John Hare Bio

John Hare spent his youth in Kansas drawing comic strips about snakes, making spoof yearbooks to entertain his friends, and writing stories about a crime-fighting crocodile. At some point, he decided he better actually do something for a living, so John earned an associate's degree in graphic design and got a job as a production artist at a sportswear company. There he worked his way through a comically bizarre work environment to became art director. Art director tasks included rescuing hummingbirds, fixing broken pneumatic presses, and playing lots of Unreal and Marathon. Later, he moved to Kansas City and worked as a freelance graphic designer. One day, John picked up a brush and painted a scene for his son's nursery. That's when he realized he still wanted nothing more than to bring stories to life. John now lives in Gladstone, Missouri, where he is fortunate to work from his home studio when he's not corralling his two boys or tending to the biological needs of small animals.

Check out his newest book, A Field Trip to the Moon available from your local bookseller! Here’s what’s being said about it:

"A close encounter of the best kind."—Kirkus Reviews

★ "[The] sly but easy-to-follow linear narrative is told through a well-paced mix of panels (circular, horizontal, and vertical), full-pages, and double-page spreads, with pops of color (the yellow of the school bus–like space-ship, the color-filled crayon box) that are highly effective. The moon creatures, despite their minimalist features, are very expressive, as is the child—whose face remains hidden behind a space-mask until the last page."—The Horn Book, Starred Review

★ "Hare’s picture book debut is a winner. . . . His gray yet surprisingly detailed moonscape is both the setting and a character in its own right; his depiction of the aliens as gray humanoids amazed by color is genius. A beautifully done wordless story about a field trip to the moon with a sweet and funny alien encounter; what’s not to like?" —School Library Journal, Starred Review

"A perfectly paced paean to imagination, Hare’s auspicious debut presents a world where a yellow crayon box shines like a beacon."—Booklist

"A clever and noteworthy tale of lunar adventure."—Publishers Weekly

Contact me for information on talks or school visits, complaints about the weather, rambling philosophical discussions, or any space related questions.

Thanks for stopping by!

johnhareart@gmail.com

Represented by Kendra Marcus, BookStop Literary