Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn YouTube TikTok
    • Home
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Advertise
    • Mentorship
    • Editing Services
    • About
    • Contact
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest TikTok
    The Children's Book Review
    Subscribe
    • Books by Subject
    • Books by Age
      • Ages 0-3, Infant and Toddler
      • Ages 4-8, Preschool to Elementary
      • Ages 9-12, Preteen and Tween
      • Ages 12+, Teen and Young Adult
      • Books for First Grade Readers
      • Books for Second Grade Readers
      • Books for Third Grade Readers
    • Favorites
      • Diverse and Inclusive Books
      • Books About Activism
      • Best Books for Kids
      • Star Wars Books
      • Board Books
      • Books About Mindfulness
      • Dr. Seuss Books
    • Showcase
    • Interviews
      • Growing Readers Podcast
      • Author Interviews and Q&A
      • Illustrator Interviews
    • Kids’ Book Giveaways
    • Directory
    • Podcast
    The Children's Book Review

    My Life as an Author/Illustrator: A Janet Tashjian and Jake Tashjian Interview

    Guest PostsBy Guest Posts5 Mins Read Ages 4-8 Ages 9-12 Best Kids Stories Best Sellers Books with Boy Characters Chapter Books Humor Mysteries Reluctant Readers
    My Life as an Author Illustrator A Janet Tashjian and Jake Tashjian Interview
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    The Children’s Book Review | March 27, 2014

    Janet Tashjian Interviews Jake Tashjian

    What is it like collaborating on books with your wildly talented mother, the author Janet Tashjian?

    Jake – Who? Oh, you mean my mom? It’s kind of great – where else can you go to work where your colleague does your laundry and makes you dinner?

    Janet – That sounds awfully sexist, Jake.

    Jake – I was going for the joke, Mom.

    If you could change one thing about your amazing mother, what would it be?

    Jake – Where do I start….Well, for one thing, she’s obsessed with old-fashioned typewriters. They’re all over the house. She even has a typewriter app on her computer so it clacks like a typewriter when she’s on her laptop like the rest of us in the 21st century. Totally annoying.

    What kind of book would you like to illustrate next that your incredibly accommodating mother could write?

    Jake – What does accommodating mean again? Never mind, I just looked through my illustrations to find the definition. I want to do a book about circus-clown gangsters called The Clownfather and I also want to do a book about Hillbilly Aliens. My mom’s not as sold on the ideas as I am.

    Janet – Our editor says alien books aren’t selling well.

    Jake – But how are hillbilly books doing? Clown books? I’m very flexible.

    Jake Tashjian Interviews Janet Tashjian

    When are you going to give me some fun words to illustrate like tetrahedrane or floccinaucinihilpilfication?

    Janet – Consider it done. I look forward to seeing your wacky pictures of both words, which I will look up immediately and try to work into the text of our next book.

    Jake – Rut-ro.

    Two-part question – What are your favorite ways to procrastinate and are they as good as mine?

    Janet – I could NEVER compete with the inventive ways you procrastinate, Jake. Watching you alphabetize your Looney Tunes collection and color code over a hundred Pentel markers was quite enjoyable. Lining up and counting all my mascaras, baking a chocolate soufflé from scratch, and finding the tiny puncture hole in the inflatable pool raft seem boring by comparison.

    Jake – So you’re saying that watching ME procrastinate is your favorite way to procrastinate?

    Janet – Exactly. I feel a tiny bit less guilty than procrastinating on my own.

    Can you give me a heads-up for what book comes after MY LIFE AS A NINJA?

    Janet – Yes, the next in the series is called MY LIFE AS A YOUTUBER, which sends kids into a frenzy whenever I mention it on a school visit. But be prepared, this means we’re going to have to watch A LOT of videos.

    Jake – YAY!

    Janet – I don’t know much about the plot yet, but tetrahedrane and floccinaucinihilpilfication will definitely be involved.

    Jake – Thank you.

    Janet – You’re welcome.

    ###

    My Life as a NinjaMy Life as a Ninja

    Written by Janet Tashjian

    Illustrated by Jake Tashjian

    Publisher’s Synopsis: Book 6 in the bestselling My Life series!

