Jerry Craft is the author-illustrator of #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novels New Kid, and its companion book, Class Act. New Kid was the first book in history to win the Newbery Medal, The Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature. In his latest book, School Trip, Jerry hopes to share his love of travel in order to inspire kids and their families to see the world and embrace new cultures. He received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts and now lives in Florida.

PRESENTATIONS 

Assembly Size – No audience limit

Journey From Reluctant Reader to Newbery-winning Author

Growing up in Harlem, Jerry shares tidbits from his life as a reluctant reader and how he found his voice as a kid interested in art. He’ll share his experiences as a professional cartoonist and illustrator and the many paths he took on the way to winning the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature (2020); the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature (2019), and the Coretta Scott King Author Award for the most outstanding work by an African American writer (2020). He’ll end his presentation by drawing with students and answering their questions.

Workshops

Cartoon Workshop

Join award-winning syndicated cartoonist Jerry Craft as he shares his experiences as a professional cartoonist and illustrator. He’ll show you the secrets behind creating his Mama’s Boyz comic strip and teach you how he creates his children’s books from start to finish. Then it’s your turn to draw! Mr. Craft will give you step-by-step instruction to show you how you can use simple shapes to create your own cool comic book characters.

Sessions may be done as a workshop with kids (and their teachers or families) drawing along with step-by-step instruction, or lecture-style (without the kids drawing along). Workshops can also tailored to fit any class. Here are some examples:

English Class: Kids create a comic strip based or poster on their favorite book.
History Class: Draw a character who you are studying. Romans, Greeks, Civil War
Science Class: Design a poster on topics such as water or energy conservation.

In addition to drawing, there will also be emphasis placed on the following:

• Finding your passion and making a career of it
• The importance of trying and taking creative risks
• Learning from your mistakes
• Finding your creative voice
• Education, and how both English and Math are used to make Mama’s Boyz successful
• Choosing friends who will support you
• How the decisions you make now can have an impact on the rest of your life

For information on keynotes and adult presentations contact Carmen Oliver.

Website

Availability and Honorariums