Let the bids begin!

Bidding for the 2012 auction to benefit the Joe and Shirl Scholarships is now live!!!! (And while you're there, download the ebook edition of my Monkey Boy to Lunch Lady sketchbook for free!)

A Thanksgiving Day feature in THE ATLANTIC!

I am thankful that I was home on a Friday afternoon when the phone rang. I'm thankful that there was a last minute cancellation for a TEDx talk and I was invited to step in. I'm thankful for the 100 people that were in the room and the 5,000 people who have viewed the video online in the past week. And I am very, very thankful for this Thanksgiving Day feature in THE ATLANTIC! Especially because I get to champion all of the folks that I am so very thankful for!

Tony DiTerlizzi is on The Book Report with JJK on Wednesday at 5:40 pm EST / 2:40 pm PST

My old buddy and neighbor, Tony DiTerlizzi, is next up on The Book Report! I visited his Amherst studio and talked goblins, spacecrafts and pinball machines. Be sure to tune in to SiriusXM's Kids Place Live, channel 78. If you're traveling for Thanksgiving, this will make for one entertaining trek to grandma's house!

The third annual auction to benefit the Joe and Shirl Scholarshipsstarts one week from today!

I wanted to first say a heartfelt thank you to all who have been sending me messages about my TEDx talk. Your kind words have meant the world. Also, a big thank you to those who have been sharing the video. Thanks to you, the video has amassed more than 4,000 views in just a few short days!

As you know, I remain committed to helping kids in my hometown obtain a quality education in the arts. The 3rd annual auction to benefit the Joseph and Shirley Krosoczka Memorial Youth Scholarships at the Worcester Art Museum begins one week from today!

Bidding will happen here: http://www.studiojjk.com/joeandshirlscholarships.html

Here is what will be up for grabs:


- original art from my impending chapter book debut, Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked, along with an autographed advanced copy

- a one-on-one phone conversation with me on breaking into children's publishing

- your kid's likeness drawn into the 10th and final Lunch Lady graphic novel

- I will design YOUR holiday card as a four page mini-comic and you get to keep the original art

- a tour of the SiriusXM's Kids Place Live Studios as well as an on-air experience with Mindy from The Absolutely Mindy Show

BIDDING IS NOW LIVE!

My TEDx talk: Imagining Beyond Your Circumstances

Hi folks,

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you may already know this story. Last month I had the great opportunity to give a TEDx talk. And it was completely unexpected. Gina and I were planning the rest of the Friday workday and then the evening when around 2 pm the phone rang.  It was a friend who worked at Hampshire College. She ran the TEDx talks at the school and would I like to give a talk? Of course, I would. In a few months? Somebody had cancelled and they were hoping I could fill in . . . for a TEDx talk that started in FOUR HOURS! 

Fortunately, I had a slideshow filled with childhood artwork at the ready. The talk, however, was unlike any I had given before. I talked very candidly and openly about growing up as I did.

I really love how TEDx summarived my talk: "Jarrett J. Krosoczka tells us how imagination and the encouragement to pursue artistic expression transformed his life."

I hope that you all enjoy the video.

Most sincerely,

JJK

Eric Carle on The Book Report with JJK - Wednesday at 5:40 pm!

On 11/14/12, Eric Carle will be on The Book Report with JJK. My mind is boggled that I'm even typing that, let alone that it is actually happening! I sat down with Eric at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and man, what a conversation we had. Tune in to SiriusXM's Kids Place Live on Wednesday at 5:40 pm EST / 3:40 PST to listen in!


(OK, so I don't really wear suits for these interviews, but check out the photo below!)

Jenny DeVivo, School Lunch Superhero

I recently met Jenny DeVivo on a school visit. As often is the case, I get to meet the folks who run our schools' cafeterias in a very meaningful way. But this time it was different. Ms. DeVivo started at the school as an employee in the cafeteria, but quickly saw that the corporation running the program wasn't offering a nutritional diet for the kids. So what did she do? She organized and worked with local officials to change the way things operated. She quite literally kicked the company out of town. And what really affected me personally, was that she told me that she drew upon my books for inspiration. If Lunch Lady could kick some tail, so could she! And man, did she ever. Here is Jenny with her copy of Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. Notice the "J" on Lunch Lady's apron? I absolutely love it!

