The JJK Blog

Read all about it

2012-01-27T11:24:00.000-05:00

In today's Hampshire Gazette, there is a very thorough feature on my life and work. You can read the article here.

Ralph was excited to see his mug in print and Zoe was excited to see a picture of the mural in her room grace the front page of the newspaper. Great article all around. Thanks to Steve and Carol for coming by to chat and snap pictures!

When librarians, art teachers and lunch ladies join forces

2012-01-24T12:07:00.001-05:00

I've had a wonderful few days visiting with the wonderful students of Hess School in Mays Landing, NJ. The 1,400 students were pumped, no doubt thanks to the dedicated librarians who enlisted help from both the art teacher and the lunch ladies!

Check out this mega-apron filled with gadget badges invented by the kids:

That's art teacher Carla Burke on the left and librarians Janet Yunghans and Kristen Mulraney on the right.

These posters adorn just about every doorway around the school:

These 14 lunch ladies and lunch dudes serve up lunch to 1,400 students daily! 500 of which are a part of the school's Breakfast Bunch as well! That's a lot of food. True superheroes!

Kids also made their own comics:

Excellent work all around!

And the library helpers got a special party in honor of their dedication to helping out the library!

Yes, in a school this big there are ninety library helpers!

They do all the work and I get to eat the cake!

The Press of Atlantic City also stopped by to cover the events. You can read all about it here!

Thanks for a great visit, Hess School!

@MrSchuReads' school library in 2011

2012-01-20T10:57:00.000-05:00

Back when I was taking paternity leave, Mr. Schu, America's School Librarian™, posted his library's top 10 most circulated books from the year. I was bowled over and honored that books from the Lunch Lady series took the top two spots.

Thank you to Mr. Schu and all of the school librarians across the country who work so diligently to get their kids reading and for putting my books into the hands of their kiddos.

Check out the full list here!

PF in the Horn Book

2012-01-13T16:52:00.000-05:00

The January/February edition of The Horn Book has a nice article entitled, "What Makes a Good Rock-and-Roll Book?". It's a great round-up of all things that literally rock. Get it? LITERALLY? Because it's about books . . .

Anyhow, they have some very kind words about Punk Farm and Punk Farm on Tour:

Punk Farm and Punk Farm on Tour truly capture the rock experience in all its ragged glory, from band-mate camaraderie and songwriting to live performance and audience participation.

Read the full article here. And thank you to my friends over at The Horn Book!

The Nerdies

2012-01-10T12:32:00.002-05:00

Back when I was taking time away from work to tend to my growing family, I was honored with one of the inaugural Nerdies in the graphic novel category.

Thank you to all of the Nerds from the Nerdy Book Club for bestowing me with this honor for Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco!

Check out this great list of kids' comics and peruse this awesome new blog!

Sketchbook Saturday

2012-01-07T08:52:00.001-05:00

Baby Lucy sleeping.

Copy editing LL8 while reviewing the sketches on an iPad

2012-01-05T13:37:00.001-05:00

My comments on the copy edited manuscript for Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril are in, which brings us that much closer to the finished book. The copy edits come back digitally now and I gave the sketches a once over on the iPad. (A great way to see them with fresh eyes.)

How very futuristic.

2012

2012-01-03T10:58:00.001-05:00

There are so many exciting things ahead in 2012 that I can't wait to share with you. And in due time, I'll be able to share them all.

For now, I will tell you that you can look forward to the release of two new Lunch Lady books. Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes will publish on March 27th and Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril will publish on September 11th.

I'll have some public events in both the spring and the fall in support of the books. Though, there will be fewer events in the spring as we adjust to life with two children here in the Kroso home.

You can always stay up-to-date on my public events by checking in on my Google calendar, which is on the front page of StudioJJK.com.

And while you're marking your calendars, be sure to make note of the free LL7 Virtual Book Talk, which will take place on the day LL7 releases on March 27th. Info is here.

There is much to look forward to. Here's to a wonderful Twenty-Twelve for all!

Thank you for a great year!

2011-12-22T08:50:00.004-05:00

One of the nice things about having a birthday at the end of the year is that you can reflect on your calendar year as you enter the next big number on your age. I considered posting some photos highlighting my year, but as I looked through the many wonderful things that happened to me this past year, nothing could compete with this picture:

It was a remarkable year and I thank you for all of your support!

2012 and 34...I'm comin' for ya!

Lucy has landed

2011-12-07T17:11:00.001-05:00

Lucia Noelle arrived at 11:11am today, promptly on her due date. She is every bit as perfect as we had imagined she'd be.

Baby, mom and big sister are all doing remarkably well. Ralph, on the other hand, has no idea how crazy life is about to get.

Enjoy the rest of 2011, everyone! Thank you for a fantastic year! I'll be stepping away from all things work related as I get to know my new little one and we adjust to life as a family of four. (Sorry Ralph... five!)

Just finished the cover for LL8

2011-12-06T17:03:00.000-05:00

Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril will be out in fall 2012. Here's a super-tiny sneak preview:

Thank you!

2011-12-05T11:12:00.001-05:00

The 2011 auction for the Joe and Shirl Scholarships has closed and I couldn't be happier! The grand total will be enough to give 17 youth classes at the Worcester Art Museum! SEVENTEEN! Wow!

Thank you to all of those who bid, those who won and those who helped spread the word over blogs, Twitters and Facebooks!

See you on Cyber-Monday 2012! And in the meantime, the Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady sketchbook can be purchased all year long!

It's the final countdown!

2011-12-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

24 hours left to bid on the 2011 Joe and Shirl Scholarships auction items!

BID NOW!

Clock is ticking!

2011-12-03T08:24:00.000-05:00

It's been a very successful start to this year's auction! Bidding ends on Monday, so please keep those bids coming in over the weekend!

