My son and I attended a Wondermore event that raises money to bring in authors to underserved kids in the Boston area. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Jarrett a few times: a Skype author visit at my school, Peanut Butter and Jellyfish picture book trailer, and Platypus Police Squad book release at the book store owned by The Dot author Peter H. Reynolds!
Kids were treated to a presentation and drawing project conceived by Jef Czekaj and Jarrett Krosoczka, both very funny children’s authors with impossible-to-pronounce names. They started their presentation with a helpful slide to help with pronouncing their names. Yes, you really do say “Czekaj” as Check-eye. It’s not “Chez-Kaw”.That’s not obvious?!
You might know Jarrett Krosoczka from his wildly popular Lunch Lady graphic novel series. Did you know that his old lunch lady inspired the series? Now, lunch ladies all over the world celebrate the notoriety Jarrett Krosoczka has given them!
While the kids poured into the sold-out event, my son and his friends took advantage of the paper lying around to warm up for the drawing project to come.
My son decided to work on this 3-D technique.
Jef and Jarrett went around the room to check on the kids’ progress and to answer questions.
The assignment was a collaborative comic limited to just four boxes.
The hardest part was that one kid filled out the first two boxes and the other finished the comic BUT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AT ALL WITH EACH OTHER! It’s blind collaboration!
My son is into DC and Marvel superheroes right now and draws them in a stick-figure manner battling it out. His two boxes convey a bank robbery with a villain and a superhero.
A child in another room finished his comic. It turns out that my son is not really equipped to collaborate on his comics. I think he’s more of a one-man show.
I thought the collaborative comic idea was fun. It’s true that collaborating around an artistic vision is not something that is easy to do. I don’t think my son knows how to do this yet but the event did pique his interest in drawing comics and he’s continued to fill spiral notebooks with stick-figure superheroes who battle each other ceaselessly.
The event included a book signing. While we waited, my son read his copy of A Call for a New Alphabet by Jef Czekaj. He thought it was very funny and walked over to Jef to pay him a compliment. I also loved how this picture book uses humor to introduce English grammar.
More books by Jef Czekaj:
More books by Jarrett Krosoczka:
p.s. Here is a video clip from the Wondermore event. For most videos, please go here to my YouTube Channel.
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Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
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Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
This sort of events is so wonderful for the kids lucky enough to attend. Nothing beats meeting illustrators and writers for real. Kids are naturally inclined to draw and visual arts is the way we express ourselves, way before we can write. So kudos to these renowned illustrators for bringing their enthusastic knowledge to children.
Your son isn’t bad at all!!!! Good for him.
Thanks so much Evelyne,
My son and his two friends really loved the event. Jarrett and Jef are so entertaining and inspirational but the boys all did not respond well to the collaborative comic. I guess boys of this age (around 10) have their own artistic vision that they don’t want messed with LOL!
What a great event for your son! I think his 3D art looks pretty cool!
Thanks so much MaryAnne! I’ll tell him you said that. It will make him really happy!
What an wonderful event! My boy would love it. So glad to see passionate illustrators sharing their enthusiasm with children!
Hi Amanda,
It’s such a treat to go to author/illustrator events for kids!
I love it when authors create great drawing and writing activities for kids. It really inspires them. One day they may be the next Jef Czekaj and Jarrett Krosoczka> Enjoyed your son’s artwork.
Thanks so much Patricia,
I don’t know if you ever saw Jarrett’s first TEDTalk but he talks about an author visit to his school in Worchester by Jack Gantos. Jack had everyone draw something (not sure why or what) and when he passed by Jarrett’s desk, Jack said, “Nice cat.” That’s it. Just those two words and it changed Jarrett’s life forever. Author visits can be that powerful!!
So I would not be surprised AT ALL if future author/illustrators emerged from that one workshop! Those kids were mesmerized for 2 hours!!