Toys Come Home: being the early experiences of an intelligent stingray, a brave buffalo, and a brand-new someone called Plastic

Author’s Note

Thanks, first, to all the children who asked me what happened to Sheep’s ear. Here is your answer.

The events in Toys Come Home occur before the events in Toys Go Out and Toy Dance Party, but this book was written last. I suspect the stories are best read in the order they were written, rather than chronologically, but I leave the choice to the readers.

Some references:

The story about the cat and the doll who live in the tree with the large collection of hats is Fletcher and Zenobia by Victoria Chess and Edward Gorey. It is a favorite of mine and long out of print. The song about glorious mud is “The Hippopotamus Song,” originally by the comedy team Flanders and Swann and more recently recorded by John Lithgow. Sheep’s “nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom” chewing sound comes from the insanely popular YouTube video of that name by Parry Gripp (safe for all ages). Pumpkinfacehead is modeled on the cat Mungo Kotis, who terrorized and charmed our family when we sublet his apartment one summer.

The unbelievably talented Paul O. Zelinsky came up with the phrase “wise old towel,” which I steal here. Plus he draws all my characters exactly the way they appear in my imagination, only better. Many thanks to Anne Schwartz for her most excellent editing and support of my work. Also to Lee Wade, Rachael Cole, Emily Seife, Adrienne Weintraub, Chip Gibson, Lisa Nadel, Lisa McClatchy, Kathleen Dunn-Grigo—and everyone else who works on my books at Random House.

My gratitude to Libba, Ayun, Robin, Scott, and Maureen for their company as I wrote this book. Likewise to Bob, for online support and shoptalk. And thanks to Elizabeth Kaplan and Melissa Sarver for representing me so well.

Thanks to Ivy for the name Bobby Dot. It was originally the name of a beloved plush Christmas elf she covered with Band-Aids. I am sorry I gave it to such a horrid walrus. Thanks also to Ivy for listening to the first draft with such enthusiasm and intelligence.

The songs the towels sing are all folk songs my family enjoys singing together. My biggest debt goes to them.

The family. Not the towels.