BID NOW!

remembering the beloved lunch lady from my elementary school

2011-11-30T09:43:00.000-05:00

I was so very saddened to learn of the passing of my childhood lunch lady, Jeannie Carigilia. As I am sure you are aware, it was my chance encounter with her in 2001 that got me to thinking about the lives of lunch ladies outside of the cafeteria. It's a funny thing, how a reunion, though very brief, can forever change the trajectory of your life. The Lunch Lady series has connected me with young readers in a very big way. I receive fan letters from all corners of the country, I've seen the books displayed in Times Square and a trick-or-treater even turned up on my doorstep on Halloween night dressed as my hero in yellow.

Shortly after the book series' launch at the Worcester Public Library, Jeannie sent me a letter thanking me for the books. She wrote about how much she cared for and loved her students. She said that her days working in the Gates Lane Elementary School cafeteria were among the best days of her life.

And so because of my chance encounter, I've become an unexpected champion for lunch ladies. I've created a figure that encourages kids to look at their lunch ladies in a new light, look beyond the spatulas and hair-nets and wonder about their lives. Just as I did when I struck up a conversation with Jeannie in 2001.

I am incredibly proud of this fact. As I travel the country, I meet our nation's lunch ladies. They are dedicated, hard-working individuals who care deeply for their students. And because of Jeannie's dedication, lunch ladies everywhere have a hero who brandishes Fish Stick Nunchucks and a Spork-Phone.

You can read Jeannie's obituary here.

Here is a photo from the 2009 launch of the books at the Worcester Public Library. That's Jeannie on the left and her sidekick, Betty, in the middle.

A Joe and Shirl Scholarship story

2011-11-30T08:11:00.000-05:00

Fourteen year old "K" lives in Worcester, MA and she's being raised by her grandparents. She has a passion for art and has been taking painting courses at the Worcester Art Museum this year. All courtesy of the Joe and Shirl Scholarships.

This brings me so much happiness! I'm beyond excited to help kids like her connect with an arts education.

Help me help these kids by bidding in this year's auction!

BID NOW!

Annual Joe and Shirls Scholarships Auction begins today!

2011-11-28T10:10:00.000-05:00

I'm ecstatic to help kids in my hometown connect with art classes at the Worcester Art Museum. Especially kids who are in familial situations that are similar to the one I grew up in.

This year, I am offering up four items for bidding:

A full-color painting of Lunch Lady and Betty. (The first of its kind!)

A triptych of three of my characters—Baghead, Chicken and Ollie!


I will design your school mascot! And I'll give you he copyright, so you can put it on T-shirts, tote bags, whatever you wish!

Lunch for you and a friend at my studio! (Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.)

BID NOW!

Last school visit of 2011

2011-11-23T10:16:00.001-05:00

Ms. Butler and the kids at Nayaug Elementary went all out to prep for my visit to their school. They downloaded a lot of the activities from my website and put together some fun ideas of their own. They even wore bagheads to my presentation and took them off to reveal they all had crazy hair! Check out these pictures from the great visit:

And I loved this nod to Ralph:

You can download free activities from my website, too! They're organized in two categories:

Pre K - 2nd grade
and
3rd - 6th grade

Book trailer for the Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady sketchbook

2011-11-22T07:42:00.000-05:00

And don't forget -- the annual Joe and Shirl Scholarships Auction starts this coming Monday! Want a portrait of Lunch Lady? Care for me to design your school mascot? This and more on the auction block starting on November 28th!

The Artist Who Punked Out a Blue Horse

2011-11-21T07:39:00.001-05:00

Here is my contribution to Eric Carle's Blue Horse Auction, which benefits NEA's arts and literacy initiatives. Bidding happens here and ends in a few days.

While you're over at eBay, check out the contributions from the other artists as well!

Check out the craftiness of the Pike School librarians!

2011-11-17T07:39:00.000-05:00

Most impressive, this apron was tailor made from cloth!

Ollie the Purple Pumpkin

2011-11-16T07:41:00.001-05:00

School librarian Heather Jankowski continues to explore her inner Martha Stewart with her storybook pumpkins craft with her students. This year, she made an Ollie pumpkin, complete with tail!

This is dedication from an elementary school principal at its best!

2011-11-15T17:15:00.000-05:00

Principal Mr. Ksanznak from Hamagrael Elementary gets his Lunch Lady on! He served lunch to the kids in this getup today!

(And we bonded over consonant-heavy last names.)

Extra hand-drawn sketches

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

When you order the print edition of Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady in the next month, you'll receive extra hand-drawn sketches in your book.

And the best part—you're helping underprivileged kids in unique familial situations take art classes for free.

Order your copy today! www.studiojjk.com/10yearsketchbook.html

Sketchbook Saturday

2011-11-12T08:25:00.001-05:00

I've neglected my weekly sketches here. Nothing like a book tour, an exhibit, deadlines, an almost-three-year-old and an expectant wife to throw you off track. Still, no excuse.

Perhaps I'll sketch something new for next week. In the meantime, head on over to www.studiojjk.com/10yearsketchbook.html and pick up Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady. You'll get to learn about the creative process behind each of my books and you'll be helping connect underprivileged kids with an arts education. Win, win!

Print Edition of Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady now available!

2011-11-11T15:53:00.001-05:00

And man does it look sharp! I couldn't be prouder with how my sketchbook looks in print.

It can take up to a month for stock to get to Ingrams' warehouse, so in the meantime, I'm taking individual orders from my website. (I can get quantities now.) If you work at a bookstore and want to stock Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady, you can put your order in with Ingrams. The ISBN is 9780983854517. Librarians can also order the book wholesale through Ingrams.

And if you can't wait, then you can order your copy right now!

