IT IS A BEAUTIFUL AND HISTORIC DAY IN AMERICA! I SPENT A FABULOUS ELECTION DAY CANVASSING IN VIRGINIA WITH MY 8 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND OUR FRIEND JEN OKO YESTERDAY, MEETING AN INCREDIBLY DIVERSE ASSORTMENT OF EXCITED OBAMA VOTERS, GETTING DRIZZLED ON AND EATING A FINE SELECTION OF LEFTOVER HALLOWEEN CANDY.

AND BEST OF ALL, MY OBAMA BIDEN CAR MAGNET ARRIVED TODAY.

YES IT DID!

WHICH MEANS I AM PSYCHIC, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN SAYING FOR MONTHS THAT IT WOULD ARRIVE AFTER THE ELECTION. SO YOU CAN SEND ALL "MAGIC EIGHT BALL" QUESTIONS TO ME FROM HERE ON OUT.

 
Yes, it's true: my five year old not only voted, she voted twice.

Before you call up the Board of Elections, let me assure you that only one time "counted" (although, since we live in DC, our votes count less than any other Americans). That time, we were voting on a real ballot. I let her connect the arrow for Obama, checking several times that in her enthusiasm she had not voted for other candidates as well. The other time she voted was a few weeks earlier, at a book event for PRESIDENT PENNYBAKER, my pal Kate Feiffer's new book. Here's Kate:

 
In it, a boy runs for president with his dog as veep. We really love this book, and Diane Goode's illustrations are a perfect match for Kate's funny text about Luke Pennybaker's appealing platform (and rude awakening once in office). I hope this book is a hit for at least four years. And Kate did a terrific event for it, getting the kids to vote and discuss the election as well as the story.

Since yesterday was Halloween, I'm also offering what has become my annual tradition: a photo of the best costume I saw at our school's Halloween parade. This year, I was impressed with the engineering (panels folded out, sometimes by accident, revealing inner workings of the device rather than just a flash of t-shirt and jeans), the commitment to concept demonstrated by making and wearing this uber-cumbersome costume, and the utter confusion it generated on the part of anyone over the age of eight. If you're with the confused masses, I'll let you in on it: he is a Bakugan.

 
Hope your Halloween was good and scary, and hope our Election Day isn't!