I salute this School Lunch Superhero!

The Carle Museum's 10 year anniversary party and the annual illustration show at R. Michelson Galleries - both this weekend!

It's a busy weekend for the kid lit literati this weekend in Western Massachusetts. If you can get to the area this weekend, you may want to bring your paparazzi camera!

First, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is celebrating its 10th anniversary. I made a star for their special constellation exhibit. Here's a glimpse of my contribution. It will hang in the Great Hall along with stars by Scott Fischer, Jeff Mack and Eric Carle himself!


Check out the full list of weekend activities at The Carle here.

On Sunday, from 4-6, head on over to the R. Michelson Galleries' annual Illustration Show. I am in awe of the artists that will be represented and am proud and honored to be included. When I received the invite to the opening reception, I had to let Ralph down easy -- dogs aren't allowed. He had already planned his outfit...

Hope to see you around the Happy Valley this weekend!

Peter Brown on The Book Report with JJK today at 5:40 pm EST

Tune in to SiriusXM channel 78 and listen for a new episode of The Book Report with JJK on Kids Place Live! My old buddy, Peter Brown, will be the guest! Pete is the very talented author/illustrator of picture books like The Curious Garden, You Will Be My Friend and so many more!

Text a donation to the Red Cross and you could win a free virtual author visit for your classroom

Like everyone who was unaffected by Superstorm Sandy, my heart has broken for the folks who have lost so much. Donating to the Red Cross is incredibly easy. I just donated $10 to Red Cross Disaster Relief by texting "redcross" to number 90999.

I want to encourage everyone to do so. For those that do, tweet, Facebook, Instagram or email me a screen shot of your donation and I will enter you into a drawing for a free virtual author visit with me. Let others know just how easy it is to give a little bit. Together, we can make an incredible difference!

I'll take entries through Friday at 5 pm EST and announce a winner that evening.

Happy Halloween! Skelton flamingos and Lunch Lady pumpkins

We are feeling incredibly grateful here in the Krosoczka house to be celebrating Halloween this evening. The hurricane's fury avoided us completely. Our hearts go out to all of the folks in the affected areas. And I feel lucky to even be home. I had been in Austin for the Texas Book Festival. I had already canceled Sunday's appearances, but was scheduled on a flight out on Sunday morning. On Saturday afternoon, while signing books with Dav Pilkey, Lisa McMann and Mac Barnett, I glanced at my phone and saw that Massachusetts was in a state of emergency. I took off to pack my bags and head to the airport and got on the last flight of the evening. Sadly, many of my Northeast author friends are still stuck in Austin. Not a bad city to be stuck in, but I would far rather be home with my kids. Not only to shelter them from the storm, but to decorate pumpkins like this:

My three year old drew this. So proud!

And with the storm behind us, the yard decorations are back out on display:

Not only to I feel fortunate to have my house in order, I feel so lucky that folks like my work enough to use my characters as inspiration for their Halloween celebrations. Check out the awesome Nash family below! I had to pick myself up off the floor when I saw how they decked themselves out for their Halloween shenanigans.

And remember Lunch Lady super fan who drew this awesome comic? Her librarian sent in this photo of her storytime pumpkin!

And this morning, third grade teacher Kerry Ciccone tweeted this photo to me:

And that's not to mention that her son made this awesome project for his literacy parade project!

If you are celebrating Halloween and using any of my characters, I am so incredibly honored! And I would love to see your creativity in action! Please email them to me (props at studiojjk.com) or Tweet or Facebook them to me!

UPDATED!

Laura Lintz, who shares the same initials as Lunch Lady, sent in this awesome picture from the Arlington Library!

lucky me in Lucky and Squash!