Key to the City of Worcester

2011-11-10T13:28:00.001-05:00

I am so honored that my hometown has awarded me with the Key to the City as an alumnus who serves as an example to the students of the Worcester Public Schools. The Worcester Educational Development Foundation honored me with one of the Distinguished Alumni and Friends awards.

Sadly, I was unable to attend last evening's ceremony. As we anxiously await the birth of our second child, I'm keeping things closer to home these days. But that doesn't diminish how much I am honored by this recognition. I wrote my very first book as a third grader while enrolled in the city's P.E.A.K. program and I carry those lessons with me to this day. I have many fond memories of my time with friends and the excellent teachers at Gates Lane Elementary School. Back then, it was a K-8 school and I spent all nine years there. It was a wonderful community to have grown up in.

I will display this key in my studio with great pride!

You can download my third grade literary effort by clicking here.

A few days left to catch the Worcester Art Museum exhibit

2011-11-09T07:48:00.000-05:00

My show at WAM comes down at the end of the weekend. So now is your last chance to catch the art on the walls!

Here are a few pictures from the opening reception, which was a phenomenal event. We raised a ton of money for the Joe and Shirl Scholarships. (And will again in a few weeks when the annual Cyber Monday auction goes live!) Thank you for all of your support!

I was astounded to see my first grade teacher, Mrs. Alisch, in attendance. I have such wonderful memories of her classroom.

Joan and Caroline drove 12 hours from Virginia to catch the show! They win the prize!!!

Jeanne Birdsall took care of her holiday shopping list!

Lunch Lady art next to publisher proofs.

Support your local indie bookstore, buy eBooks via their website

2011-11-08T14:28:00.002-05:00

My sketchbook, Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady, is now available as an eBook via Google Books, which can be purchased on your local bookstore's website.

Here is a link where you can learn which indies are selling eBooks.

Here is my sketchbook via my local bookstore.

In an effort to promote eBooks through indies, I won't be releasing my sketchbook to any other e-outlets. Google Books can be read on just about any tablet computer.

And remember, my sketchbook benefits the Joe and Shirl Scholarships, which connects kids with an arts education.

Here's a look at what you'll find inside my sketchbook:

Girl Scouts' The Studio

2011-11-07T07:38:00.000-05:00

I'm delighted to have created content for "The Studio", a new initiative by the Girl Scouts of America. Girl Scouts will earn badges while learning all about how I wrote and illustrated Ollie the Purple Elephant.

Perhaps I'll see one of those badges when they are selling Girl Scout cookies outside of my local supermarket. I can't get enough Do-si-dos. Seriously, I buy about $100 worth when I see them being sold and mostly love the expressions on the kids' faces. I just LOVE THOSE COOKIES!!!

The Annual Running of the Illustrators

2011-11-04T07:24:00.000-04:00

This Sunday at 4:30 p.m., hordes of children's book illustrators will descend upon the R. Michelson Galleries for the annual Children's Illustration Exhibit . Hopefully nobody will be gored. See you there!

RISD's XYZ Magazine

2011-11-03T10:12:00.001-04:00

I'm honored to have been featured in a special book-themed issue of RISD's alumni magazine along with Brian Selznick and David Wiesner. You can read the article below! You can also flip through the entire issue to read about RISD alum doing great work on the printed page. (Just a head's up, not all of the subject matter in the other articles is kid-friendly.)

Open publication - Free publishing - More 2011

November issue of Parents magazine

2011-11-03T07:22:00.000-04:00

I gave tips on raising a reader, along with a bevy of kids' book authors, in the November issue of Parents magazine. Check it out on newsstands or click over to the Parents website.

Radio chat with Monte

2011-11-02T12:08:00.002-04:00

Before Mother Nature dropped buckets of snow on Western Mass, radio host, pal and all-around-good guy Monte Belmonte visited the studio.

Listen in here.

A.P.P.L.E. program in Henderson, NV

2011-11-02T11:04:00.001-04:00

ATTENTION AUTHORS! Await for your invitation to Henderson, NV's A.P.P.L.E. (All People Promoting Literacy Efforts) partnership's annual Celebration of Reading and accept immediately! What a wonderful program and I am honored to have been a part of it. It has everything. Schools need to win the author visits by accruing reading hours in the previous school year. Every school I visited, the kids were pumped. At an event at the public library, teens put on a Punk Farm play. Art classes entered paintings in a contest (winning entries get displayed at city hall). I even had the opportunity to visit art students at a local high school and junior high kids in an after school program. And Mayor Hafen presented me with the key to the city.

Not to mention that the local media gets behind this reading initiative in a big way. There were articles in Henderson Press and Las Vegas Review Journal. The local PBS station covered the events here. And the local Fox affiliate also stopped by.

Here are a few pictures from the festivities:

My welcome sign needed a slight adjustment.

1st prize in art contest

2nd prize in art contest

My characters aligned the walls, welcoming me to school

Teens perform as Punk Farm at the public library!

Now it takes a lot to embarrass me. But I was told I turned thirty shades of red when the Mayor of Henderson, in front of the entire City Council and all those gathered, brought up Fuse #8's Hot Men of Children's Literature. Yes, a half a decade later and when he looked me up on Google, he found this.

Thank you to Evelyn Walkowicz and all of the hardworking people of Henderson who made this trip a reality!

Society of Illustrators

2011-11-01T13:01:00.000-04:00

The annual Original Art Show is now on exhibit at the Society of Illustrators. Should you find yourself in New York City, you most certainly should stop by. There will be more original art from picture books than your mind can process.

If you do attend, please say hello to Ollie for me. I am honored to have had my latest picture book included in this year's exhibit.

Info can be found here.

