Monday, May 25, 2009

Speed Dating at Book Expo America

Will you be at BEA this weekend? Well if you are, look for me to be Speed Dating. I think it's something where every week, I'm given one less book than there are bookstores and every week I send someone home until in the grand finale, I pick my one true bookstore love. No wait, I'm watching too much reality television . . .

Speed Dating is going to be a blast! I'll be hopping from table to table to meet with representatives from bookstores from across the country. Here is the official description from BEA:

Speed Dating with Children's Authors
11:00AM – 12:30PM , Room 1A10 & 1A12 This event is for booksellers only!

Sponsored by the Children's Booksellers and Publishers Committee [A cooperative committee of the American Booksellers Association (ABA), Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC), and the Children's Book Council (CBC)]. Get to know 23 children's book creators up close and personal! Authors and illustrators will move from table to table, stopping for quick get-to-know-you chats.

Participating “dates” include: Lee Bantle (Henry Holt); Nick Bruel (Roaring Brook); Don Calame (Candlewick); Cecil Castellucci and Holly Black (Little Brown); Cinda Williams Chima (Disney); Troy Cle (Simon & Schuster); Matt de la Pena (Random House); Sharon Draper (Scholastic); Amy Hest (FSG); John Hulme and Michael Wexler (Bloomsbury); Maureen Johnson (Scholastic); Gordon Korman (HarperCollins); Jarrett Krosoczka (Random House); Josh Lieb (Penguin); Linda Sue Park (Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt); Michael Rex (Penguin); Alexander Stadler (Scholastic); James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost (Roaring Brook); Bill Thompson (Cavendish); and Sara Zarr (Little Brown).

Also, if you happen to be at the ABC (Mostly) Silent Auction (a great cause supporting the nation's indie children's book stores) be sure to keep your eyes pealed for my donation. And if you are so inclined, bid, bid, BID!


AND . . . I'll be signing copies of Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute at the Random House booth on Saturday at 2PM.

See you in New York!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Thank you, New Jersey!!!

My friends at Central Avenue School in New Jersey made so many great drawings, it could take me a year to post every single one! But they did make a great bulletin board, which I will post here.

Thanks for a great day guys! And thanks for dressing punk for the day! (Kids spiked their hair, wore sunglasses and funky clothes—it was a riot! Even the principal dressed up!)

Monday, May 18, 2009

Get your Lunch Lady on!

Want to be stylish like Lunch Lady? Then get your Lunch Lady on at the new LL store!

The first person to post a picture (on the LL FB fan page) of their lunch lady in some Lunch Lady gear will get a sketch of LL from me!




Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Tweetering


I don't Twitter or Tweet. But Lunch Lady does. So if you are a Tweeter, please follow Mizz Lady Lunch at www.twitter.com/lunchladycomics

She'll tell you how her day is going.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Dear Boston

Hey there Bostonians --

If you are in town this Saturday, come on out to the Boston Public Library for the official close of Children's Book Week. Here is the official announcement from the Children's Book Council:
In partnership with the Massachusetts Center for the Book and Boston Public Library, Children's Book Week will officially conclude in Copley Square, Boston, at the main branch of the BPL. Activities will also be held in the neighborhood branch locations on this day in celebration of Book Week. Participating authors are Paul Carrick (Charlesbridge), Kate Feiffer (Simon & Schuster), Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Knopf), Megan McDonald (Candlewick), Sara Pennypacker (Disney), Michael Rex (Penguin), Greg Tang (Scholastic), Linda Urban (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), and Alan Witschonke (Mikaya Press).
Join the fun from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. just outside the Rey Children's Room on the main floor.
 See you there!

Thursday, May 07, 2009

LL 1 and 2

I think every author would agree that the best part of creating a book is getting to hold the finished product in your hands for the first time. And today I had that experience . . . times two! My wonderful editor overnighted me a package with copies of the finished Lunch Lady #1 and #2 books! And as an added bonus, there were also some LL posters that Random House produced to hand out at BookExpo and upcoming conferences.

Here's a sneak peak at Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute and Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians, which are both due to be on book shelves on July 28th!


Woo-HOO!

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

BOOK BY BOOK: deleted scenes and outtakes

Enjoy these last tidbits from the BOOK BY BOOK video.


BOOK BY BOOK: deleted scenes and outtakes from Jarrett Krosoczka on Vimeo.



a star-studded book by a talented young artist

I've received many great renditions of my characters over the years, but never a whole book where they all made an appearance! Enjoy this excerpt from this talented young artist's creation below.





Do you have a note or a drawing that you'd like to share? I would love to see them!
They can be emailed to me via props@studiojjk.com or mailed to:
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
PO Box 60155
Florence, MA 01062

Friday, May 01, 2009

Thank you, Mr. Santat

A BIG thank you to my pal Dan Santat, who not only included Ralph in the endpapers for an upcoming book written by Lisa Yee, but also gave us the original artwork!

This piece will be framed and placed in a spot of honor in our home. Thank you, Dan!!!


Oh - and Ralph is honored.

LA Times Festival of Books wrap-up

G, Z and I had a great time in LA. We did some sightseeing and Zoe had her first big Hollywood meeting with her daddy's film/tv rights manager -- Eddie Gamarra of the Gotham Group. But of course our primary objective was to rock out at the LA Times Festival of Books. Target had a stellar line up for Saturday's children's stage. David Shannon, Meghan McDonald, Anna Dewdney, Yo Gabba Gabba -- the list goes on and on! Backstage we met Brooke Shields, Yeardley Smith and Eric Carle. If only Zoe knew what was going on. Although, she may now know the word "Krosoczka". Because apparently when I was being introduced, every time the  MC (Debi Derryberry, voice of Jimmy Neutron) said my name, Zoe was backstage raising her arms to the word "Krosoczka".

The biggest highlight had to be meeting Eric Carle. I had met him in passing a few times back when the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art first opened, but he had left for warmer southern climates by the time I moved to Northampton. I've always been a fan of his and respected his work, but now that I have been reading his work to my little girl -- I am in awe. He is truly a brilliant man. I'll gladly read The Very Hungry Caterpillar dozens of times in a row . . . and have and loved every minute of it. 


The weather was perfect and the audience was awesome! Here's what it looked like backstage from wife and daughter's perspective.



Avid reader Yukari posted some pics and a video on her Flickr page. Yukari also gave Zoe an awesome handmade tag blanket. Check out her stuff. 

And of course what's a book related trip to LA without meeting the town's most high profile literary character. Here I am with Peep and his (her?) friend Lisa Yee.


Target had a jam-packed day on Sunday as well. Unfortunately, we had to fly home. But I did see some pals in passing at the hotel -- like Jennifer and Matthew Holm, Peter Brown and Jon Scieszka.

Hope all who attended had a great weekend!