Jon Scieszka
Jon Scieszka (pronounced SHESS-kuh) is one of the most beloved and influential children's book authors in America, best known for subversive picture books that flip fairy tales on their heads and for the Time Warp Trio series that turned reluctant readers into history enthusiasts. Born in Flint, Michigan on September 8, 1954, Scieszka was the second oldest of six brothers — an upbringing he credits as the source of his relentless sense of humor. He studied English at Albion College in Michigan and later earned an MFA in fiction writing from Columbia University. Before becoming a full-time author, he taught elementary school in New York City for many years, an experience that directly shaped his instinct for what makes children genuinely laugh and what makes them genuinely want to read. His debut picture book The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! (1989), illustrated by his longtime collaborator Lane Smith, became an immediate sensation and was named one of the Top 100 Picture Books of All Time in a 2012 School Library Journal poll. In 2008 and 2009, Scieszka served as the first-ever U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, appointed by the Librarian of Congress. He is also the founder of Guys Read, a web-based literacy initiative whose mission is to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers. Which today is something that cannot be encouraged enough, we need young boys to want to read, to spend less time playing video games and instead play sports and be creative thinkers and readers.
Where to Start with Jon Scieszka
For picture book readers (ages 4–8): Start with The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! — Alexander T. Wolf's side of the story — or The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, a gleefully postmodern take on fairy tales that has delighted children and driven their parents slightly mad since 1992.
For early chapter book readers (ages 7–10): Start with Knights of the Kitchen Table, the first Time Warp Trio novel. Three boys, a magical book, and a one-way trip to the Middle Ages. The books are funny, fast, and genuinely educational about the historical periods they visit.
For middle grade readers (ages 8–12): Start with Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor — a kid-genius inventor and his robot sidekicks combining real science with absurd humor.
Picture Books
Scieszka's picture books — most illustrated by Lane Smith — are among the most celebrated and frequently taught picture books of the past thirty years. They are known for their irreverence, their postmodern structural games, and their assumption that children are smart enough to enjoy jokes that work on multiple levels.
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! (1989) — Illustrated by Lane Smith. Alexander T. Wolf tells his side of the story: he was just trying to borrow a cup of sugar, and he had a terrible cold. The pigs blew the whole thing out of proportion. Scieszka's debut and the book that put him on the map. Won the Silver Medal from the New York Society of Illustrators. Buy on Amazon
The Frog Prince, Continued (1991) — Illustrated by Steve Johnson. The frog became a prince, and then... things got complicated. The happily ever after is a lot messier than the fairy tale suggested. Buy on Amazon
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (1992) — Illustrated by Lane Smith. Jack narrates a series of fractured fairy tales while the book's own structure falls apart around him. The table of contents is in the wrong place. The Giant keeps interrupting. Awarded Caldecott Honor in 1993 and named an ALA Notable Book of the Year. A landmark in picture book design and one of the funniest children's books ever published. Buy on Amazon
The Book That Jack Wrote (1994) — Illustrated by Daniel Adel. A cumulative tale in the tradition of "The House That Jack Built" that spirals into delightful chaos. Buy on Amazon
Math Curse (1995) — Illustrated by Lane Smith. After her teacher tells her she can think of almost anything as a math problem, a girl wakes up the next morning and finds that everything — absolutely everything — has become one. A Book-of-the-Month Club selection and a staple of elementary school classrooms. Buy on Amazon
Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals, Beastly Fables (1998) — Illustrated by Lane Smith. A collection of updated Aesop's fables featuring squids, slugs, and other creatures with very recognizable personality flaws. Buy on Amazon
Baloney (Henry P.) (2001) — Illustrated by Lane Smith. An alien boy is late for school again and invents an increasingly elaborate excuse. Scieszka embedded a secret alien language in the text using words borrowed from a dozen real languages. Buy on Amazon
Science Verse (2004) — Illustrated by Lane Smith. A boy is cursed to see everything in the universe as a science poem. Parodies of famous poems with scientific twists. Won the Golden Duck Award for Picture Book. Buy on Amazon
Cowboy and Octopus (2007) — Illustrated by Lane Smith. A series of short, funny episodes about an unlikely friendship between a cowboy and an octopus. Buy on Amazon
Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland (2008) — Scieszka's retelling of the Alice story using Mary Blair's vibrant illustrations from the classic Disney animated film. Buy on Amazon
Robot Zot! (2009) — Illustrated by David Shannon. A tiny three-inch robot arrives on Earth determined to conquer it — and mistakes a suburban kitchen for the battleground. Buy on Amazon
The Real Dada Mother Goose (2022) — Illustrated by Lane Smith. Scieszka and Smith's most recent collaboration — classic nursery rhymes reimagined through a Dadaist lens. Buy on Amazon
Time Warp Trio Series — Read in Order
Joe receives a book from his magician uncle as a birthday present. The book can transport him and his two best friends — Sam and Fred — through time and space. What follows is 16 novels in which the trio land in some of the most interesting — and most dangerous — periods in human history, usually in serious trouble and always making each other laugh. The early books are illustrated by Lane Smith; later entries by Adam McCauley. Adapted as a television animated series in 2005–2006. The books are funny but also genuinely educational about the historical periods they visit — a key reason teachers love them.