See you tomorrow at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

2011-10-28T08:43:00.003-04:00

It all starts at 2p.m.! Don't forget to test drive your Halloween costume at the dance party!

I stopped by my local NBC affiliate to chat about Ollie

2011-10-26T21:22:00.003-04:00

Earlier today, I appeared on Mass Appeal to talk about Ollie and this Saturday's party at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. The Ollie reading will begin at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a family dance party!

Author Jarrett Krosoczka: wwlp.com

Wellesley Books on Thursday at 4pm

2011-10-25T13:04:00.000-04:00

I'm bringing the Ollie Dance Party to Wellesley, MA this Thursday at 4pm! Come by Wellesley Books for a special celebration! Information is here.

Darien, CT today at 4pm

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'll be talking about writing graphic novels and signing books with my name on the spines at the Darien Library this afternoon at 4pm! See you there!

Click here for information.

Do you like good music AND chaos?

2011-10-22T08:05:00.000-04:00

Well then tune into Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child on Saturday. I guest DJ the whole radio program with my almost-three-year-old daughter.

This Saturday from 8 - 10 am.

On your radio dial (in Western Mass) at 93.9 The River and streaming live (worldwide) at WRSI.com.

My hometown paper covers the exhibit at WAM

2011-10-21T08:18:00.000-04:00

Click here to read all about it!

Worcester Art Museum THIS Sunday

2011-10-20T18:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a preview of the exhibit. Please come on by on Sunday, I'll be signing books from 1 - 4 pm, with proceeds benefiting the Joe and Shirl Scholarships.

Worcester Art Museum

55 Salisbury Street

Worcester, MA 01609

508.799.4406

the story of Tomie and us

2011-10-19T00:43:00.000-04:00

Tomie's newest Strega Nona book is now on bookshelves.

In the summer of 2006, I started dating a girl who captured my heart. (SPOILER ALERT: She’s now my wife.) In the first few weeks of our dating life, Gina and I didn’t talk about work. We didn’t allow our vocations to define who we were to one another. But when Gina made me dinner one night and I told her that I was a children’s book author and illustrator, she sprang up and ran to her room. She emerged with her childhood copy of Strega Nona. The book was her childhood favorite and she had brought her dog-eared copy with her on every single move since leaving home for college. “Have you met this guy?” she asked. “No,” I responded. “I’ve never met Tomie dePaola.”

Just a few months later, I found myself in Los Angeles at the SCBWI annual conference as a faculty member alongside Tomie himself. What were the odds? What an honor to teach alongside a man whose work and career I admired so deeply. And more importantly—with someone who held such a special place in my girlfriend’s heart. Strega Nona represented Gina’s childhood. Over the course of the conference, Tomie and I became fast friends. He's an easy person to laugh uproariously with—a trait I find paramount. One day, Gina was having an incredibly difficult day at work, so I asked Tomie to leave her a voicemail. He obliged and Gina held on to that voicemail for years. At the end of the conference, there was an autographing party. I bought Tomie’s art book, Tomie dePaola: His Art & His Stories. It’s a hefty volume. At that point, I knew that this girl back home was the one. And when I asked Tomie to sign it, I asked him to sign it to “Gina and Jarrett”. I know, a big commitment. Even my friends looked at me sideways. I did just start dating this girl.

But by December of that year, I proposed marriage and Gina and I bought a house in Northampton. The first piece of art that I bought for our home was a piece by Tomie—a scene from a Strega Nona book. I presented Gina with the artwork on Valentine’s Day.

Since then, Tomie has become such a dear, dear friend to our family. He has welcomed us into his home and we have welcomed him into ours. We’ve enjoyed many dinners out with he and his assistant, Bob, where we continue to laugh uproariously. And of course, we were there to cheer him on at the Carle Museum of Picture Book Art when they mounted a massive showing of his work.

A few months back, Tomie presented us with the newest Strega Nona book, Strega Nona’s Gift. It’s a Christmas book and Gina loves Christmas. I mean loves the holiday. Every February, she looks at me as though I’m the Grinch when I pull out the red and green storage bins. Tomie sides with Gina on this. And when Tomie helped us celebrate Gina’s birthday, he showered her with Christmas decorations. (Either to make her happy or to spite me, not sure...) So anyhow—we were so excited to see a Strega Nona Christmas book. Then we opened the book.

And wow! Imagine how astronomically amazing it was for us to see our names in the book. To have any book by Tomie dedicated to us would be an honor. But a Strega Nona book? There are no words!

So thank you, Tomie! Thank you for being our dear friend. Thank you for laughing uproariously. And thank you for the book dedication!

And of course, thank you for this:

Zen Master Tomie from Jarrett Krosoczka on Vimeo.

Listen in to a thank you Zoe sent to Tomie when we received the book:

Best kid question of the year

2011-10-17T14:09:00.001-04:00

"When you're writing the Lunch Lady books, do you get hungry?"

Answer: I'm always hungry!

Henderson, NV tonight

2011-10-17T10:19:00.001-04:00

Come by the Gibson Library at 6:15 pm to hear about all things Lunch Lady, Punk Farm and Ollie.

Sketchbook Saturday

2011-10-15T13:52:00.002-04:00

Here's a peek inside Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady: the sketchbooks of Jarrett J. Krosoczka. The book is available here as an eBook and, later next week, as a print book, too!

There's still time to see my art in Houston

2011-10-14T12:17:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures from my opening at Imago Dei in Houston!

It was a great evening, filled with book lovers and great friends. Big thanks to everyone at Imago Dei for hosting the event and to Blue Willow Bookshop for selling books!

Stop by Imago Dei at 2525 Robinhood St in Houston to check out the show.

Another HUGE thank you for making yesterday's virtual storytime such a success!

