Jarrett J. Krosoczka Spreads Light with “Sunshine”

In his second graphic memoir after his acclaimed Hey, Kiddo, Jarrett J. Krosoczka opens up about what he learned being a camp counselor to critically ill kids. With Sunshine, the National Book Award finalist once again delivers a full-cast audio adaptation of his work, inviting his kids, friends, and even TikTok acquaintances into the booth with him. We caught up with him about the writing and recording process.

Audible: You gave so much of yourself in Hey, Kiddo, and helped many families impacted by addiction. Why was it important to you to share Camp Sunshine with listeners?

Jarrett J. Krosoczka: Volunteering as a camp counselor for kids with life-threatening illnesses profoundly impacted my development. In Hey, Kiddo, I focus so much on how the arts helped me overcome obstacles, but working in service of others was equally influential. Initially, the story of my time at Camp Sunshine was a chapter in Hey, Kiddo, but the story held within that chapter didn’t fit into the through-line of that memoir, and it busted out to become its own book. I hope that Sunshine encourages young listeners to give of themselves to their communities. I also hope that young people dealing with serious illnesses may see themselves in the campers—and perhaps even feel encouraged to write down their own stories.

You have another wonderful full cast with Sunshine, including some of your own friends and family. What was the recording process like?

I joke that the bulk of the Sunshine cast is made up of my friends’ kids and my kids’ friends—and, of course, own family. All three of my thespian kids contributed—and even my introverted wife. During the height of COVID, I built an audiobook recording studio in my basement for when we went into the production of the Lunch Lady audiobooks. I wanted to use real kids for the kid characters, and I wanted to ensure that I could provide a safe space for local families to record in. With an in-house recording studio, it was easy to collect all of these beautiful voices to fill out the cast for Sunshine! Even our extraordinary babysitter got involved—she recorded the voice for one of the camp counselors. I also pulled in some friends I made via TikTok—these folks shared their hidden talents via short-form videos, and I pushed them further by getting vocal performances out of them for the Sunshine audiobook. (Fans of “Super Fly Lunch Lady” and “The Janitor with Stamina” will most certainly recognize their voices!)

Did you learn anything about yourself while writing (or recording) Sunshine?

I sure did. For one, I learned that writing a memoir doesn’t get any easier on me just because I had already written one. I adapted the Sunshine graphic novel for audio, and I also performed all the narration. But I really feel like I came into my own as a director. Now, let me be clear, I could not do this without my co-director (and executive producer) Paul Gagne. But when Paul fell ill right before we recorded Jaiden Meltzer, who performs the Jarrett character’s dialogue, I felt like I stepped up to the bat as I directed solo.

What’s next for you?

More graphic novels, for sure! And hopefully—more audiobook adaptations!