They just kissed, you guys.

Henry comes home almost every day with a book he's written. My kid is prolific. He puts me to shame. Anyway, the other day he came home with a book that, he said, made him "the most famous kid in my class." Because it contained ROMANCE.

This love scene occurred immediately after the girl saved the boy from plummeting off a cliff. Obviously, after that kind of shock, some kissing is in order.

What I love most about this is it shows the lead-up, and the aftermath. For the actual kissing, you'll have to use your imagination. Because no one wants to see that. No one.

It reminds me of when my brother and I tried to figure out how TV actors were pretending to kiss, because obviously they weren't really kissing. How did they hide the thin screen that was keeping them safe from awful person-to-person lip contact?

Comments

[S-Way]

The GIRL saved the BOY? I think *I* need to kiss Henry. Or to have kissed him, before, without actually having to do it or anything.

[Liza]

That is the best scene in any book ever! Oh, and as for the actors...a good friend of mine is an actor in LA (where I finally left after 10 years!) and she was on briefly mega-famous OC for a little bit playing one of the lead's love interests. It was her first major gig and, apparently, when you do kisses on TV there is NO tongue involved. Unaware as she was, she let it all out during their first kissing scene and shocked the hell out of him. Although...I'm pretty sure he got a crush on her throughout the weeks.

[Kendra]

That is fantastic! Good for Henry, for letting the girl be the hero, for spicing things up with a little romance, and for leaving something to the imagination...

Quite the budding author/illustrator!

[Alice Bradley]

Just look him square in the eye, then turn away and state, "We just kissed." It's just like doing it! 

[Lemon Gloria]

I love the fact that post-kiss she has her back turned and he has a slightly dazed look on his face. This is one of the best things I have ever seen. Ever!

[hi kooky]

I'm loving the heart-shaped period.

[alice]

That last comment of mine was for S-Way, by the way. Also I do not know why my comments are all ending in "Â". Damn it, Typepad!

[Kristy]

LOL! I used to wonder about actors kissing too - until my all knowing older sister clued me in: The actors aren't really kissing. They each bite one end of a small carrot and chew on it.

You're welcome you guys - now you know Hollywood's secrets.

[Marinka]

Why is no one smoking a cigarette afterwards? Oh, probably because they don't have arms.

[breedemandweep]

Hot damn, I love that kid. Sly dog, that one.

[Jennifer]

I really love the "over the shoulder" shot--like a soap opera. That's very sweet--and nicely drawn.

[Holly]

Oh man, I LOVE him! He has got some talent...

[mermil]

I'm with Lemon Gloria: I like that prior to the kiss, both of them are smiling, but afterwards the man seems...stunned? wary? vaguely appalled?

[Melospiza]

My favorite is how the second figure on the bottom obviously feels the awkwardness of Just Having Kissed.

[Mary @ Holy Mackerel]

Kids are hilarious. If only they knew it. Or, I guess it's better that they don't.

My son is now 12, and he still hates the kissing parts.

[Life of a Doctor's Wife]

Love love love this story and the art. Love imagining the mini-scandal that must have stunned Henry's classmates as they heard about this love scene.

[Leah]

I love that the girl is doing the saving! Brilliant kid, that one.

[Alexandra]

I love how Henry doesn't show the actual scene of kissing, we just kinda know it happened, and in case, the more dense ones don't, he helps us out.

Marvelous. He knows what the audience needs... already.

[Masked Mom]

As a teenager, I watched Guiding Light obsessively and there was lots of "fake" kissing where you could tell it was all posed for the camera but there was one guy ("Ross Marler" played by Jerry Ver Dorn) who gave visible tongue action from time to time. Even as a teenager, I found that appalling--imagine going to work and getting tongued!!!!!!

[Elizabeth]

What a great book, I love it! It reminded me that when my son was little any time people kissed on tv he would cover his face and ask to be notified when it was over.

