Book review by Aarene Storms: Hey Kiddo: how I lost my mother, found my father, and dealt with family addiction

Hey Kiddo: how I lost my mother, found my father, and dealt with family addiction

by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Jarrett's mom loved him a lot, but for most of his life Jarrett's mom chose heroin over motherhood.

That's why, at the age of 3, Jarrett was adopted and raised by his grandparents: two Depression-era adults who had already raised 5 kids and had a bit of their own baggage.

They weren't the best parents in the world, maybe, but Grandpa Joe and Grandma Shirley recognized that Jarrett had a talent for art, and they encouraged and supported him so that he could grow up to be an acclaimed artist and author of books for children.

Hey Kiddo is Jarrett Krosoczka's "graphic memoir": the story of his early life told in drawings and text. It's funny, it's poignant, and it's more than a little bit inspiring.

Recommended for readers (especially readers who like to use their imaginations!) ages 10 to adult.

See also Jarrett's TED talk, archived on his website: StudioJJK -TED Talks, NPR and More

Jarrett's webpage: TED, NPR and More. Books. Picture Books; Lunch Lady; Platypus Police Squad; Star Wars: Jedi Academy

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern

Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach and Lake Forest Park Libraries, KCLS astorms@kcls.org