[ UPDATE: We have exceeded the number of slots we had available for this offer. Thank you to everyone who expressed interest! Click here for more information about bringing Jason in to speak at your organization through more traditional means. We have options to suit almost any budget, so don't hesitate to get in touch! ] You may have heard that Jason has a book coming out with St. Martin's Press (an imprint of Macmillan) this June. Hopefully you've already secured your nomination for "Awesomest Person Ever" by pre-ordering a copy or ten. This is a big deal to us, because it's the best …
Penguins Can't Fly
Thou Shalt Not Blow Bubbles in Thy Milk
Kim and I had a big test early on in our parenting adventure. At dinner one evening when she was about two, Lucy got to drink out of a “big girl cup” with a straw. And for the first time ever, she discovered how to blow bubbles in her milk. In our household, this is on par with first words, first steps, and learning how to dunk cookies in milk. It’s kind of a big deal. …
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Thou Shalt Get a Job With Benefits
[ This is an excerpt from "Penguins Can’t Fly +39 Other Rules That Don’t Exist." Order it now and read about 39 more rules that might be holding you back from living the story you deserve. ] Many well-intentioned parents, grandparents, and teachers urge kids to get a job with good benefits. I couldn’t agree more. Except. …
Thou Shalt Not Let Them See You Car Dancing
[ My book, Penguins Can’t Fly +39 Other Rules That Don’t Exist, is now available for pre-order! Here is one of my wife’s favorite chapters. ] It’s an incontrovertible fact: It is impossible to hear Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” while driving and not transform into a head-banging, lyric-belting, steering wheel-pounding god or goddess of rock ’n’ roll. In the cozy cocoon of your humble car, you are the Alpha and Omega of Awesome. Your inner child is running naked in the rain and you don’t care who knows it. That is until Adultitis reminds you that you are at a stoplight and there …
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Pre-Order Penguins Can’t Fly
Pre-order "Penguins Can't Fly" now and get rad bonuses! About the book Did you know there are lots of rules you’re dutifully following every single day...that don’t actually exist? Even worse, they’re stressing you out, sapping your energy, and keeping you from living your best life. Life is supposed to be fun. We knew this instinctively as kids, but somehow forgot on the way to adulthood. We got busy and overwhelmed, started valuing things that don’t matter, and learned to follow a ton of so-called rules: Hate Mondays Only celebrate when the calendar gives you permission Don’t …
How to Make Good Things Happen
Many folks have asked me how I got my book deal. Basically, a literary agent came out of nowhere after seeing my art on Facebook, asked if she could represent me, pretty much wrote the proposal, and pitched it to a bunch of big New York publishers in person. I know. If ever there was a "must be nice," this is it. And it's completely unhelpful for anyone looking to land a book deal of their own. But that's not really the full story. The real story is a bit longer and a lot more useful. It starts about ten years ago during Kim's lunch break when she was still teaching kindergarten. She …
A Sneak Peek at Penguins Can’t Fly
Omigosh. I just got the Advance Reader Copy in the mail for my new book with St. Martin's Press, Penguin's Can't Fly. Even though it's softcover and black and white inside (the final version will be hardcover and in technicolor), it's starting to feel more like a real book. So excited! P.S. We're scheduled to start taking next month on my birthday! …
When Toy Companies Have Adultitis
One of the most interesting (although not necessarily enjoyable) parts of this book-making adventure has been turning the nearly-finished version over to the lawyers. They scour the copy and artwork for potential legal land mines that could arise. My editor warned me that companies that make toys are some of the most litigious and Adultitis-ridden entities around. Sadly, she was right. A fair amount of my art features references to universally recognized pop culture icons from childhood. Most cleared the legal hurdles because they are relatively generic depictions. I was encouraged to …
Book Update: A Cover, A Release Date, and the End of a Long Beginning
There’s some big news to report on the book front. I have learned that Penguins Can’t Fly +39 Other Rules That Don’t Exist will officially be published on June 23, 2015. (That's the cover right there!) It will be published as paper-over-board, which is basically a hardcover book without the dust jacket. And it will cost $16.99. It was originally going to be $14.99, but after doing a more thorough cost estimate, St. Martin's Press decided to raise the price rather than cut corners on quality. They are really committed to making a beautiful book, which I couldn't be happier about. The …
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Be Part of My Next Book and Achieve Fame and Fortune!*
Wouldn’t it be cool to walk into your local bookstore, take a book off the bestsellers shelf, and open it to find your picture featured within its pages? If you think so, read on... As you may have heard, we recently got a book deal with a major New York publisher. It’s all about the rules that don’t exist. I have been busy putting it together, and I thought of a neat way to include you in the process, if you’re interested. :) Send me a picture of YOU breaking a rule that doesn’t exist, and I will do my best to include it in the finished book! No promises, but if the photo is fun, …
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