Saturday, July 20, 2013

Super Hair-O John Rocco Visits Blue Willow Books

John Rocco, author and illustrator of some wonderful childen's picture books, 
including the amazing Blackout, 
came to Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston on Thursday, May 23rd. 

A whole bunch of my librarian friends and I went to hear John speak at the bookshop.

Is there any better way to spend an evening than to hear an author speak?
I think not.

This, then, is John Rocco at Blue Willow Books:

Then. And now.

When he was a boy, John Rocco tells us, 
he lived on a block in the city with fourteen other boys. 
They decided they would try to break all the records
in the Guinness Book of World Records. 

One of the games they played was Cowboys and Indians.
Cowboys would ride their bikes as fast as they could and
Indians would try to shove their mom's broom through the spokes.

Thinking about all of that, and how everyone had a lot of hair,
he wrote this book.


A little from his new book, Super Hair-O and the Barber of Doom.


What might Super Hair-O stow in his hair?
The audience has lots of ideas.


Sans hair, Rocco reads Blackout, his Caldecott Honor Award winner.
It is fun to know that the little girl in Blackout is his daughter.


And I take back an autographed Super Hair-O for my library.

Thank you, John Rocco.


Saturday Snapshot is now hosted by West Metro Mommy ReadsTo participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky at West Metro Mommy Reads.

27 comments:

  1. An evening to remember! Thanks for sharing...and here's
    MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT POST

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  2. Yes. I wish I'd taken a photo of my librarian friends and me with the author. My camera battery died.

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  3. Always fun to watch an illustrator at work, drawing right before your eyes. And isn't it great that he both write and illustrate his own books. What a wonderful event.

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  4. A person who can write and draw earns extra points in my grade book. There is something magical about watching an illustrator draw.

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  5. What a great event. Love it.

    THANKS for sharing.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Saturday Snapshot

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  6. I wish the bookstore were closer to my house. If it was, I'd probably go there every week, every day!

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  7. Ok.. that hair is all sorts of awesome!

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  8. That hair is so funny! Always fun when the author has a good sense of humor.

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  9. I can remember the boys in our neighborhood doing that, sticking broom sticks into the spokes. And all that hair. Looks like a fun book to read, I'd be a little worried I'd inspire my nephew though...

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  10. Rocco said first he asked the person at the wig store for an Afro. When she brought it out, he said, "No, I want the biggest Afro you've got!"

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  11. Kids used to do so many crazy, dangerous things, didn't they. And they survived. Most of them, anyway.

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  12. I wonder if authors of adult fiction would do the things children's picture books authors do? No, you are right; he is a sport.

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  13. I love author events too- what a great one this looks to be, you can see how fun it was. Love the fro.

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  14. That looks like it would have been a great event to attend. I'm going to check out some of his books for my kids!

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  15. The kids at my school love Blackout. I hope to read Hair-o when school resumes.

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  16. Very fun pics and an evening to remember I am sure.

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  17. This looks like a lot of fun, both the book and the author. Here's Mine

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  18. What a perfect afternoon. I love author events and this one looks even more fun than most.

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  19. There is something especially fun about children's picture book authors, I think.

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  20. This sounds like so much fun, Deb! I've been to a couple of author reading/signings, but they weren't this much fun! Thanks for sharing your experience with us!

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  21. Spending time hearing Jon Rocco talk sounds like a lot of fun. I would love to take my kids to an author signing. The kids love Blackout so I'm putting Super Hair-o on hold. Thanks for sharing with us.

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  22. Yes, yes. Let me know how they like it, Natasha!

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  23. Children's picture book authors are my happy world.

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