2011-10-12T12:45:00.000-04:00

And LL7 comes out on March 27. Just sayin...

Halloween will soon be here!

2011-10-10T15:31:00.000-04:00

Why not use the free Annie Was Warned activities that are available at StudioJJK.com? The kids at Hopewell Elementary in Glastonbury, CT did and look what they made!

Speaking of Annie, my Halloween book is now available in both print and digital forms. (And remember, you can support your bookshop down the street by downloading eBooks right from their website!)

This morning, I share a whole mess of OLLIE art & sketches at the 7-Imp blog

2011-10-10T07:23:00.000-04:00

It is always a great pleasure to stop by the Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast blog. Today, I share a whole ton of Ollie art and sketches with Jules and give a little insight on the making of. Check it out!

Sketchbook Saturday

2011-10-08T07:51:00.000-04:00

Here's a spread from Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady of the creative process I took when writing Punk Farm.

Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady is filled with information like this on each book in my bibliography. When you purchase my sketchbook, 100% of the proceeds will be connecting Worcester area youth with art education. Buy the book here.

sketchbook now available!

2011-10-07T12:32:00.000-04:00

My sketchbook, Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady, is now available as an eBook. (The print edition should be available next week.)

Designer John Lind and I thumbed through a decade's worth of sketchbooks and John designed a very handsome package, displaying my conceptual sketches. I also penned essays on the creative process I took for each book and reflected on my experiences with publishing.

And the BEST part--100% of proceeds from this book benefit the Joseph and Shirley Memorial Youth Scholarships at the Worcester Art Museum, which provides free tuition to art courses for children in need.

You can purchase the book now!
http://www.studiojjk.com/10yearsketchbook.html

Tips and Suggestions for the Ollie Virtual Storytime

2011-10-06T10:48:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday I will be connecting with classrooms and libraries all over the country with the Ollie Virtual Storytime! I hope that you are as excited as I am, not just for my new book but for the opportunity to connect in a way that technology makes possible!

Here are a few suggestions to make the experience as seamless as possible:

• Ensure that you are able to access my UStream channel UStream.tv/channel/StudioJJK. Rest assured that I have a paid Pro account and commercials won't pop up.

• After each reading, I will be taking questions via the chat function. Consider using two computers, one to project the video feed for your students (which you can maximize to be full-screen) and one for you to submit the questions. It may be distracting for your students to see all of the question being submitted.

• I will be starting each storytime at the top of the hour from 9a.m. to 5p.m. EDT. You are welcome to attend every hour if you wish! But please connect just a few minutes ahead of each reading. I will begin the broadcast a few minutes ahead of time, so you can know that you are connected and the readings will start soon after.

• Photography is welcome and I look forward to seeing what this will look like from your point-of-view! I do have to ask that you don't videotape the reading. Copyright and all. . . thanks for understanding!

• My local bookshop will be selling copies that can be personalized. You can call them today - 1-800-540-7307. Over the weekend and on the day of the Virtual Visit, you will be able to place your order online at www.studiojjk.com/ollievirtualstorytime.html.

Free Ollie window cling

2011-10-03T07:24:00.000-04:00

With every pre-order made through the Odyssey Bookshop, I'll be giving away free window clings of the purple pachyderm. I'll be signing copies of OLLIE the day after the Virtual Storytime and the books will then be shipped out!

Won't this look handsome on your window?

Listen to my reaction to the immenseness of the National Book Festival

2011-10-01T19:53:00.001-04:00

The Eye on Books podcast did drive-by interviews at the NBF. You can listen to mine here:
http://www.eyeonbooks.com/EOB/0911/NBF/Krosoczka.mp3

And the other interviews are here:
http://www.eyeonbooks.com/in-the-news/at-the-2011-national-book-festival/

photos from last week's National Book Festival

2011-10-01T19:28:00.002-04:00

Last week, G and I traveled to Washington, D.C. for the National Book Festival. We had never been and I was so delighted by the invitation to read, draw and sign books on the National Mall. There were approximately one-hundred-gazillion people in attendance, many of them with an ISBN. Here are some pictures from the weekend:

On Friday afternoon, I helped plug the National Book Festival on Sirius XM's Kids Place Live. Poor Mindy lost her voice so Calef Brown and I interviewed each other! It was so much fun. And no pressure, but my first time "hosting" a radio show was live and on satellite radio.

Friday night was the Gala reception at the Library of Congress. You know a place is fancy when this is the hallway to the Men's Room.

It was so fancy, I was afraid the Joker and his goons were going to crash the party and snatch up everyone's jewelry.

They let us authors climb the librarian's command center. That's Tom Angleberger, George O'Connor, Loren Long, Lisa Yee, myself, John Bemelmans Marciano and Eric Wight.

This is the Reading Room, which is closed off to tourists. Grandeur to the highest level!

Otis and Ollie's fathers at the Library of Congress.

On Saturday morning, I jumped in a cab with Loren and Lisa and we headed to the author's breakfast at the Washington Post.

There, we saw even more authors! Here is Brian Selznick, John Bemelmans Marciano, myself, Gordon Korman, Lisa Yee, Allen Say, Jon J Muth, and Loren Long.

Later that morning, we made it over to the festival and hung out backstage with the likes of Tomie dePaola and Matthew Reinhart. . .

And Hoda! Here is G and her cousin with the Today Show co-host.

It was a great pleasure to meet William Joyce. I've admired his work for as long as I can remember.

Brian signed our copy of Wonderstruck and scoffed at the difficulty of writing out our last name. Whatever, Selznick!

That's John Rocco and Mac Barnett chilling in-between stage times. Snappy dressers, right?

Here's Jack Gantos working the crowd. Watching Jack give a speech is like watching a prize fighter in the ring!

Finally it was stage time for me!

