About the Artist / Author
JoAnn Vergona Krapp is a school media specialist and former elementary school teacher on Long Island New York. Her articles on children's literture and programs to stimulate reading and writing have appeared in the periodicals School Library Journal, School Library Media Activities Monthly, Library talk and Early Years. Her children's publications include Lollipop Mountain, a fantasy in story and song; Have A Happy, a collection of children's holiday stories; Holiday Time, a revised edition of Have A Happy: and My Dinosaur Loves Circuses: a Design-Your-Own Dinosaur Book of Poems, Missing Treasure Means Trouble, a chapter book adventure in which three children search for missing pirate treasure in an old lighthouse,Trouble Times Three, a sequel to Missing Treasure Means Trouble, that finds the same three children searching for a thief who stole a World War II medal, Totally Trouble when a visit to the TWA Flight 800 Memorial lead the Crawford children to another summer adventure, and Museum Madness, in which the Burton twins witness an incident that leads to the theft of a famous Dutch painting.
Ms. Krapp resides in Farmingdale, New York where she teaches writing workshops for children and appears as guest author at Long Island schools. She is a member of the national Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the regional Long Island Children's Writers and Illustrators.
In addition to her children's books, Ms. Krapp is a watercolor artist. She is a member of the Islip Art Counsil. Her works include a wide array of subjects and have been exhibited throughout Long Island and New York.
Artist's Statement
Upon my retirement from the Farmingdale School District in 1999, I decided to join some of my retired colleagues in art classes. Although I had always had a flair for decorating the bulletin boards and walls in my school and public libraries, I never entertained the notion of actually picking up a paintbrush and creating something on paper. And then a wonderful thing happened. I fell in love with watercolors, their language, their softness, their amazing capacity to make you feel that you have created something special. And so…I became a watercolor artist, learning new techniques with each new painting, meeting other artists, and sharing in the encouragement we give to each other. What a wonderful way to spend retirement.