1. Knights of the Kitchen Table (1991) — The trio lands in medieval England and encounters King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, a dragon, and a giant. The debut novel and the best starting point. Buy on Amazon
2. The Not-So-Jolly Roger (1991) — Pirates, Blackbeard, and the Golden Age of Caribbean piracy. Buy on Amazon
3. The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy (1992) — The Wild West, cattle drives, and Custer's Last Stand. Buy on Amazon
4. Your Mother Was a Neanderthal (1993) — The Stone Age. The trio arrives with nothing but their underwear and must survive. Buy on Amazon
5. 2095 (1995) — The future — specifically the year 2095. Robots, flying cars, and everything the 1990s imagined about the future. Buy on Amazon
6. Tut, Tut (1996) — Ancient Egypt. Pharaohs, mummies, and the curse of the pyramid. Buy on Amazon
7. Summer Reading Is Killing Me! (1998) — The trio's summer reading list gets sucked into The Book and brings all the characters to life — including the scary ones. Buy on Amazon
8. It's All Greek to Me (1999) — Ancient Greece. The Olympic Games, Zeus, and a lot of very confused gods. Buy on Amazon
9. See You Later, Gladiator (2000) — Ancient Rome. The Colosseum, gladiator battles, and Julius Caesar. Buy on Amazon
10. Sam Samurai (2001) — 17th-century Japan and the world of samurai, haiku, and the bushido code. Buy on Amazon
11. Hey Kid, Want to Buy a Bridge? (2002) — New York City in 1877. The Brooklyn Bridge is under construction and con men are everywhere. Buy on Amazon
12. Viking It and Liking It (2002) — The age of the Vikings. Leif Eriksson, longboats, and Norse mythology. Buy on Amazon
13. Me Oh Maya (2003) — Ancient Mayan civilization at its height. Buy on Amazon
14. Da Wild, Da Crazy, Da Vinci (2004) — Renaissance Italy and Leonardo da Vinci's workshop. Buy on Amazon
15. Oh Say, I Can't See (2005) — The American Revolution and the early days of the United States. Buy on Amazon
16. Marco? Polo! (2006) — The Silk Road and the era of Marco Polo's travels through Asia. Buy on Amazon
Jon Scieszka's Trucktown Series
A series of picture books and early reader books for the youngest audience — preschool through first grade — featuring a rambunctious cast of boy trucks and girl trucks who behave exactly like kindergarteners. Scieszka based the characters on real kindergarteners he observed. The illustrations were created by the team of David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon.
Smash! Crash! (2008) — The flagship Trucktown picture book. Jack Truck and Dump Truck Dan crash into everything in sight. Buy on Amazon
Zoom! Boom! Bully (2008) — Big Rig keeps knocking down everything the other trucks build. Buy on Amazon
Pete's Party (2008) Buy on Amazon
Snow Trucking! (2008) — A Trucktown snow day. Buy on Amazon
Melvin Might? (2008) — Cement Mixer Melvin, Trucktown's biggest worrywart. Buy on Amazon
Truckery Rhymes (2009) — Classic nursery rhymes reimagined for trucks. Peter Peter Payload Eater. Jack and Jill and a drilling rig. Buy on Amazon
Kat's Mystery Gift (2009) — An early reader. Buy on Amazon
The Spooky Tire (2009) — Halloween in Trucktown. Buy on Amazon
Uh-Oh, Max (2009) — An early reader. Buy on Amazon
Dizzy Izzy (2010) Buy on Amazon
Trucksgiving (2010) — Thanksgiving in Trucktown. Buy on Amazon
Welcome to Trucktown (2010) Buy on Amazon
The Great Truck Rescue (2010) Buy on Amazon
Trucks Line Up (2011) Buy on Amazon
Race from A to Z (2011) — An alphabet book featuring Trucktown's trucks. Buy on Amazon
Spaceheadz (SPHDZ) Series — Read in Order
Michael K. starts at a new school and discovers that his new classmates Bob and Jennifer are actually aliens sent to Earth to save the planet — by getting one million and one kids to think being a Spaceheadz is cool. Co-written with Francesco Sedita.
