Q: What's your favorite color? A: White. All of the other colors look great against it. Q: What's your favorite food? A: Popcorn. OF COURSE!

Q: What is the name of your dog? A: Brontë. He's an Airedale. He was born September 13, 2004. Q: Do you have any cats? A: I no longer have cats. My Abyssinian kitten, Kahlo, was lonely living with me. So, I gave him to the lady that owns the cat motel. Kahlo is now Charlotte's assistant at the motel. Charlotte is an older dog who welcomes all visitors to the motel. They both run to the front door when the doorbell rings or the door begins to open.

Q: What's your favorite holiday?
A: Christmas.

Q: What's your favorite book of your own? A: I used to say that my favorite book of my own was the book I was working on at the time I was asked that question. When the new full-color, redrawn edition of NANA UPSTAIRS & NANA DOWNSTAIRS was published, I realized that NANA UPSTAIRS & NANA DOWNSTAIRS was my favorite book of my own.

Q: Do you have a wife?
A: No.

Q: Do you have children?
A: No.

Q: What was your favorite book as a child?
A: HITTY, HER FIRST HUNDRED YEARS, by Rachel Field (the original version)

Q: What is your favorite book as an adult?
A: KRISTIN LAVRANSDATTER, by Sigrid Undset

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Cooking, reading, gardening, traveling, watching movies, SHOPPING!

Q: How old are you?
A: I was 70 on September 15, 2004.

Q: Why doesn't your last name start with a capital letter?
A: It's just the way my last name is spelled¡¦ with a lower case "d."

Q: Why do you sign your name with a heart and why do you draw hearts in your books? A: The heart has become a sort of symbol for me. I also use it as shorthand or an abbreviation for "love."

Q: Are some of your books true?
A: Yes.
All of the "26 Fairmount Avenue" books are autobiographical.

NANA UPSTAIRS & NANA DOWNSTAIRS is autobiographical.

WATCH OUT FOR THE CHICKEN FEET IN YOUR SOUP is very
loosely based on childhood experiences.

OLIVER BUTTON IS A SISSY is loosely based on childhood
experiences.

NOW ONE FOOT, NOW THE OTHER is very loosely based on
childhood experiences.

THE ART LESSON is mostly autobiographical.

TOM is mostly autobiographical.

THE BABY SISTER is mostly autobiographical.

STAGESTRUCK is autobiographical.

Q: How many Strega Nona books are there? A: 8. STREGA NONA BIG ANTHONY AND THE MAGIC RING STREGA NONA'S MAGIC LESSONS MERRY CHRISTMAS, STREGA NONA STREGA NONA MEETS HER MATCH STREGA NONA, HER STORY BIG ANTHONY, HIS STORY STREGA NONA TAKES A VACATION