I did my Lunch Lady thing. I was astounded by how many kids knew the ins and outs of the LL books. They were shouting out the various gadgets. It was amazing and very special for me.

And I met another Jarrett! This Jarrett is only the 6th Jarrett I've met in my entire life!
Photo by @LitChat

I introduced Ollie and read it aloud publicly for the first time.

I didn't have time to read the full book and the groans from the audience, when I left them hanging at a pivotal point in the story, was all the affirmation I needed for my new book!

Check out Tomie's book signing line! Astounding! I loved seeing people clutching their copies of Strega Nona.

SLJ Leadership Summit = Awe-some

2011-09-29T06:41:00.000-04:00

The School Leadership Summit was outstanding! It's always nice to be at a conference where attendees don't need to decide which session to attend—every event happened in the same room with the same audience. Librarians came in from all over the country and it was wonderful to meet many educators I've only known through social networks.

As the title of the conference suggests, it was a bit like the Justice League of educators.

I was there to talk about graphic novels with two very talented colleagues, George O'Connor (Olympians) and Eric Wight (Frankie Pickle).

Here we are in a top-secret conference room devising a plan ahead of our slotted stage time.

OK, really we were just posing for pictures sent out via Twitter. But don't we look busy?

We had a blast! I've worked with both Eric and George, but they had never met.

It went off without a hitch. You can see for yourself below. Perhaps we should take our show on the road?

SLJ Summit 2011: Reading Graphic Literature from School Library Journal on Vimeo.

Read School Library Journal's recap of the Leadership Summit. Perhaps you'll be attending next year?

I signed a copy of OLLIE for Zoe's preschool

2011-09-28T08:55:00.001-04:00

She signed it too!

Art Exhibit in Houston, TX THIS Friday Evening!

2011-09-27T12:01:00.000-04:00

All ages are welcome! See you at Imago Dei from 5-9p.m.! Blue Willow Bookshop will be on hand to sell books!

RSVP on Facebook.

Sirius XM Kids Place Live today at 4PM

2011-09-23T11:56:00.000-04:00

I'll be on with Absolutely Mindy this afternoon at 4 p.m. talking Ollie, Lunch Lady and all things National Book Festival!

National Book Festival this Saturday at 2 p.m.

2011-09-22T11:58:00.000-04:00

I am so honored to be reading on the National Mall this Saturday at the the National Book Festival. Look for me at 2 p.m. at Target Family Storytelling Stage.

What an amazing weekend the Library of Congress has put together! Check out the full list of authors here.

See you there!

Radio time!

2011-09-21T12:30:00.000-04:00

I visited the WICN studios last week and chatted with friend and mentor Mark Lynch. Mark has been covering my work since day one! He's had me on his show multiple times throughout my career. And Mark also used to be my teacher at the Worcester Art Museum. So we go way back! (Look for the introduction he penned in my sketchbook, Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady, which will soon be available.)

Listen to us psychoanalyze pachyderms, discuss the creative process and my upcoming exhibit at the Worcester Art Museum.

Click here to give it all a listen! www.wicn.org/podcasts/audio/jarrett-j-krosoczka-ollie-purple-elephant

Guys Read: Thriller - now available!

2011-09-20T07:02:00.000-04:00

I am so thrilled to announce that Guys Read: Thriller is now available. It was fun to dive into a non-Lunch Lady comic and push the style and tone in a different direction. Pudding is a reboot of sorts of a comic that I drew for my college newspaper during my freshman year. I recast the characters in junior high and removed the cafeteria setting.

I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed creating it!

There are a few ways that you can enjoy my piece. You can read it in the anthology here. Or you can download Pudding as a stand-alone eBook here. OR you can even download it as an audio book here. (The audio version comes with a PDF of the comic.)

Many thanks to Jon Scieszka for including me and to the fabulous editor Jordan Brown for helping shape this story. And to Brett Helquist who illustrated a stellar rendition of my character.

Houston Art Exhibit on 9/30

2011-09-19T11:53:00.002-04:00

Imago Dei cordially invites you to a showing of:

The Art of Story: A decade of original works by J.J.K.

Opening Reception and Book Signing

Friday, September 30, 2011 | 5-9pm

Children’s Story Time 6-7pm

Please contact henry@imagodei.pro with any questions

2525 Robinhood St.

Houston, Texas 77005

www.imagodeigallery.com

Blue Willow Bookshop will be on hand to sell books. While Ollie the Purple Elephant won't be published yet, advanced copies will be raffled off throughout the evening!

RSVP on Facebook

It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

2011-09-19T09:20:00.002-04:00

Think of me when you wash your hands at Puddn'head Books

2011-09-18T20:24:00.001-04:00

If you make it to St. Louis, stop by Puddn'head Books' new location. Authors are tagging up their bathroom walls.

Thank you to the awesome staff! And for this awesomely delicious cake:

And great big thanks to school librarian Melissa Biehl for getting me out there! She went above and beyond the call of duty. Aside from getting me to the airport for my 6 a.m. flight, she arranged for former students from her from comic book club, who had since graduated to junior high, to return to school to meet me. Amazing, right?!

Here are some of the great projects her students made.

Sketchbook Saturday on Sunday / Chicago visit

2011-09-18T20:14:00.001-04:00

I arrived early to the 57th St Book Fair in Chicago and ate a great sandwich at nearby Z&H Cafe. I broke out the ol' sketchpad.

And as I watched folks pass by the cafe, I saw Chris "Elio" Eliopoulos of OKIE DOKIE DONUTS fame.

I recognized him from the prerequisite black-rim glasses and grey sweater that allow one to be a cartoonist. It was nice to sit and chat about drawing and the book biz.

Then we made it to the fair where Lunch Lady was waiting!