    Derek Fallon has expanded his taste in cartoons to the world of manga and anime. Together with his friends Carly, Matt, and Umberto, Derek has fun learning about all the cool aspects of ninja culture. When someone starts vandalizing their school with graffiti of a mischievous troll-like figure, these ninjas-in-training are convinced they’ll be able to crack the case. But it turns out that being a ninja is a lot more work than they thought, and this adventure brings about new opportunities for Derek to embarrass himself. For once, can he be the hero that saves the day?

    Ages 8-12 | Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. | April 11, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1627798891

    Available Here: 

    Text, logoBuy on AmazonLogo

    About Janet Tashjian

    Janet Tashjian is a middle-grade and young adult novelist who’s been writing books for children for fifteen years. Her first novel ‘Tru Confessions’ was made into a critically acclaimed Disney TV movie starring Clara Bryant and Shia LaBeouf. ‘The Gospel According to Larry’ series is a cult favorite and ‘Fault Line’ is taught in many middle and high schools. Her novels ‘My Life As a Book,’ ‘My Life As a Stuntboy,’ and ‘My Life As a Cartoonist’ are all illustrated by her teenage son, Jake. Their collaboration continues with a new series, ‘Einstein the Class Hamster.’

    Janet has been doing school visits for fifteen years; you can email her for details.

    You can follow her on Twitter and like her books on Facebook, and check out her YouTube Channel.

    About Jake Tashjian

    Jake Tashjian is a teenage illustrator of middle grade children’s books. He has illustrated My Life As a Book and My Life As a Stuntboy, as well as My Life As a Cartoonist and Einstein the Class Hamster. He collaborates on his novels with his mother, the author Janet Tashjian. He has a video blog entitled Notes From the Panic Room at their My Life as a Book website. He films all of the segments then edits the vlogs in iMovie.

    When Jake was in elementary school, he used to draw his vocabulary words on index cards. This later became the inspiration for the main character, Derek, in the My Life As A..series.

    Jake grew up in Needham, Massachusetts and currently lives in Los Angeles where he attends Fusion Academy. He is an avid surfer and film aficionado.

    Discover more books like “My Life as a Ninja,” written by Janet Tashjian and illustrated by Jake Tashjian, on The Children’s Book Review by following along with our articles tagged with Books About Ninjas, Jake Tashjian, Janet Tashjian, Middle Grade Books, and Mystery.

    What to Read Next:

    1. The 13-Story Treehouse, by Andy Griffiths | Book Review
    2. Best New Books for Preteens and Tweens | April 2017
    3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling | Book Review
    4. Fabio The Flamingo Detective: Mystery on the Ostrich Express | Book Review

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    Books About Ninjas Jake Tashjian Janet Tashjian Middle Grade Books My Life Series Mystery
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleFeminist Baby, by Loryn Brantz | Book Spotlight
    Next Article Poetry Books for Kids: 10 Fresh-Picked Collections and Rhyming Stories
    Guest Posts
    • Website

    The Children’s Book Review, named one of the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Great Web Sites for Kids, is a resource devoted to children’s literacy. We publish reviews and book lists of the best books for kids of all ages. We also produce author and illustrator interviews and share literacy based articles that help parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians to grow readers. This article was written and provided by a guest author.

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    TCBR Supporter
    Recent Articles
    • Charli’s Turtle Triumph: A Marine Biology Adventure | Dedicated Review
    • An Interview with Jill Rosen and Stephanie Rohr, Creators of the ‘Ode to a Pug’ Series
    • An Interview with Liz Kessler, Author of the ‘Emily Windsnap’ Series
    • Simone LaFray and the Bishop of Mumbai | Dedicated Review
    • Inspirational Soccer Book for Kids Compilation: 2 Books In 1: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Alex Morgan biographies for kids – Plus 101 Affirmations and Mental Training For Young Players | Dedicated Review
    TCBR Supporters
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today

    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    Discover Kids Books by Age
    Best Books For Kids
    Media Kit: The Children's Book Review
    Author and Illustrator Showcase
    SEARCH
    BOOKS BY SUBJECT
    Archives
    Professional Resources

    Book Marketing Campaigns

    Writing Coaches and Editing Services

    Mentorship

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Policies
    • Advertise
    • TCBR Buzzworthy Mentions
    • About TCBR
    © 2025 The Children’s Book Review. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.