I do believe I failed to blog about this earlier in the year. But my dear friends and neighbors Jeanne Birdsall and Jane Dyer teamed up on an amazing book called Lucky and Squash.

During the making of the book, Jane called Jeanne. She needed photo reference of a man holding a dog. As luck would have it, Jeanne had a drawer full of just that! Huh?  You see, Jeanne took a series of author photos of me holding Ralph. She passed them on to Jane. So if you are reading Lucky and Squash to your kids, and you think you see me, you're not going crazy. That is indeed me in the book playing the part of Mr. Bernard!

Here is a photo of the talented duo reading from the book at last spring's launch at nearby Broadside Bookshop!

Tra-la-laa! Dav Pilkey on The Book Report with JJK this Tuesday!

This Tuesday (October 22) at 5:40 ET / 2:40 PT, Mr. Underpants himself will be chatting with me on The Book Report with JJK! Tune in to SiriusXM's Kids Place Live, channel 78, to hear Dav Pilkey tell me all about where Captain Underpants came from! SPOILER ALERT: It's a character he's had since elementary school!

Where I'll be this weekend at the Texas Book Festival

I'm very excited to return to the Texas Book Festival in Austin, TX at the end of the week! And it'll be a busy few days for me. Below is my full schedule. Do come out and say hello! Or, uh...howdy!

And if you follow me on Twitter at @StudioJJK, perhaps you can win some fun things throughout the weekend!



10 AM
Lunch Ladies, Mummies & Class Clowns 
Saturday, October 27
Texas State Capitol: Capitol Extension Room E2.012

2:15
Captain Underpants! 
JJK will be giving a dramatic reading in celebration of Dav Pilkey's latest Captain Underpants book!
Saturday, October 27
Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)



Due to the impending "frankenstorm" that's due to hit the Northeast, I'll be leaving the Texas Book Festival a bit early to batten down the hatches at home. I'm sad to miss out on the fun on Sunday, but I hope that I get to see many folks at the festivities on Saturday!

PBS Kids Go! Writers Contest

Earlier this fall, I was honored to serve as a judge for the PBS Kids Go! Writers Contest for young writers. It was certainly a difficult task to choose from the selections, they were all so amazing! Fortunately, I didn't go it alone. Buddies and neighbors Tony DiTerlizzi and Mo Willems also served as judges, as well as an amazing cast of folks like Lisa Henson and Jewel.

The winning books have been posted to PBS's website here. Definitely give them a read! I found them all so inspiring.

When I was reading all of the entries, I couldn't help but think of the first book that I ever wrote back when I was on the 3rd grade.

Congratulations to all of the winners and to all who entered! I look forward to reading future books of yours!

Lucy Cousins on The Book Report with JJK this Wednesday!

This week, Lucy Cousins will be featured on The Book Report with JJK! The Maisy creator was visiting from across the pond and I caught up with her ahead of her event at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Her exhibit at the Carle, which features many originals from the Maisy books and my family's favorite -- Hooray for Fish, is up until November 25th. More info on the Carle's current exhibits is here.

Tune in to SiriusXM's Kids Place Live, channel 78, on Wednesday October 17th at 5:40 ET / 2:40 PT.

Picture Day Peril worksheet

Can you match the school picture with the author photo?

Download the PDF of the Picture Day Peril worksheet here!

New York Comic Con: kids' comics panel this Sunday

This Sunday, I'll be moderating a panel on kids' comics at NYCC. Moderating! I feel like not only was I chosen for the team, but made team captain. Take that every gym class ever!

Here's all of the info:


COMICS TO GROW ON
Sunday, October 14th
10:45--11:45 AM, 1A08
Description: Want to raise a comic book aficionado? Start here! With characters ranging from a neurotic rabbit to a crime-fighting lunch lady, these authors are masters at penning comics for the youngest age group. Look forward to a discussion about presenting the comic book format to the littlest readers in an accessible and often downright hilarious way guaranteed to have them reading AND writing comics in no time at all.

1. Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Lunch Lady Series) - moderator
2. Patrick McDonnell (Mutts comic strip; The Monster’s Monster)
3. Scott Campbell (East Dragon, West Dragon)
4. Peter Brown (Creepy Carrots)
5. Matthew Reinhart (Star Wars: A Galactic Pop-Up Adventure)
6. Philip Amara (So You Want to Be a Comic Book Artist)
7. Ben Hatke (Legends of Zita the Spacegirl)
8. Zack Giallongo (Broxo)
9. Orpheus Collar (The Red Pyramid: Graphic Novel)

Grace Lin on The Book Report with JJK this Wednesday at 5:40 pm ET!

On Wednesday, October 10th, Grace Lin will hit the satellite radio airwaves on The Book Report with JJK! Are you as excited to read The Starry River of the Sky as I am?

Tune in to channel 78 at 5:40 pm ET / 2 pm PT!




Upcoming shows:
October 17: Lucy Cousins
October 24: Dav Pilkey

Find me in Augusta, GA this Sunday

I'll be reading at the Westobou Art Festival this Sunday at 2pm. My event will happen at the Augusta-Richmond Public Library. More info can be found here!

Mitali Perkins on The Book Report with JJK! Thursday 9/27 at 5:40 pm ET / 2:40 PT!

Tune in to hear my cat with the incomparable Mitali Perkins! Thursday, SiriusXM's Kids Place Live,  channel 78!

Find me at the National Book Fest in DC on Sunday!

This Sunday I'll be reading and signing at The National Book Festival, right on the mall in Washington, D.C.. I look forward to hanging out with the readers in our nation's Capitol!

I'll be on the Target Storyteling Stage on Sunday at 3 pm. It's an incredible festival with lots going on! All of the info is here!

LL8 Book Tour — odds are, I'm coming to a town near you!

Sept 18: 
LL8 Virtual Comics Workshop - tune in from across the country to make a collaborative comic!

Sept 22: 
Steward, NE
Plum Creek Literary Festival

Sept 23 @ 3 pm: 
Washington D.C. 
National Book Festival 

Oct 7 @ 2:30 pm: 
Augusta, GA
Westabou Festival

Oct 14 @ 10:30 am: 
New York, NY
New York Comic Con

Oct 27-28: 
Austin, TX
Texas Book Festival

Dec 12: 
Holyoke, MA 
Barnes & Noble, benefit for Northeast Center for Youth and Families

The annual Children's Illustration Exhibit at the R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton, MA will run from November 1-January 31, with an opening reception on November 11 from 4-6 pm. 

LL8 Virtual Comics Workshop this coming Tuesday!

I just wanted to sent out a reminder that the LL8 Virtual Comics Workshop will be happening on Tuesday! We'll be making a comic together from across the country!

All of the info can be found here!

Tomie on The Book Report! Today at 5:40 ET / 2:40 PT!

Today on The Book Report with JJK, an author/illustrator so famous, so renowned, he needs but one name—TOMIE! As in Mr. dePaola!

Listen in at 5:40 ET / 2:40 PT, SiriusXM Kids Place Live, channel 78! We'll talk about the origins of Strega Nona and whose side he's on in the Madonna/Lady Gaga feud!

painting Baghead

Today is Baghead's 10th birthday!

An old friend from the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp recently scanned and sent me this photo. Here I am at camp in the summer of 2001, at age twenty three, painting a scene from Baghead. (I put the finishing touches for the book in-between camp sessions.)

 

It's been a joy to see the below scene repeated again and again at school visits:

It gets me every time!

Perhaps I'll update the book for current times. Reusable-Tote-bagHead?

It's been an honor to read this book to kids over the past decade. I'm truly touched that kids are still into it and it is still in print. Here's a photo of some Bagheads and me the from just the other week:

And here are a few pictures of the Baghead book tour in 2002!