That is actually the fabulous Angela Sherrill who made my visit to this awesome book Fest possible!

Thanks to all who came by!

Chicago, Sunday 2:30-4

2011-09-16T11:19:00.001-04:00

I'm bringing the Lunch Lady party to the 57th Street Children's Book Fair! And thanks to the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club, Lunch Lady books are FREE while supplies last.

See you there! And perhaps a certain purple elephant will accompany me...

Ollie Virtual Storytime

2011-09-15T17:20:00.000-04:00

On October 11th, you are invited to zoom into the studio in celebration of Ollie the Purple Elephant's publication.

Every hour on the hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., I will be hosting live storytimes and Q & A sessions via UStream.TV.

I'm looking forward to sharing my new picture book with classrooms, libraries, home-schoolers, book aficionados, and readers everywhere!

Check out the Ollie Virtual Storytime page on my website for more information.

And don't forget, you can order your signed copy of Ollie from the Odyssey Bookshop!

LL6 contest winners!

2011-09-13T08:40:00.000-04:00

Lunch ladies and gentlemen, it is time to announce the winners of the Lunch Lady Field Trip Photo Contest!

Our celebrity judges this year include. . .

Dan "Sidekicks" Santat

Jenni "Babymouse" Holm

and Chad "Wimpy Kid Art Director" Beckerman

Without further adieu, the judges have weighed in and the winners are. . .

In the category of Grand Prize Winner, Kid Edition, we have:

Ethan and Zayden, who traveled to New Brunswick!

This is what our judges had to say:

"True Lunch Ladies only use the freshest ingredients for their fish sticks."—Dan Santat

"Would you like tartar sauce or cocktail sauce with your lobster tail?"—Jenni Holm

In the category of Grand Prize Winner, Grown-up Edition, we have:

Sher, who time traveled and visited the Tribe Woden Thor Medieval Feast And Tourney!

This is what our judges had to say:

"Serving lunch ... on trenchers!"—Jenni Holm

"Today's special is mutton" —Dan Santat


And here's a bonus shot of Lunch Lady tied up in the stocks!

The grand-prize winners will be receiving some Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco art!

But there were a few other stand-outs that deserved some shout-outs.

"Lunch Lady" Kathy visited CNN headquarters!

"Lunch Lady" Donna is prepping for a very busy lunch!

These ladies in yellow will be receiving a special Lunch Lady sketch in the mail!

Thank you all for playing along! I hope that you enjoy the latest installment in the Lunch Lady series, available today!

Fall 2011 schedule—I may be coming to a town near you

2011-09-12T13:43:00.000-04:00

Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco publishes tomorrow! I kick off my fall events at Puddn'head Books. Check out my full fall 2011 schedule at StudioJJK.com/JJKevents.html

The all-new StudioJJK.com—built with educators and iPads in mind

2011-09-09T12:05:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of educational resources at the new StudioJJK.com! Here are a few highlights:

• Free eBooks of my literary efforts from elementary school.

• Videos galore—book talks, interviews and fan videos, too.

• Activities, activities, activities! Beyond simple coloring pages, there are free PDFs that will enhance your students' reading experiences.

• Book trailers on every book page.

• All of my radio and print interviews have been organized for your perusal.

• Hosting a Lunch Lady or Punk Farm party? There are links to family-friendly playlists on iTunes.

• Learn how to pronounce my last name!

And best of all, you can use my website while you're on the go! It is now compatible with iPads and iDevices!

For those of you who have followed me over the years, here's a quick trip down memory lane with a look at some of StudioJJK.com's previous incarnations:

2006-2011

2004-2005

2003

2001-2002

Puddn'head Books and LL6 TUESDAY!

2011-09-08T14:27:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday, I will be stopping by Puddn'head Books to celebrate the release of Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco! What's that you say? You don't live near St. Louis and you can't make it? But you really, really, really wanted to get an autographed copy of the newest Lunch Lady title?

Have no fear, the Internet is here! Puddn'head Books has set up a webpage where you can order your books and I'll sign them on Tuesday. Check it out here!

Sketchbook Saturday - Faces by Zoe

2011-09-03T06:35:00.000-04:00

I love drawing with my daughter as much as I love reading with her—which is a tremendous amount! This week, she really took me by surprise by drawing these faces. Seriously, my hand did not touch the paper once.

Then she drew a picture of me.

So I drew a picture of her, which she embellished.

Sketchbook Saturday

2011-08-27T07:26:00.001-04:00

Sand castles in the dwindling dog days of summer.

I hope everyone is staying safe out there!

Baghead by Juan

2011-08-23T09:16:00.000-04:00

*SPOILER ALERT* This drawing gives away the end of Baghead, but man, isn't it great? It's by Juan and I hope he keeps drawing, he's very talented!

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

Trailer-palooza

2011-08-22T11:16:00.003-04:00

I just finished making YouTubable book trailers for my backlist. (All part of a major rehaul of StudioJJK.com, more on that soon!)

They will all soon be neatly organized on my website, but in the meantime, you can catch all of my trailers at YouTube.com/StudioJJK.

Sketchbook Saturday—Daddy/Daughter Edition

2011-08-20T07:08:00.001-04:00

I brought my sketchpad to the beach hoping to make a few gesture sketches of my daughter playing in the sand. But that didn't last long. She was more interested in drawing as well!

So I just drew her while she scribbled on the pad.

Then we drew a landscape together. Ocean by Zoe. Boat by me.

Updated Lunch Lady book trailer

2011-08-17T09:31:00.000-04:00

In HD and with art from LL6!

Ollie the Purple Elephant - HD book trailer

2011-08-16T08:17:00.001-04:00

Learn more about the story of Ollie!

