"Did I hear you right? Jon Scieszka is Coming to Richmond?" I asked.
Journeys can be thousands of complicated and carefully-planned miles long, or they can be a spontaneous last-minute half mile walk to your local art museum swinging your children's hands as you walk-- and that's how my recent trip to here Jon Scieszka was--unplanned, uncomplicated, and thoroughly delightful. I am so busy at the moment, teaching at VCU and taking classes full-time in the Media, Art & Text Ph.D. program, that, much as I wish it could be different, I have little time to pay attention to what authors are speaking locally, if they are not brought specifically by the university. However, in this case the information literally dropped into my lap as a member of my dissertation committee just happened to mention that morning that she was disappointed to miss his visit to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
"Jon Sci
eszka is coming to Richmond?" I queried, unable to believe my luck, literally doing a double-take. I rarely have time to recharge my batteries with conferences at the moment, and could hardly believe that a major children's book author would be within walking distance that very afternoon. Better yet, it happened to be Friday--the one evening where I could freely feel that I had "no more classes, no more books, no more teachers dirty looks." So, with my children happily in tow, we walked the half mile and slipped into chairs in the back.
Jon Scieszka is just as funny in person as his books are--delightfully off-kilter and unexpected. He starts off by letting his audience know how to pronounce his difficult name, "It's pronounced "SHEH-ska. It rhymes with "Fresca," he tells us. He has been a long-time favorite in our family--introducing my children to the post-modern era of deconstruction of all those childhood standards--from his Frog Prince Continued and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs that effectively deconstruct well-loved fairy tales complemented in a weirdly-effective way by Lane Smith's equally off-kilter 
illustrations; to Squids will be Squids that deconstructs Aesop's Fables or The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales that tweaks yet more fairy tales and introduces readers to delightful characters such as tape worms and, yes, a Stinky Cheese Man (in lieu of the more traditional
eszka is coming to Richmond?" I queried, unable to believe my luck, literally doing a double-take. I rarely have time to recharge my batteries with conferences at the moment, and could hardly believe that a major children's book author would be within walking distance that very afternoon. Better yet, it happened to be Friday--the one evening where I could freely feel that I had "no more classes, no more books, no more teachers dirty looks." So, with my children happily in tow, we walked the half mile and slipped into chairs in the back.
Jon Scieszka is just as funny in person as his books are--delightfully off-kilter and unexpected. He starts off by letting his audience know how to pronounce his difficult name, "It's pronounced "SHEH-ska. It rhymes with "Fresca," he tells us. He has been a long-time favorite in our family--introducing my children to the post-modern era of deconstruction of all those childhood standards--from his Frog Prince Continued and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs that effectively deconstruct well-loved fairy tales complemented in a weirdly-effective way by Lane Smith's equally off-kilter 
illustrations; to Squids will be Squids that deconstructs Aesop's Fables or The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales that tweaks yet more fairy tales and introduces readers to delightful characters such as tape worms and, yes, a Stinky Cheese Man (in lieu of the more traditional 
Gingerbread Boy); on once again through his pair of books, Math Curse and Science Verse, that do their best to take the horror out of those necessary but often-intimidating subjects.
As Jon spoke, he casually took turns addressing the many children in the audience, filling them in on such important details as the fact that the main character of Math Curse is indeed a little girl, 
and not a boy; then he would interact with the adults in the audie
nce, speaking of his inability to get published until his wife, who worked for a New York Magazine, paired him with a certain illustrator who was also having trouble making it career-wise, an illustrator named Lane Smith. Together they made up a team that has become an unbeatable combination. He spoke of his surprise and delight at the illustrations Lane would dream up, such as Lane's unique vision of what a stinky cheese man would look like (discover more of Lane's humor in an interview at http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000029880,00.html?sym=QUE). Also, Jon took well-deserved time to mention that the dynamic book designs and typography were thanks to his wife's skill and vision.
