New Release Books by John Rocco

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD • YALSA EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION FINALIST • A ROBERT F. SIBERT HONOR BOOK This beautifully illustrated, oversized guide to the people and technology of the moon landing by award-winning author/illustrator John Rocco (illustrator of the Percy Jackson series) is a must-have for space fans, classrooms, and tech geeks. Everyone knows of Neil Armstrong's famous first steps on the moon. But what did it really take to get us there? The Moon landing is one of the most ambitious, thrilling, and dangerous ventures in human history. This exquisitely researched and illustrated book tells the stories of the 400,000 unsung heroes--the engineers, mathematicians, seamstresses, welders, and factory workers--and their innovations and life-changing technological leaps forward that allowed NASA to achieve this unparalleled accomplishment. From the shocking launch of the Russian satellite Sputnik to the triumphant splashdown of Apollo 11, Caldecott Honor winner John Rocco answers every possible question about this world-altering mission. Each challenging step in the space race is revealed, examined, and displayed through stunning diagrams, experiments, moments of crisis, and unforgettable human stories. Explorers of all ages will want to pore over every page in this comprehensive chronicle detailing the grandest human adventure of all time!

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 -- Praise for Fu Finds the Way "Rocco's story flows smoothly and his illustrations are rich and appealing..." --Kirkus Reviews

A young working-class teen fights to save his family’s diner after his father is lost in a fishing-boat accident. When his dad goes missing in a fishing-boat accident, fourteen-year-old Jake refuses to think he may have lost his father forever. But suddenly, nothing seems certain in Jake’s future, and now his family’s diner may be repossessed by loan sharks. In Narragansett Bay, scrabbling out a living as a quahogger isn’t easy, but with the help of some local clammers, Jake is determined to work hard and earn enough money to ensure his family’s security and save the diner in time. Told with cinematic suspense and a true compassion for the characters, Swim That Rock is a fast-paced coming-of-age story that beautifully and evocatively captures the essence of coastal Rhode Island life, the struggles of blue-collar family dynamics, and the dreams of one boy to come into his own.

Whiskey Jankowitz was a private detective. HARDBOILED WHISKEY is the story of his life, loves, cases, and blackouts. It is also a Private Detective Poem Novel filled with hardboiled poems, hardboiled femme fatales, and hardboiled eggs. Whiskey for all!

A crafty old wolf finds a peaceful way to satisfy his hunger in this alternate version of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf, " told from the wolf's point of view and set in Asia.

When a busy family's activities come to a halt because of a blackout, they find they enjoy spending time together and not being too busy for once.

This collection of writings features interviews, concert reviews, album reviews and critical essays of The Doors' career.

Two seemingly unrelated phone calls send Private Investigator Pete Pepper on a dual quest. Find the murderer of caller number one, his friend George Gianotti, and locate the missing husband of caller number two, reclusive millionaire Emily Bradshaw. Pete is shocked when he eventually discovers that both calls originated from the Bradshaw mansion. Even more shocking are the five brutal murders heencounters along the way. Ultimately, a box of cigars, a can of paint and a drawing by his precocious nephew Gianni lead Pete to a chilling climax on a frozen Belleville lake.

Every super hero gets his powers from somewhere. The young hero of this book, Rocco, thinks his abilities come from his shock of red hair, and the longer it gets, the stronger he becomes. He even has a posse of super friends with wild hair of their own. Our hero is unstoppable--until the day he's dragged to the super evil villain's lair and robbed of his powers. How will he face his friends? Will he ever regain his super hero-ness? A girl who has been watching all along offers the gang a chance to save the day and get their groove back. With bold images that burst with energy from white backgrounds and narration as earnest as Superman himself, SUPER HAIR-O AND THE BARBER OF DOOM is a feel-good and funny book for emergent comic book fans and parents who grew up on them.