Pre-production Art Director for Shrek in Mahoning Valley for the first time

(Youngstown, Ohio)  Noted illustrator and children’s book author John Rocco will be the special guest author at the Fifth Annual Plant the Seed to Read Book Festival on Saturday, March 26, at Fellows Riverside Gardens – Mill Creek MetroParks.  The Book Festival, a collaboration among Altrusa, Mill Creek MetroParks, Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County and Western Reserve Public Media, will be held from 10am until 3pm.  Mr. Rocco will appear in the Weller Gallery. 

After studying design at the Rhode Island School of Design, Mr. 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, the man responsible for some of the very first commercials using computer-generated images and special effects.   At Walt Disney Imagineering, John designed many of the attractions at Disney’s Epcot, including the Spaceship Earth Post Show and the Mission Space Post Show.  At Dreamworks, he was the pre-production art director for the top-grossing animated feature film Shrek, where he created hundreds of illustrations that helped animators craft the final look of the film.

John has written and illustrated several books for children, including Moonpowder, Wolf! Wolf!, and Fu Finds a Way. 

Join the fun to promote literacy in the Mahoning Valley.  Child-friendly snacks and lunch items will be for sale in the Garden Café.  Stroller parking will be available.  Due to limited space, strollers will not be permitted in the Davis Center during the event.

For More information contact: Patty Zitello, Altrusa Club of Youngstown, 330-534-1491