Tuesday, May 21, 2019

May the 4th



When Pride Parade falls on May the 4th!


Jedi Academy Art!


The students at Halifax Elementary made an AWESOME Jedi Academy display!‬











#ThrowbackThursdays




#ThrowbackThursday to the LUNCH LADY Read poster created for American Library Association Finished vs. Sketch‬





Sketch v Final -Punk Farm, 2005
Random House Children's Books

Worcester Addresses Childhood Trauma


Thank you to Worcester Addresses Childhood Trauma for bringing me back to my hometown for such an inspiring day. And look at these huge prints of some of the landmarks from Worcester!



Teacher Appreciation Week





Teachers—they’ll say a few words that will forever change the trajectory of your life. During my winter break during freshman year of college, I stopped by my old high school. I ran into Ms. Gareau, and she asked me if I was thinking about reapplying to RISD. She remembered how I had been rejected and how down I had been about it. I told her that applying as a transfer student was in the back of my mind. “Well, if it’s in the back of your mind, maybe it should be in the front of your mind.” She turned and walked away, not saying another word. She didn’t need to—those words stayed with me. They gave me the push I needed to be brave enough to put in another application. And after I graduated RISD, I’ve kept them as a mantra. Ms. Gareau never did mince words and thank God she didn’t. Thank you, Charlotte. And Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all of those who hand down their wisdom.

Southern New Hampshire University Class of 2019

Congratulations, Southern New Hampshire University Class of 2019!
What a thrill and an honor to be your commencement speaker. ‪




Dr. JJK reporting for duty. ‬




Monteserrat College of Art

What a profound honor to receive a Doctorate of Fine Arts, honoris causa, from the Montserrat College of Art! I so enjoyed the privilege of addressing the class of 2019 as they begin their journey with their professional artistic endeavors. And a total surprise to be presented this honorary degree from Associate Professor Mark Hoffmann, Chair of the Visual Communication & Design Division and Coordinator of Illustration. Of course, back in the day I just knew him as “Hoffman”— the guy who lived down the hall from me in art school. 






Happy School Lunch Hero Day 2019!




Happy School Lunch Hero Day! Here’s to all the people who keep our kids’ bellies full and offer kind smiles in the lunch (and breakfast) lines. ‬



7 million breakfasts, lunches, and even some suppers prepared in Irving ISD each school year. What a fun day hanging out with these champions!


Schulze Elementary made School Lunch Hero Day trading cards for the students! ‬





Proud to be an Author Ambassador for School Library Month. Here is my 2014 TED Talk about how this day came about and what people have done to share their appreciation for all that is being done in our school cafeterias.




Book Friends Forever & In Contrast



I filled in on the Book Friends Forever podcast! Sure, listen to hear Grace Lin and I discuss 20 years of friendship and making it in the book industry, but really listen to hear all about a potluck dinner gone horribly wrong.




From seeking out writing advice from David Sedaris to reaching deep into traumatic memories, I stopped by In Contrast to discuss crafting my graphic memoir. 

Teen Lit Con


Fantastic day at #TeenLitCon with Lamar "L.R." GilesTomi AdeyemiBecky Albertalli, and a few thousand amazing readers!