About The Author
The Man Behind
the Stories
First he wrote the sports section of his college newspaper. Then he wrote TV commercials onMadison Avenue for 40 years. Then he wrote a
weekly column in The Adirondack Daily
Enterprise newspaper. And now he writes
books and tales that your children will love.
Jack’s goal is and has always been finding the
magic as well as the humor in everyday life.
He now shares that vision with the most important audience he’s ever had: young children.
He believes the best way children learn is what he calls “absorbing.” That is, making the “lesson” so much fun, they don’t realize they just learned something. In short, Jack’s books
bring “Laughs with a Lesson”.
The Journey
A Writers Path
Early Career
The Advertising Years
For over four decades, Jack honed his craft as a writer in New York City's advertising industry. From Madison Avenue to major campaigns, he learned that every great story — whether it's 30 seconds or 300 pages — begins with understanding your audience.
The Turning Point
From Copy to Children's Books
After years of writing for brands,
Jack felt drawn to write for the
audience he loves: children.
Mixing fun stories with valuable
lessons, Jack believes in getting
children to “absorb” the lesson
without “teaching” it.
Today
Life in the Adirondacks
Now based in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, Jack writes surrounded by the landscapes and wildlife he loves. He tries to
share the humor and wisdom of mountain living with his new
audience of tender years.
Philosophy
Why I Write for Children
“Teach your children well”
​
- Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
I believe children love to learn. The key is in how one tries to teach them. When they're bored, children shut down (and so do I). But if the teaching is wrapped in a fun story, they don't know they're "learning", but they are - I call it "Absorbing."
​
Rather than remembering facts and numbers they soak them up naturally. I love to find those paths. Tales that hide the learning in fun. It's like dipping broccoli in chocolate. You'll get 100% of your daily Vitamins C and K, folate, potassium and antioxidants like sulforaphane. But who cares? There's chocolate!!!
​
Okay, I certain'y don't recommend you feed your children chocolate-encased broccoli but I DO recommend trying out one or two of my books on children. Whether it's how to keep a Moose's pants from falling down or that words have two or three very different meanings, I try to create "Laughs with a lesson."
I’ve hiked all the way to the bottom of
the Grand Canyon which took four
hours. Then I camped at the bottom
and hiked out the next day which
took me seven hours!
I have 2 dogs, Baxter and Rocco and 2 cats named Leo and Pitch. Leo is orange and loves to follow me and sleep on my head at night, while Pitch is a fully black cat. Can you guess why his name is Pitch?
I’m trying to learn how to play the
harmonica, but it’s not going well.
Getting Personal
Fun Facts About Jack
My real name is John but everyone
calls me Jack except for my grandma who used to call me John-John. The rest of my family calls me Jackie and in high school my friends called me vavoom!
I spent 40 years in New York City
making TV commercials for
Hawaiian Punch, Charmin toilet paper, Right Guard deodorant,
AT&T andFolgers coffee.
In winter I don’t use heat…only wood fires.