Noted author, illustrator to appear at book festival

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Well-known illustrator and children’s books author John Rocco will be the featured author at the fifth annual “Plant the Seed to Read” Book Festival on Saturday at Fellows Riverside Gardens, 123 McKinley Ave., in Mill Creek MetroParks.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Rocco will welcome festival attendees in the Weller Gallery at the Davis Center, where he will give a special presentation on the creation of his books.

Rocco has written and illustrated several books for children, including “Moonpowder,” “Wolf! Wolf!” and “Fu Finds a Way.” These books will be available for purchase.

He also created the cover art for the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” book series.

After studying design at the Rhode Island School of Design, Rocco collaborated with actor/comedian Whoopi Goldberg to create the picture book “Alice.”

Shortly after that, he moved to Los Angeles to work as an art director for computer-graphics pioneer Robert Abel, who is responsible for some of the earliest commercials using computer-generated images and special effects.

While associated with Walt Disney Imagineering, Rocco designed many of the attractions at Epcot Center at Walt Disney World, including the Spaceship Earth Post Show and the Mission Space Post Show.

As preproduction art director for the top-grossing animated film “Shrek” at Dreamworks, Rocco created hundreds of illustrations that helped animators craft the final look of the film.

The book festival is a collaboration among Altrusa, Mill Creek MetroParks, the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County and Western Reserve Public Broadcasting. The festival’s purpose is to promote literacy in the Mahoning Valley.

Authors and illustrators joining Rocco at the event are Loreatha V. Hawkins, Arnetta Stokes, Rebecca Barnhouse, Marina C. Hanes, Ethan T. Bowman, Judith Cvetkovic, Jill S. Hardin, Connie Randolph, Dr. Martha Bruce and Ode Aduma.

Storytellers and greeters will be Mayor Jay Williams; Dr. Cynthia Anderson, Youngstown State University president; Carlton A. Sears, library director; Clarke Johnson, executive director of Mill Creek MetroParks; Trina Cutter, Western Reserve PBS president and CEO; Todd Franko, The Vindicator editor; Jocelyn and Bob Dabney; Roz Gadd; Barb Root; Maria Selak; Madonna Chism-Pinkard, WFMJ community relations director; and W. Rick Schilling.

Participants are Akron Children’s Hospital of the Mahoning Valley, Audubon Society of Mahoning Valley, Barnes & Noble, Child Care Connection, First Book Mahoning County, K9s for Compassion, Ohio Early Education “Help Me Grow,” Men’s Garden Club of Youngstown, Wild Birds Unlimited and YSU SMARTS.

Child-friendly snacks and lunch items will be sold in the Garden Caf . Because of limited space, strollers will not be permitted in the Davis Center. Stroller parking will be available nearby.