Each month, we celebrate a writer whose work inspires, challenges, and captivates. From rising voices to literary legends, our Author of the Month spotlight highlights the storytellers shaping the world one page at a time.
Jon Agee
Children's Author of the Month
Jon Agee attended The Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. A full-time author, he lives with his wife in the countryside north of New York. Jon is the author/illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, which between them have been shortlisted for the English Association Award, long listed for the UKLA Award, nominated for the Carnegie, and in America won an Irma Black Honor, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books, ALA Notable Book, and much more.
One of the first books I fell in love with was Edward Lear’s Book of Nonsense. I found the limericks especially liberating: his wacky gallery of grown-ups, joyfully engaged in silliness. No wonder, years later, I became a fan of Monty Python.
Recently, I discovered The Future Book by Mac Barnett, with pictures by Shawn Harris. It’s a brilliant conceit, which blends hilarious wordplay and absurd logic. It’s like a beautifully told joke that can be read again and again.
Inspiration comes from observing everyday occurrences in life; from imagining situations that stretch plausibility, but that reflect reality in a way that touches my heart and my funny bone.
