Night at the Nutcracker!

Such a fun time donning the Mother Ginger wig and being a part of the Pioneer Valley Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker!

 Here's the real reason why I love playing Mother Ginger in the Pioneer Valley Ballet's Nutcracker...I get to hang out with my daughters backstage as they prep for their big moments on stage. It's such a thrill to be back there, watching all of the chaos and energy that it takes to put on such a big production.

On my walk over to the theater, I stopped by the local art supply shop and bought a fresh sketchbook and a new brush pen. Here are some of the sketches that I made from both backstage in the green room and from the wings of the stage:

Sketch-a-Thon!

Um....so this is the best ever. I love seeing this kid’s reaction! The Sketch-a-Thon was a HUGE success and we raised enough money to award over a dozen art courses at the Worcester Art Museum! We’ll do it again next year with even more special guests and we’ll also simulcast on YouTube. (Working on archiving this year’s Sketch-a-Thon on that platform now.)

The World's Greatest Book Return!

I have found the world’s greatest book return. Sorry, all other book returns.

Lunch Lady and the Perhaps Suspicious Character!

I am laughing right out loud. This is one of the funniest and most clever welcome signs a school has ever made for me. Zoom in to read the word bubbles. 

Thanksgiving

Thankful for cartoon balloons on tv, thankful for family memories old and new, and thankful for all of my readers. Hope you enjoyed this Thanksgiving!

Concert Live Sketching

Drawing in the dark at the Seu Jorge concert. Such gorgeous music:

 Saw such a fun show—PIXIES with opening act Sunflower Bean. The next day, I was listening to both on loop in the studio:

Dicey Riley show at the Iron Horse:

Research.

School Visit Questions

I drew a picture of Loren Long at a school visit in October because he was there a few weeks before—and he got all of the kids to ask me questions about HIM!

KID: What is your favorite Loren Long book?
KID: Does Loren Long have any dogs at home?

I ended up calling my old pal and keeping him on speaker for the entire Q&A.

-----

During a recent Q&A after a presentation...

KID: If you were stuck on a desert island with one of your characters from your books, which character would you choose.

ME: (thinking. thinking.....still thinking.) How long are we on this desert island for before we’re rescued?

KID: A year.

ME: (Looks at display of my books, attempting to find just the right answer. And then finally...) Betty. Because she would invent a coconut water purifier and other life-saving inventions.

I have never been asked that question before, it was very interesting. Which book character would you want to get stuck with?

At the drawing desk!

‪The view from here. ‬

Bozeman, Montana!

‪Book mobile + snow + mountains = the view from Bozeman Public Library.

I’m just amazed. Despite having had more than a foot of snow fall the night before, the Montanans turned up in full force for the book festival. It speaks volumes about both their love of literature and their complacency with inclement weather.

Fall Book Events

From Massachusetts to Montana —this is where you'll find me over the next few months. I'm excited to get out there and spend some time with my readers!

September 26
Worcester, MA — Worcester Public Library
3:30-4:30 pm


October 1
Columbus, OH — Cartoon Crossroads Columbus
http://cartooncrossroadscolumbus.com/schedule.html

October 5
Plainville, MA — An Unlikely Story
7:00 pm
An event for educators with Jeff Kinney, Jon Scieszka, Jack Gantos, Gene Luen Yang, and Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Moderated by Maria Salvadore.

October 19-20
Farmville, VA — Virginia Children's Book Festival
http://vachildrensbookfestival.com

November 4
Bozeman, MT — Children's Festival of the Book

https://childrensfestivalofthebook.wordpress.com

November 10
Osage Beach, MO — Missouri Early Learning Conference
This event is geared towards educators and requires registration.

http://www.missouriearlylearning.com

November 12
Northampton, MA — R. Michelson Galleries Annual Illustration Show
4:00-6:00 pm

School's Out!

Rolling up to pick up the kids on the last day of school like....

🎶School's Out for Summer

Awesome People and Awesome Places!

I received one of the annual Trustees Awards at Forbes Library, here in Northampton, for my mural in the children's department. I was trying to fly under the radar about it, but then a bunch of my author pals showed up to cheer me on. I only mention it here so that you can know how awesome and wonderful my friends are. And they turned up not knowing I'd mention them in my presentation! The ceremony was in the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library, which is located on the top floor of the Forbes.

When you run into one of your kids' best pals at the airport and you have a suitcase filled with the yet-to-be-published Jedi Academy, this happens. This Star-Wars-obsessed kiddo got a last-minute carry-on item, making him the first non-Krosoczka kid to get a copy.

And sometimes, you go to a Green Day concert, you help this kid get on stage, he plays guitar with Billie Joe Armstrong, absolutely kills it, Billie Joe gives the kid the guitar, that video goes crazy viral and then you end up being the visiting author at that kid's school. 

Apparently, Grant went around school referring to me as "my boy Jarrett." How cool is this kid? Anyhow, I chose him as one of the volunteers to play the scribble game. I gave him the marker after the set...

‪What an awesome day at A2CAF!

Fan Mail

Catching up on fan mail. 

‪I might not be able to reply to every post, but I do reply to every letter that young readers send me. (I even include a bookmark.)‬