Most recently, Rocco illustrated the fantasy fairy tale, The Flint Heart, written by Katherine Paterson and her husband, John. Rocco also illustrated Whoopi Goldberg‘s Alice and the covers for Rick Riordan‘s multi-million copy internationally bestselling series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Kane Chronicles, and The Heroes of Olympus. He is the author of four acclaimed books for children: Wolf! Wolf!, winner of the Borders Original Voices Award for best picture book Moonpowder, part of the Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators Fu Finds the Way, and Blackout, a New York Times Best Book of the Year and winner of a 2012 Caldecott Honor. Rocco studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and School of Visual Arts in New York City. Using a combination of panels and full bleed illustrations that move from color to black-and-white and back to color, John Rocco shows that if we are willing to put our cares aside for a while, there is party potential in a summer blackout. The boy switches off the lights, and out comes the board game again.

When the electricity is restored, everything can go back to normal. They even have time to play a board game together.

The boy and his family enjoy being not so busy for once. What's a family to do? When they go up to the roof to escape the heat, they find the lights-in stars that can be seen for a change-and so many neighbors it's like a block party in the sky! On the street below, people are having just as much fun-talking, rollerblading, and eating ice cream before it melts. The TV shuts off and a boy wails, 'Mommm!' His sister can no longer use the phone, Mom can't work on her computer, and Dad can't finish cooking dinner. One hot summer night in the city, all the power goes out.

Blackout by john rocco