Author SPLOTlight: Jon Scieszka

I'd like to introduce you to someone.

His name is Jon Scieszka, and it's entirely possible that he's completely insane.

Or at least that's the only thing I think of that explains his website: www.jsworldwide.com

<----Or this picture of him.

Does he look like he's all there? Know what I mean? I get the feeling that there are a few sandwiches missing from that particular picnic basket. Check out the website for yourself and see if you agree.

Jon is far from your average escapee from the loony bin, however. He's a well-known and well-respected children's author, probably most famous for his re-imagining of the classic story of the three little pigs — you've probably seen its distinctive illustrations somewhere:

(And check out this awesome video rendition of the book!)

Thanks to the success of that book, as well as other favorites like Stinky Cheese Man and Trucktown, Jon was recently appointed the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Library of Congress. Fancy title you got there, Jon! And he clearly takes it serious, as this blog post from his site demonstrates:

I've been traveling all over the country, spreading the Trucktown word, and getting into my Ambassador job. One of the best parts of the job so far has been collecting great suggestions about what kind of Ambassador STUFF I should be getting.

Here is the list, so far:

cape
sash
laurel wreath/crown
bejewelled goblet
those little flags for my car
guards for my embassy
an Apache attack helicopter (my idea)
jetpack
Popemobile
jetpack-Popemobile
...

Etc, etc. "Jetpack-Popemobile?" Really? I mean, AWESOME, but really?

Now, people like you and me probably take reading for granted, and you might wonder why reading needs an "ambassador" at all. But it's clear that he takes the job pretty seriously, since he's involved in something called Guys Read — a site aimed at recommending books to guys of all ages. (Having looked over the recommendation list, I can personally vouch for its excellence.)

So where does that leave us? With a slightly crazy-looking guy who writes books about people made of cheese and fancies himself an 18th-century baron or something. But, unsurprisingly, his books are hilarious! Check him out!

'Till next time, Splotters!

— Jack, STACKS Staffer

Photo credit for photo of Jon Scieszka: Marty Umans