Find me in Minneapolis this Saturday at the Target Children's Book Festival!

Hey gang! I'll be flying out to Minneapolis to give a reading at the Target Children's Book Festival! I'm excited to meet all of the readers out there and doodle in their books!

I'm on at 12:35 pm. It all goes down at Hyland Lake Park Reserve. All of the information, including the the stage lineup, can be found here!

Hologram JJK to appear in Steamboat Springs, CO at Book Feast this Friday at 7:30 pm!

Bud Werner Memorial Library in Steamboat Springs, CO is hosting Book Feast and is Skyping with a whole mess of authors, including myself. I'll be live on Friday at 7:30 and will be on hand to discuss my process with the audience, as well as take questions. Autographed books will be available for purchase at the event.

Check out all of the info here!

Instagrams from summah' '12

While the temperatures are still up, summer is over as we know it. It's always a bitter-sweet transition from summer to fall. While I'll miss the sounds of the waves crashing on a daily basis, I'm excited for crisp autumn air and the readers that I'll get to meet across the country. (More info on my book tour next week.)

While I jumped quite a few waves with my daughters and built many sand castles, I did get some work done. I played with paint, visited jellyfish, co-hosted a special summer reading segment on satellite radio (along with regular radio duties on The Book Report with JJK), worked on final artwork for Lunch Lady and the Video Game Villain and sketched out the illustrations for my first chapter book, Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked.

Here are a few pictures from the StudioJJK Instagram account from when I measured time by the tides and not the days of the week.

Find me at the Decatur Book Festival this Saturday!

I'm so psyched to return to Decatur, GA for such a fantastic festival! I'll be taking the children's stage at 1 p.m..


More info can be found here.

(And more on my full fall schedule soon.)

school visits within a two hour drive of southeastern New Hampshire can now be considered local

Even though we are wrapping up our summer at our family beach house, we're excited to return in the winter months, as we are winterizing the house. If you have been wanting to book a school visit, but haven't had the means to pay for the extra expense of travel and hotel, I am excited to announce that you could now book at my local rate if you are within a two hour drive from southeastern New Hampshire.

More information is at my website here. My wife, Gina, will be more than happy to coordinate with you to make the day happen! She is at gina at studiojjk dot com.

The Stinky Cheese Man on August 29th's meeting of The Summer Book Club

Get reading some Scieszka! Jon will be joining us for the final edition of The Summer Book Club. Tune in to SiriusXM's Kids Place Live (channel 78) on Wednesday, August 29th at 5 pm ET!

Kiddos can call 1-866-328-2345 to chat on the air!

blog time machine: Children's Choice Book Awards recap

It seems like ages ago, but I can't let such a monumental evening go unblogged. I was honored to return as host for the 5th annual Children's Choice Book Awards. It was a fantastic evening, filled with literati, heartfelt acceptance speeches and for me—some full-circle moments. 

I arrived early to rehearse a few bits.

The show opened with a video I cooked up with Scieszka and some other kid lit pals:

Check out more photos and video below.

Graphic novelist Mark Fearing on The Book Report! THURSDAY at 5:40 pm ET!

Tune in to Sirius XM's Kids Place Live (channel 78) Thursday at 5:40 p.m. ET to learn all about Mark's most awesome book, EARTHLING!

In the studio: sketching on an iPad while holding my 8-month-old daughter

You know you vacation right when you get your autograph framed in your favorite coffee shop.

Truthfully, this has always been a life goal.

These guys keep me fueled all summer long while I work on deadlines. Go Jumpin' Jack's! (Though, there actually isn't a Jack, this is the owner Nick.)

Best thank you note ever received from a reader

For Nora's birthday, her mom sneaked all of her Lunch Lady books from her room, mailed them to me and then Nora was presented with the entire LL collection, autographed on her big day.

This is the thank you note Nora sent. It is simply the best ever and it will hang in my studio to remind me of the kids reading my books!

Keep reading, Nora!