[Jen]

My daughter is due on Saturday. Exactly how much dowry are you looking for? I promise she'll be smart, as my husband and I are both chronic overachievers. If I can get this marriage arranged now, I think it'll make her angsty teenage years that much easier(for me).

[Sheila]

Yesterday you were looking for comfort, when all you had to do was look at this book. That Henry - what a romantic.

[Ellen]

That just seems so sweet to me...

[junewell]

I too thought actors could not possibly be really kissing--I thought they must keep a tiny space between them, invisible to the camera. Makes me a little sad to think of it--how when you're a kid you just assume everything is genuine and heartfelt. Henry displays a pleasing, almost Victorian reticence in this illustration.

[tsena]

@Marinka

Kids these days. They do it all backwards. First the sins, and never the pleasures.

[Adrienne Breaux]

Ewww kissing! Hah, cute story.

-adrienne
http://wearegoodkin.com/

[LPC]

Wait. He's how old?

[Maureen@IslandRoar]

That is so cute! The best sex scenes in books and on screen never have any actual sex. He's a renassaince man (pardon my spelling).

[kaylen]

I agree with others---huge kudos to Henry for making the girl the hero of the story!!! I think his picture also is insinuating that the girl was the one who made the first move.
This is a testament to your great parenting skills!! You've taught him womens lib at a young age! Great work!

[Kate @ And Then I Was a Mom]

Hear, hear. There is something to be said about such subtlety. Hip-hop producers could learn a whole lot from Henry.

[QuinnK]

I think my ovaries just burst into tears.

The best part is the language. "They just kissed." Writers preach "you must show, not tell" but there are exceptions to that rule, especially in good storytelling. The moment of the kiss doesn't matter; it's what leads to the kiss and what happens after that matters in a real love story. The kiss is what adults need to see in order to believe the story is real, kids just need to see the heart.

I know, cheesy. Whatever. I don't care.

And I didn't really cry, my eyes just got drippy for, like, a second.

[Daily Cup of Jo]

Girl saves boy? Fantastic. You're clearly doing something right. Henry appears to have great perspective.

[Craig K]

That Henry is a sly dog. Letting the girl save him so he can swipe a smooch...

Smart.

[amber]

Please make this into Valentine's Day cards and send them to everyone next year. ADORABLE.

[Jessica V.]

This is just totally made my day - awesome! And? I totally used to wonder how actors and actresses did SUCH a good job of fake kissing, b/c there was no way they were actually touching...I assumed it was all CGI (still do, sort of).

[Lindsey Petersen]

I always wondered the same thing about actors kissing. OBVIOUSLY they had fake lips!!!

[Kat]

YESSS!!! Can I just say, I am a little smitten with your son. Y'know, just a little.

When I was in a high school play when I was in elementary school (they needed a little girl for one part), I was absolutely shocked that they kissed for real on stage! I remember the leading man (who was probably all of 17) had to kiss a girl who was not his girlfriend, while his girlfriend watched from backstage. At the time, I thought it was the most scandalous thing that ever happened in the world, ever. Ever.

[cellulite cream]

Kids often amuse me with their childish yet creative imagination. It never fails to make me smile every time I remember my conversations with my young nephews and nieces. For sure you always have great time with your kiddo!

[Meg]

Nerdy comment: when getting my M.Ed, I took a Child Art Development class and learned all of the stages a child blah blahs...

Bottom line: Henry is pretty far advanced. It's not until much much later in cognitive development that the young artist will switch perspectives, such as showing the back of a head. I've never seen that, and as a former teacher, I've seen many, many drawings by all different age levels. WOW.

[Renee]

He should write screen plays. No one needs to see what goes on behind closed doors... the real love story is what got them to there

[Swistle]

OH ME TOO!!! I totally tried to figure out how they were FAKING the KISSING! No one could possibly get paid enough to KISS someone!!

[Wombat Central]

Omigosh... the heart-shaped period slayed me. What a little cutie.