As I was busy developing ideas for this book, I got the idea to make a “community afghan” for a five-year-old boy named Tyler who was undergoing surgery. I enlisted the help of six friends who each made a solid-colored square in his favorite color to alternate with the picture squares I was making. We used a bulky-weight yarn so the squares worked up quickly and were large enough to make a cuddly afghan to cover his bed. We knew Tyler liked robots and squid, so with the help of my own son, we designed this space-themed afghan, which any young space enthusiast would be thrilled to receive.