1. Spaceheadz (2010) Buy on Amazon
2. Spaceheadz Save the World (2010) Buy on Amazon
3. SPHDZ Book #3! (2011) Buy on Amazon
4. SPHDZ 4 Life! (2013) Buy on Amazon
Frank Einstein Series — Read in Order
Frank Einstein is a ten-year-old kid-genius inventor who lives with his grandfather in Midville. After a freak thunderstorm, two of his robots — Klink and Klank — come to life. Frank, Klink, and Klank must then outsmart his rival Watson in a series of invention competitions, each tied to a real area of science. Illustrated by Brian Biggs. Designed specifically to make science funny and accessible to reluctant readers.
1. Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor (2014) — Frank builds a brain-powered anti-matter motor. Real science: matter, antimatter, and energy. Buy on Amazon
2. Frank Einstein and the Electro-Finger (2015) — Electricity and circuits. Buy on Amazon
3. Frank Einstein and the BrainTurbo (2015) — The human brain and how it works. Buy on Amazon
4. Frank Einstein and the EvoBlaster Belt (2016) — Evolution and genetics. Buy on Amazon
5. Frank Einstein and the Bio-Action Gizmo (2017) — Biology and the body. Buy on Amazon
6. Frank Einstein and the Space-Time Zipper (2018) — Space, time, and the nature of the universe. Buy on Amazon
AstroNuts Series — Read in Order
A team of genetically enhanced animal astronauts — SmartHawk, AlphaWolf, StinkBug, and LaserShark — is sent to search the universe for a new planet for humans to live on, since we've done such a thorough job of destroying Earth. Co-created with illustrator Steven Weinberg. Part adventure story, part environmental commentary, fully ridiculous.
1. AstroNuts Mission One: The Plant Planet (2019) Buy on Amazon
2. AstroNuts Mission Two: The Water Planet (2020) Buy on Amazon
3. AstroNuts Mission Three: The Perfect Planet (2021) Buy on Amazon
Guys Read Anthology Series (Editor)
Scieszka edited this anthology series as an extension of his Guys Read literacy initiative, gathering stories from leading children's and YA authors to appeal specifically to boy readers. Each volume focuses on a different genre. Contributors across the series include Jeff Kinney, Jack Gantos, Mo Willems, Rick Riordan, Pseudonymous Bosch, and many others.
1. Guys Read: Funny Business (2010) — Humorous stories. Buy on Amazon
2. Guys Read: Thriller (2011) — Suspense and thriller stories. Buy on Amazon
3. Guys Read: The Sports Pages (2012) — Sports stories. Buy on Amazon
4. Guys Read: Other Worlds (2013) — Science fiction and fantasy. Buy on Amazon
5. Guys Read: True Stories (2014) — Nonfiction narratives. Buy on Amazon
6. Guys Read: Terrifying Tales (2015) — Horror and scary stories. Buy on Amazon
7. Guys Read: Heroes & Villains (2016) — Superhero and action stories. Buy on Amazon
Memoir
Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories of Growing Up Scieszka (2008) — Scieszka's illustrated memoir of growing up as one of six brothers in Flint, Michigan — Catholic school, comic books, lazy summers, TV shows, and the particular chaos of a house with too many boys in it. Funny and affectionate. An excellent choice for anyone curious about where Scieszka's sense of humor came from. Buy on Amazon
About Guys Read
Scieszka founded Guys Read (guysread.com) after working as a teacher, that boys were significantly less likely than girls to voluntarily read for pleasure. His approach was simple: instead of trying to get boys to read books that weren't written for them, find and promote the books that actually were — funny books, adventure books, science books, sports books, gross books. The initiative has connected millions of boys with reading and influenced children's publishing's approach to boys as an audience. It remains one of the most significant literacy advocacy projects in American children's publishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce Scieszka? SHESS-kuh. He's very used to people getting it wrong and takes it in good humor.
Do the Time Warp Trio books need to be read in order? No — each book is a standalone adventure in a different historical period. You can pick up any book in the series and enjoy it without having read the others. That said, starting with Knights of the Kitchen Table gives you the best introduction to Joe, Sam, Fred, and the Book.
What age are the Time Warp Trio books for? The books are aimed at readers in grades 2–5, roughly ages 7–10. They are designed specifically for reluctant readers — short chapters, lots of humor, and enough historical content to make teachers happy.
What's the difference between Trucktown and the other series? Trucktown is aimed at the youngest readers — preschool through early first grade. The picture books and "Ready-to-Roll" early readers require no prior reading experience. The Time Warp Trio, Frank Einstein, and AstroNuts series are all chapter book series for independent readers.
Looking for more children's book authors? Browse our Top 50 Picture Book Authors or Top 50 Middle School Authors lists.