian.

After Googling "ladybug invasion," Kara learned that the insects she'd been encountering were not typical ladybugs at all, but rather Asian Lady Beetles. They are usually more orange than red, and they have many more spots than a ladybug. Evidently, they come from Japan, and depending on who you Google, they were either purposefully released in several parts of the United States as a way of combating aphids and other pests (the lady beetle is more aggressive than your garden-variety ladybug), or accidently imported via cargo ships; either way, their population has obviously exploded. Now, they invade New England in late October-early November — hence their local name, the Halloween Lady Bug — and congregate on the southwest side of houses and other structures, where it's warmest and sunniest. And if you happen to be the owner of a less-than-airtight dwelling, you are in for a big surprise, because lady beetles are small enough to invite themselves in via the smallest crack or crevice, and they release a pheromone that invites their fellow lady beetles to the party.

While it might be unsettling to see so many of these critters around the house, please try to remove them gently, as they do not bite, sting, spread disease, infest food, or damage clothing or wood. Furthermore, squishing them makes it worse, as they smell and leave stains. (Kara did not learn this first-hand; she is, if anything, an insect pacifist, unless faced with a mosquito or one of those crawly silverfish.)

Have any of you been seeing an insurgence of lady beetles? Any comments or solutions?

We don't know about you, but for a while there, we were a little bit (okay, more than a little bit) addicted to celebrity gossip sites. At first, they seemed like a great form of brainless procrastination — now, we find them and their commenters a little bit (okay, more than a little bit) morally reprehensible, and mostly just plain mean. And while we're all for a little schadenfreude, really, we're just sick of giving some "celebrities" more attention than they deserve. We're looking at you, Paris — and while we're at it, you, too, Perez.

So while we can't say we procrastinate any less these days, we've diverted our attentions to more thoughtful and relatively-mature outlets. Like Salon. And Television Without Pity. And the almighty Jezebel.

Also, Kara is now addicted to this blog. Jenna says this is because Kara is a geek. Kara wondered if geek should be placed in quotes. Jenna said, "Case closed."

What nifty websites or blogs do you visit regularly?