The popular childrens' book author Betty Paraskevas has left us after a measly 81 years on this planet…not nearly long enough for the likes of her. I never had what I'm sure would have been the pleasure of meeting Betty in person but we had a long telephone acquaintance…and her son Michael (everyone calls him Mickey) is a good buddy. Together, Betty and Mickey created dozens of top-selling, treasured kids' books, many of which spawned sequels and several of which were later animated. The most popular series has probably been Maggie and the Ferocious Beast but I always told Betty that my favorite was Junior Kroll. She wrote 'em, Mickey illustrated them and the results were always magic.
Like I said, I never met Betty face-to-face. I'd speak to her every few months, mostly to answer questions about how the animation business operated or to just let her vent over the latest deal, the latest offer, the latest annoyance. She was feisty in a good way and creative in every way. Thanks, Mickey, for allowing me to get to know her, even that much. And keep those books in print so future generations can enjoy her wonderful stories.