Book Descriptions
for Blizzard by John Rocco
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
A two-day blizzard left four feet of snow on the ground of author/illustrator John Rocco’s hometown when he was a child. He recounts that time in a picture book in which the storm is just the prelude to adventure. On Monday and Tuesday it snowed. On Wednesday, “Dad shoveled the driveway so he could get the car out when the snowplows came.” But the plows didn’t come. By Friday, the cupboards were getting bare. Young John researched, gathered supplies, and practiced for the journey he embarked upon the next day. With tennis rackets strapped to his feet for snowshoes, he set off for the store, pulling a sled behind him. A double-page spread with fold-outs on either side creates a four-page map of his route, noting his diversions (e.g., building a snowman, making a snow angel, joining in on a snowball fight). He stopped by neighbors and took their orders for groceries, too, and with the sun setting eventually returned home, tired and triumphant. Rocco’s marvelous mixed-media art captures the sense of a winter storm and its aftermath in pictures ranging from panels and spot illustrations to the four-page display, all of it perfectly paired with the finely paced narrative. A brief author’s note tells a few additional details of his experiences as a ten-year-old boy in the Blizzard of 1978. (Ages 4–8)
CCBC Choices 2015. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2015. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Blizzard is based on John Rocco's childhood experience during the now infamous Blizzard of 1978, which brought fifty-three inches of snow to his town in Rhode Island. Told with a brief text and dynamic illustrations, the book opens with a boy's excitement upon seeing the first snowflake fall outside his classroom window. It ends with the neighborhood's immense relief upon seeing the first snowplow break through on their street. In between the boy watches his familiar landscape transform into something alien, and readers watch him transform into a hero who puts the needs of others first. John uses an increasing amount of white space in his playful images, which include a gatefold spread of the boy's expedition to the store. This book about the wonder of a winter storm is as delicious as a mug of hot cocoa by the fire on a snowy day.
Praise for Super Hair-o and the Barber of Doom
"With a light, humorous touch, Rocco reveals that sometimes the Kryptonite is all in your head."
--Publishers Weekly
"Bold, colorful pen-and-ink illustrations burst with power from each spread in comic-book style. This story will make a feel-good impression on budding comic book/superhero fans."
--School Library Journal
Praise for Blackout
"The plot line, conveyed with just a few sentences, is simple enough, but the dramatic illustrations illuminate the story...Not all young readers will have experienced a blackout, but this engaging snapshot could easily have them wishing for one."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"The colorful pictures work beautifully with the book's design. Rocco uses comic-strip panels and a brief text to convey the atmosphere of a lively and almost magical urban landscape. Great bedtime reading for a soft summer night."
--School Library Journal (starred review)
2012 Caldecott Honor BookNew York Times Notable BookWall Street Journal Best Book of the YearPublisher's Weekly Best Book of the YearSchool Library Journal Best Book of the YearKirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
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Praise for Fu Finds the Way
"Rocco's story flows smoothly and his illustrations are rich and appealing..."
--Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Super Hair-o and the Barber of Doom
"With a light, humorous touch, Rocco reveals that sometimes the Kryptonite is all in your head."
--Publishers Weekly
"Bold, colorful pen-and-ink illustrations burst with power from each spread in comic-book style. This story will make a feel-good impression on budding comic book/superhero fans."
--School Library Journal
Praise for Blackout
"The plot line, conveyed with just a few sentences, is simple enough, but the dramatic illustrations illuminate the story...Not all young readers will have experienced a blackout, but this engaging snapshot could easily have them wishing for one."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"The colorful pictures work beautifully with the book's design. Rocco uses comic-strip panels and a brief text to convey the atmosphere of a lively and almost magical urban landscape. Great bedtime reading for a soft summer night."
--School Library Journal (starred review)
2012 Caldecott Honor BookNew York Times Notable BookWall Street Journal Best Book of the YearPublisher's Weekly Best Book of the YearSchool Library Journal Best Book of the YearKirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
--
Praise for Fu Finds the Way
"Rocco's story flows smoothly and his illustrations are rich and appealing..."
--Kirkus Reviews
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.