The Very Hungry Caterpillar and the Very Sleepy Pug

7 Impossible Things Before Lunch

The fine folks over at the 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast blog had me by to talk about the LUNCH LADY series. It's fun to hear their take on the books. I'm so eager for everyone to read them, but for now you can hear their reactions over at their very fine blog. Read all about it here.

Old Comics - 5th grade

While the Lunch Lady series of books will mark a new professional endeavor for me, the comic book format is something that I've been working in since I was a kid. So really, I am reconnecting with an art form I have long worked in. In the month of July, leading up to the publication of the first two Lunch Lady books, I am going to be posting some old comics. Some will be from my childhood years, some from my teen years and some from my college years. Most will be embarrassing for me. As an artist, it can be like sharing your awkward 7th grade school picture.

I will start with Lightning Man. I created this comic in 5th grade. Eventually these posts will come full circle back to this comic.

Winner of the Lunch Lady gear contest

Joyce from Avon, CT posted this picture of the lovely lunch ladies at her school:


They all win the Lunch Lady Gear Facebook contest. Look for an exciting weekly contest this fall. If you have some hammy lunch ladies, you too will be able to win some exciting prizes. Stay tuned . . .

And get your Lunch Lady gear here.

Birdsall and Obama

Birdsall and Obama. I knew there was something going on there . . . Copies of my buddy Jeanne Birdsall's book, The Penderwicks, were stuffed into backpacks for children of military personal by none other than the U.S. first family. How cool is that? Read all about it here.

see ya in Shenandoah

I'm on my way to Shenandoah University for their annual Children's Literature Festival. Dr. Karen Huff and her crew put on quite the line-up every year and I'm honored to be headed back.

Don't live near Virginia? It doesn't matter, this is one of the best of the bests. The schedule for this conference is such that you never have to decide between guest speakers. And aside from the formal lectures, the authors have informal Q&A sessions. It feels very Mtv Unplugged. (Did I just date myself?)

The theme this year is a riff on the Guys Read program. Speakers include Jon Scieszka, Jack Gantos, David Macaulay, Jerry Pinkney, Kevin O’Malley and Chris Crutcher.

Thank you, Crete, NE!

WICN Inquiry interview

I recently sat down with Inquiry's Mark Lynch to talk about all things Lunch Lady. Give it a listen here. (Also, check out his great interview with children's book historian Leonard Marcus.)

PS: One month to go to the publication of the first two Lunch Lady books. It's hard to believe that I will now be able to count down in days and not months or years!

Sketchbook Saturday

Josh is wearing a bag on his head because...

Graphic Novel Reporter interview

Brigid Alverson of Graphic Novel Reporter interviewed me for their Creator Interview series. Read all about it here. (And check out their great archives while you're there!)

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3 Bagheads and a Chicken

I have a bunch of great drawings from kids that I've been meaning to post. Here are three Bagheads and a Chicken for your viewing pleasure.





Aren't they great?!

Do you have drawings 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

Publishers Weekly interview

I recently had a great chat with Sara Antill at Publishers Weekly. Read all about it here.

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Sketchbook Saturday

interview on Book Page blog

The fine people over at Book Page conducted a short, impromptu interview with me upon hearing the LL movie news.

You can read it all about it on their blog.

SCBWI Florida

This Friday and Saturday I will be teaching workshops at Disney for the Florida chapter of the SCBWI. (Pretty smart of them to hold the workshops at Disney, isn't it?)

Here is the full schedule of events.

Looking forward to seeing you there, Floridians!

last Saturday's Boston Globe

I didn't have the posters in junior high, but I still got a kick out of this.

Wenham Museum

Original artwork from the first Lunch Lady book, Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, is on display at the Wenham Museum in Wenham, MA. "Colorful Characters: Storytelling through Comics" is up now through September 13th.

For all of the information on the exhibit, the museum and special events*, please visit www.wenhammuseum.org/exhibits.html

*I won't be participating in any events at the museum, but I will be at the Beverly Public Library (next town over) on June 27th at 2:30 PM.

book 1, book 2

Since the news of the Lunch Lady film broke last Friday, I've been reading a few misreports on the books. Just to clarify—the first book in the series is Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute.


Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians will be book #2. But not to worry—both books will be available on July 28th.

Sketchbook Saturday

Sweet Peas and Carrots!

I am so thrilled to share some exciting news with you! My upcoming "Lunch Lady" graphic novel series has been optioned by Universal with Amy Poehler set to star. Here is the official article from the Hollywood Reporter.

Amy Poehler is going to make an amazing Lunch Lady. I am so honored that she will be bringing this character to life. I have been a fan of hers for years—she is a comedic genius. It's a dream come true.

Stay tuned! I'm keeping my fingers crossed (and Ralph is crossing all paws) that we get a green light.

Health and Beauty and Baghead

My friend Justin just sent me the following message with the attached picture.

no joke. was reading an essay on beauty and images at the coffee shop. decided to test the theory on myself and picked up the first thing under the coffee table. this is what i found.

Nothing like a well loved book!

JJK and the NFL?

The Cleveland Browns teamed up with their local library system and created a series of videos of players reading from children's books. Here is Josh Cribbs, Wide Receiver and Kick Returner, reading Punk Farm.

This may come as to a surprise to everyone, but I was never much of a football player. I think I played on the schoolyard once and broke my arm.

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Sketchbook Saturday

Lunch Lady book trailer

Here is a little something to wet your appetite. (Pun intended.)



You can download the Lunch Lady Theme Song as an MP3 from www.lunchladycomics.com. It's catchy a little ditty, isn' it? It was written and performed by the very talented guys of Recess Monkey, check them out at www.recessmonkeytown.com.

recapping

A few weeks ago, I had the distinct honor of addressing the winning entrants of the Letters About Literature contest at the Massachusetts State House. Thousands of entries were whittled down down to dozens and I worked with a great panel of judges to place them in a hierarchy to determine top prizes. It was no easy task! It was fun to meet the young authors in person and congratulate them and their families on their accomplishments.

The Massachusetts Center for the Book hasn't uploaded any pictures yet, but here's a pic of the podium that I snapped with my phone. I felt like a Senatah'.


We are also just back from Book Expo. Man, oh man! Talk about seeing/meeting a lot of people in a very condensed period of time. I saw many booksellers and librarians from book tours past and future. I bid unsuccessfully on a piece by Dan Yaccarino at the ABC Mostly Silent Auction. I speed dated. (Which was a blast!) And I signed a boatload of copies of Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. And I ran into Lane Smith, Jon Scieszka, Holly Black, Matt Phelan, Katie Davis, Peter Brown, Jane Yolen, Mo Willems, Betsy Lewin, Matt de la Pena, Michael Rex, Kate Dicamillo, Alvina Ling, Chad Beckerman, John Lind, Jesse Joshua Watson, Eric Wright, Dianne deGroat, Ruth Sanderson, and probably shared an elevator with more. You know, you're every day kind of book event. After reading a few blogs, I realized that there were plenty of people that I missed. And of course we missed some people because they left the party too early . . . (I'm looking at you, Tomie!)

Zoe had her first publisher's brunch with her daddy's editor and book publicist, had a power lunch with her daddy's literary agent and she also met the President, Vice President and Director of Publicity of Random House Children's Books. She has no idea what's going on.

Lots of exciting excitement going around here these days. Stay tuned for more info! Lunch Lady is less than two months away!!!

Sketchbook Saturday

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!

Sketchbook Saturday

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!)

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!

Sketchbook Saturday

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.

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!

Sketchbook Saturday

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!

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

Sketchbook Saturday

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!