Excitement and Inspiration!

Excitement and Inspiration!
Posted on 02/01/2017
author visitWhat a very special day at Baldwin! We were so honored that New York Times best-selling author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka came to visit for an entire day. Mr. Krosoczka's books include the Lunch Lady graphic novel series, Jedi Academy, Platypus Police Squad, Good Night, Monkey Boy, Peanut Butter and Jellyfish, and more. He engaged the students by drawing some of the main characters of his beloved books. Thank you to Ms. Kugel, Friends of Baldwin, Kjersti and Annie for making sure it was a day that everyone will cherish.

author visitEvery class spent time with Mr. Krosoczka. He spoke with the students about his writing and illustration process. He spoke to the 4th and 5th grade students about how Platypus Police Squad started. It started with the idea of penguins, but shortly after he started writing, penguins became all the rage, and his editors thought the market was saturated with penguins. So, penguins became platypus. His book required research, so he went on ride-alongs with the police department and he watched documentaries on platypus. When you write a book, it can take a very long time. He talked about the editing process, and how his editor scrapped 85% of his first draft. So during the editing process, police officers were changed to detectives. When you illustrate your book, that is a whole other process. The first book took 9 years from idea to being published. Although it takes a great deal of time and perseverance, the end result is worth the effort.

author visitThere was a question and answer period at the end of each session.

A student asked how many books he has written. He has published 33 books and has 3 coming out this year. "Detention" is due out in July.

How often do you draw? Everyday, even if it is just for fun.

Why does it take so long to write a book? When you are writing for a series, you need to make many decisions about what the future will look like, so that process takes some additional time.

What is your favorite book? Books are like children. There is no one favorite, however, different books remind him of different phases of his life. For example, Good Night, Monkey Boy was written when he was 22 and just starting out. Lunch Lady was written when he was moving into a new home and starting a family.

---
You can learn more about Jarrett Krosoczka and watch videos at www.studiojjk.com. He is on the radio every Tuesday morning on the Absolutely Mindy Show on Kids Place Live on Sirius XM radio.

A very special thank you to the Friends of Baldwin for making this incredible experience possible.
Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.