Greenburgh Public Library Blog

The Artful Bookshelf: Author/Illustrator John Parra

Art and Children’s books are two of my favorite things to talk about and this week author/illustrator John Parra was kind enough to join the conversation!

Illustration is John Parra’s full-time gig. He does not just write and illustrate children’s books he does all sorts of graphic art and design, much of which is commercial. He has even illustrated postage stamps! But if you asked him, at the beginning of his career, about children’s books, they hadn’t even crossed his mind.

John did not know what he was going to be when he grew up. Every time he took a new class in school, he hoped this would be the class that would lead him to the career that was meant to be. While he was in Junior College and working with his dad landscaping, a career he did not choose, he tried out many different courses. John continued to take art classes because he loved them so much, but still did not see himself following this path. “It felt like such an irresponsible profession. In movies you saw artists drinking and cutting off ears and thought that’s not how I imagine my life.” It was not until a visiting artist by the name of Lawrence Caroll came and shared his work and his process and engaged with the students that John actually saw himself as an artist and thought maybe he too, could do this for a living.

While pursuing his degree from the ArtCenter in Pasadena, California, John was aware that picture books fell into the creative category. He had a friend who was majoring in children’s picture book illustration and design. “I thought it was pretty interesting. I liked it. I liked the storytelling aspect.” But he still did not see creating picture books as a serious way to make a living.

In 1997, John graduated from college and moved to New York. He started showing his portfolio, trying to get his name and art out there. “This was a time when the internet was just getting started and I actually had to haul around a little portfolio that I would have to drop off on different days to different companies. Tuesday was Rolling Stone, Thursday was NY Times. I had to keep a calendar to keep it all straight. It was a slow start.”

After a couple of years getting jobs here and there a small publisher offered him the chance to illustrate a picture book. Needing the work, he eagerly accepted. “It was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do because I didn’t know what I was getting into.” It took John about halfway through the process to finally get it, how words and illustrations come together to create a vibrant and cohesive story. “I finally understood how this had to work. What I mean by this is how you do the setup, how you do the presentation. The way you present a story is much different than the way you present a single image like a poster. You have to have pacing, flow and narrative.”

John’s first foray into children’s book illustration was with Monica Brown. Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos was not Brown’s first book to be published but one of the first she ever wrote. John was happy for the job and while working on the project he was thinking back to his old friend in college that had taken courses in picture book art. “This was the early 2000’s and by the time I finished I was like wow that was so hard!” Brown is a very well known and loved children’s writer and has authored many books. For John, this was just the beginning.

After this first experience, John started to recall the many picture book artists that had made an impact on him while growing up; Virginia Lee Burton, Eric Carle, Maurice Sendak. “For kids, picture books are not just the first introduction to reading but to art as well. The first memories I have of art were in picture books, so it is a really cool thing to be a part of.”

John went on to create more books and won his first award for Gracias Thanks by Pat Mora. “When that happened, I went to my first American Library Association conference. It was like, look at all these people. It started to hit me, maybe this is bigger than I thought. I didn’t know it was going to be such an experience.” John was doing all of this without knowing there was a much larger community of support and authors out there doing what he was beginning to love. “I’m a fan just like everyone else.”

Through the years a lot of different art and design has inspired John and his work. “Things that we like when we are younger, they have a different meaning for us later. Art is the same way. Things you thought you would never like you look at again and see differently.” Right now, illustrator Cristina Pieropan is making the biggest impression on his creativity. But he really misses going to book festivals and gathering with his fellow artists and illustrators. These are the connections that motivate him and help with the creative process. He also misses doing school visits and presentations. John knows from experience that a visiting artist can spark a young mind. “In every class presentation I always acknowledge my teachers and Lawrence Caroll. Teachers and librarians see the potential in kids when they don’t see it in themselves and that’s a big deal. If it weren’t for them, I don’t know!!”John is currently working on a new story that is semi-autobiographical. It is about a young boy that goes to work every day with his father at his landscaping business. “It’s about family connection being together in a simple fun way. The book is for just about anybody. That is the really cool thing about picture books.”