Sketchbook Saturday: watercolor edition

2011-08-13T09:48:00.004-04:00

Chicken Nugget Lemon Tooty's 5th Birthday

2011-08-11T09:51:00.002-04:00

Here's my re-imagining of (then) 6 year old Gracie's drawing.

Gracie Makes Friends With a Monster

Happy birthday to a super-fun and creative blog!

Dan Santat's Lunch Lady

2011-08-10T10:51:00.000-04:00

My author/illustrator pal Dan Santat posted this to his Facebook today. You can almost hear me saying "WHOA!" from wherever you are. (That would be a Bill and Ted "WHOA!", not a Joey Lawrence "WHOA!")

Check out Dan's rendition of Lunch Lady:

RIGHT?! Amazing! Which is what his graphic novel Sidekicks is—AMAZING! Did you get your copy yet?

LL story ideas from kids

2011-08-09T09:09:00.006-04:00

I always love when kids come up with adventures for Lunch Lady to go on!

Here's Lunch Lady and the Toast Aliens by Foster:

And here's a suggestion to write Lunch Lady and Revenge of the Author by Chelsie:

And checkout this great drawing of LL by Ian!

All such talented writers and illustrators! Keep up the great work!

Have you created a new adventure for Lunch Lady? Care to share? I would love to see it!
They can be emailed to me via props@studiojjk.com or mailed to:
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
PO Box 60155
Florence, MA 01062

Well, somebody's gotta write this book...

2011-08-06T14:15:00.003-04:00

Sketchbook Saturday

2011-08-06T08:52:00.002-04:00

Waves at lowtide.

LL6 is a Junior Library Guild selection!

2011-08-05T11:02:00.001-04:00

I'm honored to have Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco included in the Fall 2011 Junior Library Guild selections. If you are a JLG subscriber, look for LL6 to pop up in your fall shipments!

Thank you, JLG!

LL Gadget ideas from kids

2011-08-03T08:38:00.000-04:00

Check out this device sent in from Chirchill Elementary in Virginia! It's a Toaster File. Secret messages get toasted into the bread and then self destruct into crumbs. I love it! Only in a suburb of DC!

October workshop on the business of children's books

2011-08-02T09:32:00.002-04:00

In conjunction with my exhibit at the Worcester Art Museum, I will be teaching a workshop called, "The Business of Children's Books". You can register online here! Here's some info on the three hour workshop:

Join Worcester native and award-winning author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka and see the world through the eyes of a professional children's book artist. Jarrett will share his experience growing up as an artist, the rejections he faced, and the growth of his writing and illustrating process. He'll also cover the submission process and distribute a packet of handouts with tips for beginning writers and illustrators. A question and answer session will be followed by a walk through the exhibition, Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady: 10 Years of Jarrett J. Krosoczka. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Jarrett has published several children's and pre-teen books including Good Night, Monkey Boy; Punk Farm; and the Lunch Lady Series.

Sketchbook Saturday

2011-07-30T09:49:00.000-04:00

A flock of seagulls!

@MrSchuReads and reads and reads and reads

2011-07-28T10:58:00.000-04:00

School librarian Mr. Schu trekked out on his annual summer road trip and brought along a copy of Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians. He read it in all sorts of places, check it out:

Clearly a librarian in a league all his own!

You can follow his adventures on his travel blog.
If you were to follow only one kid lit Twitterer, make it @MrSchuReads.
And be sure to bookmark his great blog where he catalogs book trailers.

Finished inking LL7

2011-07-25T09:55:00.002-04:00

This brings me to 679 total pages inked for the Lunch Lady series. Look for Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes in March '12!

Sketchbook Saturday on Sunday

2011-07-24T15:51:00.002-04:00

Life at the summer studio is running at its own pace.

Planning my fall

2011-07-22T10:47:00.013-04:00

Lots of great store and library visits are in the works. Planning a radio takeover of Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, and an Ollie dance party at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. An exhibit at the Worcester Art Museum, also sending artwork down to Houston, TX to Imago Dei in conjunction with the class I'm teaching at Sam Houston State University. Not to mention a trip to DC for the National Book Festival and School Library Journal's Leadership Summit. And Henderson, NV is giving me the key to their city.

Who's ready to party?

Google +

2011-07-20T09:52:00.000-04:00

You can circle me? One plus me? Whatever the verb is, I am on Google+. You can find me here.

A new social network -- color me exhausted. But worth the try. I've added a few unseen pieces of art from OLLIE on my profile there.

Sketchbook Saturday: notes from the summer studio

2011-07-16T08:41:00.000-04:00

I was incredibly lucky as a kid to spend my summers at the beach. And now I feel even luckier to be raising my family on the New England seacoast in the summers. I travel a lot during the school year and the summer belongs fully to my family, so I've set up a summer studio at the old family beach house.

This is the view on my morning walks with Ralph. It's also where, as a child, I would search for crabs and starfish.

Shout-out to photographer Paul Specht

2011-07-15T08:52:00.000-04:00

Photographer Paul Specht came by the studio last month to snap some updated author pics. I highly recommend him. Whether you need an author photo or a portrait of your child, visit him at www.paulspecht.com. He's great, easy to work with and he shoots with digital and film. (Some kind of fancy film that gives the cool color effects you see below.)

For high-resolution images of my author photos for your dart board, locker or publication, please visit: www.studiojjk.com/pressfiles.html.

Look what came in the mail!

2011-07-13T09:05:00.002-04:00

Advanced copies of LL6! Holding your finished, printed for the first time will never not be awesome! Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco will be on bookshelves two months from today!

3 months to Ollie

2011-07-11T09:10:00.004-04:00

Marika from the Odyssey Bookshop wrote a very kind review of my next picture book. You can read it here.

I can't wait for the rest of you to read it, too!