John Rocco facts for kids
John Rocco, born on July 9, 1967, is a talented American artist. He is famous for drawing amazing pictures for book covers and children's books. You might know his work best from the covers of the popular Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. John Rocco also writes and illustrates his own picture books for kids.
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About John Rocco
John Rocco grew up in Barrington, Rhode Island. He loved art and went to college to study illustration. He attended the Rhode Island School of Design and the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he earned his degree.
John Rocco's Career
John Rocco did not start drawing seriously until he was 19 years old. Before becoming a full-time book illustrator, he worked in the entertainment industry. He was an art director at DreamWorks Animation for the movie Shrek. He also helped design attractions at Disney's Epcot and was an art director for DisneyQuest.
Illustrating for Rick Riordan
John Rocco is well-known for his work on the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He created the exciting covers for these popular books. He also drew many detailed pictures inside two companion books: Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (published in 2014) and Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes (published in 2015). Critics praised his artwork, saying it looked like it was "hit by lightning."
Animation Work
For about 18 months, John Rocco worked as an animation director at ImagineAsia in Manila, Philippines. There, he managed and worked on projects that used CGI animation (computer-generated images) and motion capture. He also helped develop stories for these projects.
Awards and Recognition
John Rocco's work has won several awards and honors.
- In 2012, his picture book Blackout was named a Caldecott Honor Book. This means it was a runner-up for the prestigious Caldecott Medal, which celebrates the best illustrations in U.S. children's picture books.
- His book How We Got to the Moon was on the longlist for the 2020 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
- He received the Borders Original Voices Award for best picture book.
- His work has been featured in the Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators.
- The New York Times named one of his books a Best Book of the Year.
- In 2015, his book Blizzard received an Irma Black Award Honor.
John Rocco's Books
John Rocco has both written and illustrated his own children's books. He has also provided illustrations for many other authors' books.
Children's Books Written by John Rocco
- Wolf! Wolf! (2007) – This picture book tells the classic "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" story from the wolf's point of view. It was Rocco's first book as a writer.
- Moonpowder (2008)
- Fu Finds the Way (2009)
- Blackout (2011)
- Super Hair-o and the Barber of Doom (2013)
- Blizzard (2014) – This book is a companion to Blackout. It is based on Rocco's own childhood experience during a big snowstorm in Rhode Island in 1978.
- Swim that Rock (2014) – This is a novel for middle schoolers and young adults. John Rocco wrote it with an old friend, Jay Primiano.
Books Illustrated by John Rocco
John Rocco has created illustrations for many different books.
Interior Illustrations
- Alice (1992), a picture book written by Whoopi Goldberg.
- Boy, Were We Wrong about the Solar System (2008) by Kathleen V. Kudlinski.
- The Flint Heart: a fairy story (2011) by Katherine and John Paterson.
- The Hunter Chronicles series by E. J. Patten:
- Return to Exile (2011)
- The Legend Thief (2013)
- How to Train a Train (2013) by Jason Carter Eaton.
- Beep! Beep! Go to Sleep! (2015) by Todd Tarpley.
- How to Track a Truck (2016) by Jason Carter Eaton.
- Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (2014) by Rick Riordan – This book features over 60 paintings by Rocco.
- Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes (2015) by Rick Riordan.
- How to Send a Hug (2022) by Hayley Rocco.
Cover and Dustjacket Art
John Rocco has designed the covers for many popular book series.
- Camp Half-Blood chronicles by Rick Riordan (from 2005 to present).
- The Kane Chronicles trilogy by Rick Riordan (2010–2012).
- Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard trilogy by Rick Riordan (2015–present).
- Ring of Fire (novel) by Pierdomenico Baccalario (2009-2012).
- Alex and the Ironic Gentleman by Adrienne Kress (2008).
When the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series first started, another artist drew the cover for the first book, The Lightning Thief. However, by the end of the series (2009), all the books had matching covers illustrated by John Rocco. In early 2014, new covers were released for the Percy Jackson series, featuring a single large painting by Rocco that stretches across all five books when placed side-by-side.