Finally, he introduced us to several of his newest books. I ended up picking up three new ones, confident that they would be welcome additions to my shelf of Scieszka editions. I will have to wait on Cowboy and Octopus, a book starring paper cut-outs of its main characters and narrative inspiration that Jon shared with his audience is a take-off of Arnold Lobel's well-known and well-loved Frog and Toad books (a fact apparently missed by some fairly reputable reviewers of this book--probably to be expected when considering the always unexpected content offered by this creative pair). Instead, I found myself intrigued by The Book that Jack Wrote, a perversion of the traditional poem, "The House that Jack Built," with illustrations by Daniel Adel; as well as a small horizontal book entitled, simply ART?--about a young boy searching for Art (his friend) in the Guggenheim Museum of Modern A
rt in NYC (visit http://www.guggenheim.org/new_york_index.shtml to find out more) and of everyone's attempts to help him find Art (the concept)--a fun introduction to some of the art that actually hangs in that museum as well as an interesting discussion of just exactly what art (the concept) is. The final book I acquired on my unexpected journey was one I had wanted for awhile, The Frog Prince Continued, a 1991 edition from Viking with edgy illustrations by Steve Johnson. This story tackles what comes after "and they lived happily ever after."
All in all, I would recommend taking the time to take advantage of impromptu journeys when the opportunity for them crops up--my little journey with my children needed no meals or lodging, nor any airfare--and the pleasure we gained from that small Friday afternoon journey came cheap at the price of three hardback books, souvenirs we will keep forever, or close to it with publishers use of acid-free paper these days.
So, keep your eyes and ears open. Remember to check the events section of your local newspaper. Check the bulletin boards of your favorite bookstores or get on their e-mail lists (this talk was sponsored by Narnia, a local children's bookstore in Richmond) . . . and, happy walking journeys, sometimes the most unexpectedly rejuvenating kind!
and not a boy; then he would interact with the adults in the audie
nce, speaking of his inability to get published until his wife, who worked for a New York Magazine, paired him with a certain illustrator who was also having trouble making it career-wise, an illustrator named Lane Smith. Together they made up a team that has become an unbeatable combination. He spoke of his surprise and delight at the illustrations Lane would dream up, such as Lane's unique vision of what a stinky cheese man would look like (discover more of Lane's humor in an interview at http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000029880,00.html?sym=QUE). Also, Jon took well-deserved time to mention that the dynamic book designs and typography were thanks to his wife's skill and vision.
Finally, he introduced us to several of his newest books. I ended up picking up three new ones, confident that they would be welcome additions to my shelf of Scieszka editions. I will have to wait on Cowboy and Octopus, a book starring paper cut-outs of its main characters and narrative inspiration that Jon shared with his audience is a take-off of Arnold Lobel's well-known and well-loved Frog and Toad books (a fact apparently missed by some fairly reputable reviewers of this book--probably to be expected when considering the always unexpected content offered by this creative pair). Instead, I found myself intrigued by The Book that Jack Wrote, a perversion of the traditional poem, "The House that Jack Built," with illustrations by Daniel Adel; as well as a small horizontal book entitled, simply ART?--about a young boy searching for Art (his friend) in the Guggenheim Museum of Modern A
rt in NYC (visit http://www.guggenheim.org/new_york_index.shtml to find out more) and of everyone's attempts to help him find Art (the concept)--a fun introduction to some of the art that actually hangs in that museum as well as an interesting discussion of just exactly what art (the concept) is. The final book I acquired on my unexpected journey was one I had wanted for awhile, The Frog Prince Continued, a 1991 edition from Viking with edgy illustrations by Steve Johnson. This story tackles what comes after "and they lived happily ever after."
All in all, I would recommend taking the time to take advantage of impromptu journeys when the opportunity for them crops up--my little journey with my children needed no meals or lodging, nor any airfare--and the pleasure we gained from that small Friday afternoon journey came cheap at the price of three hardback books, souvenirs we will keep forever, or close to it with publishers use of acid-free paper these days.
So, keep your eyes and ears open. Remember to check the events section of your local newspaper. Check the bulletin boards of your favorite bookstores or get on their e-mail lists (this talk was sponsored by Narnia, a local children's bookstore in Richmond) . . . and, happy walking journeys, sometimes the most unexpectedly rejuvenating kind! 
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