Tuesday, January 26, 2010

funny kid quote (possibly most incredible kid quote ever)

In a Q&A with fifth graders, one student asked, "Do authors have something against mothers and dogs? Because they always seem to die in books."

Baghead reflections

Check out this amazing drawing sent in from Jolena.


Jolena, I admire your talent as well! That reflection of Baghead in the puddle is amazing!


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

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Washington DC -- Politics & Prose -- Date correction

I had my Politics & Prose date correct on my calendar, but listed incorrectly in my book tour announcement. Below is the correct infomation:

March 9 - 10:30AM - Washington, DC - Politics & Prose

Baghead kids

This gets me every time.


Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Go Grace!

As you may know by now, all of the big book awards have been announced. I was so excited to see so many friends and books I was rooting for on the list. Most exciting for me, was to see Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon listed as a Newbery Honor. A NEWBERY HONOR!!!!

Check out Grace's reaction to receiving "the call" and her reflections on winning, over at her blog. SO beyond excited for Grace and while it is a terrible pun--I am over the moon for her!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Super-awesome rainbow Bagheads

Check out these super-awesome rainbow Bagheads sent in from kids.






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

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Sketchbook Saturday

More preliminary sketches for the cover of
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute.

Friday, January 15, 2010

elevator irony

This is what I saw everyday this week when heading down to the hotel lobby to meet the day's school visit librarian.



Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Win Me

Want to win a free school visit by yours truly? Are you headed to the American Library Association this weekend? Stop by the Random House Children's Books booth and enter their free raffle. Random House will be picking up the tab for my travel expenses. So dear librarian friends from Hawaii...enter early and enter often!!!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

LL3 Book Tour Dates


I won't have any vendettas, but I will be visiting some cities for some fun book events over the next few months.

Hope to see you out on the road! (Well, not outside on the road—it's cold out there!)

Readings & Signings Schedule
Jan 14 - 5PM - Houston, TX - Blue Willow Bookshop
Jan 23 - 2PM - Stuart, FL - Kidsmania! @ Blake Library
Feb 25 - 7PM - San Antonio, TX - Barnes & Noble
March 9 - 10:30AM - Washington, DC - Politics & Prose
March 10 - 5PM - Salem, MA - PAS North Shore Reading Council
March 27 - 10AM-4PM - Florence, MA - The River's Family Music Meltdown and Book Bash
April 14-17- (exact time to be announced) - San Antonio, TX - Texas Library Association
June 25 - 9AM-3PM - Worcester, MA - Worcester State College Author Institute


Exhibitions
February 27-April 24 - Wenham, MA - Gallery Della-Piana (Reading & signing date to be announced soon)
Original works always on display at R.Michelson Galleries in Northampton, MA

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Sketchbook Saturday

2010 will be the year of the Lunch Lady here at the Sketchbook Saturday.


A prelimanary sketch that became the cover for
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Sirius XM Kids Place Live today at 4!


Hello radio listeners! I'll be on with Mindy of Kids Place Live today at 4pm. Tune your Sirius XM receiver to channel 116. Hear you there!

Monday, January 04, 2010

All Hail Jon Sciezka

There aren't enough kind words in the English language to accurately describe Jon Sciezka. We have all been so lucky to have him serve as our inaugural National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Today is his last day in office.

Last year around this time, I was piecing together a video to show at the SCBWI NY conference. About two weeks before it was to show, I had an idea on how I could include Jon. Wouldn't it be funny if there was a scene where I was calling Jon and he just avoided my phone call? But there was no way that I could make it down to New York to film in his home beforehand. But then I thought -- I bet he has a digital camera with a movie setting on it. But then I thought -- he won't have time for this. Doesn't he have hands to shake and Presidents to meet with? But I wrote him anyhow. It was a shot in the dark. But being that Sciezka is Sciezka, he did it. Because he wanted to help and because he couldn't resist a good gag. Not only did Jon film himself in his study, but he added bits like his polishing of the Ambassador medal and having the Ambassador fanfare be his ring-tone. (Jon even sent me an MP3 of the Ambassador fanfare, how's that for exclusive access?)

In honor of Jon's last day as Ambassador, here is his cameo from Book by Book. (The full movie, by the way, is back for a brief reprieve after Fuse #8 listed it in her best-of-2009 video wrap up. Look for the vid here.)

All hail Jon Scziezka!!! from Jarrett Krosoczka on Vimeo.

Welcome to 2010!

2009 is behind us! Thank you all for making it such a great year! And thank you to Scripps Howard News Service and Barnes & Noble for including Lunch Lady in their best of the year lists.

2010 is here and I'm ready for it! It's going to be a busy year here at Studio JJK. I'll be finishing two new Lunch Lady books (for release in 2011), I'll be actively out promoting the two new Lunch Lady books that are out this year (LL3 out now, LL4 out in May), I'll be illustrating my next picture book and illustrating another author's picture book (both out in 2011) and I'll be illustrating some very cool things for Target and St. Jude (more on that later). I'm also signed on as a producer for the LL movie, which (fingers crossed) is so far so good.

And my resolutions? To live a healthier lifestyle. By that, avoid fast food when I can, eat fewer cookies and get to the gym more often. (A cliche, I know, but I'm sticking to it.) And also take more time off to spend with my family. (Zoe turned one in December! Sheez!)

Stay tuned for more exciting excitement on the horizon.

Happy New Year, everyone!