WHAT'S ALL THE HUBBUB?
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions kids, parents and teachers ask me most.
Questions Kids Ask Me
How do you come up with names for your characters?
I usually choose names that sound good and have meaning to me or some connection to the story. In Professor Nincompoop, the two characters Nick and Tess were named in homage to Nikola Tesla.
Where do you get your ideas?
Because I have a marketing background, I’m always looking at what’s popular and what’s selling and as a dad and children’s entertainer, I’m always listening to kids and what they say and things they like. All that stuff goes into my brain and that along with all the crazy stuff I grew up watching on TV, reading about in books and just seeing in the world gets mixed around and ideas pop out.
To get great ideas out, you have to put a lot of interesting and unique stuff in and be open to the ideas when they come out. That’s the secret.
What comes first character or story?
It depends. Sometimes an idea will start with a character. Sometimes it’s a name that I make into a character. Sometimes it’s the title that pops into my head or a concept I think is funny or interesting and then I try to find what character would fit into that world or idea. So it goes both ways. But the key is to always be looking for and open to ideas when they come and always capture things that spark your interest or that bubble up in your brain. Author Earl Nightingale said, “Ideas are like slippery fish, you have to catch them with a pencil or they get away.”
What was your favorite book when you were a kid?
Growing up we had all the Dr. Seuss books in the house. My mom subscribed to a book of the month club and one Seuss book came in the mail each month for a long time. I loved Wacky Wednesday, There’s A Wocket In My Pocket and Put Me In The Zoo. I also like The Berenstains’ B Book. I had that one memorized and it’s probably the book that cemented my love of alliteration. But maybe the most memorable book from my childhood was There’s A Monster At The End of this Book. I loved puppets and The Muppets and I think it was the breaking of the 4th wall in that book that really left a lasting impression. My There Are No Dinos Inside Of This Book has a bit of that flavor.
How do you get published?
Once upon a time, I was a business book writer and I got a traditional publishing deal. But after that experience, I decided to self publish my business books and I learned the process during a time when doing it yourself wasn’t as easy or as common as it is today.
Today I self publish all my books. When I self published my first two kids books, I did all the book design and layout work myself and got everything ready for print. It was a ton of work. I was crazy. Today, I have an amazing team behind me that I am extremely grateful for. They make my books way better.
Why did you become a writer?
I really didn’t decide to be a writer. I guess, I have always just been one. I was always a creative and inventive kid but overall my skills were limited. I couldn’t draw, wasn’t artistic at all, wasn’t really athletic or interested in sports and was terrible at math.
The things I did well were writing, talking and coming up with ideas. So I kept doing those things and working on getting better at them (I got in trouble a lot for talking in class).
When it was time to graduate high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do.
My parents wanted me to go to college so I just picked pre-med as my major. I was going to be an eye doctor because I had bad vision, was at the eye clinic a lot and thought my eye doctor was cool guy.
But I quickly realized that not capitalizing on your strengths and leveraging what you are uniquely good at, was a bad strategy. All the math and science in pre-med made me miserable, so after two years of micro biology, I switched to Journalism with a focus on advertising.
Journalism & advertising was all about creating, writing and talking. A perfect fit. In my last semester, I got a job at an advertising agency by writing a very creative resume and I became a copywriter.
Later I started my own advertising agency with my best friend and former college roommate (we met at band camp).
At one point we got approached to write a book about our marketing philosophy so we did and that was the start of my publishing career.
In 2014, I decided I wanted to write a kids book, so I put that on my goal sheet and started reading books about writing and publishing picture books. One morning I had some lines and rhymes in my head and I wrote them down and that started my picture book journey.
Since then, I have published two picture books and have six more in production with many more in my computer waiting.
I love picture books the most but I have published five business books and will write a few more of those too. .
What is your favorite book that you've written?
Man, I love so many of them for different reasons. And sometimes you love one manuscript more than another but when the final book comes out, you love the other final book more.
Creating a book for a non-author/illustrator like myself, is a collaborative effort. And I love that. I love working with talented and creative people. When you bring the right group of creative and talented people together on the right project, magic happens.
Having not seen all my manuscripts materialized in book form, I would have to say my current favorite manuscript is Professor Nincompoop because of how silly and ridiculous it all is.
RAVE REVIEWS
People Are Raving About Me & My Belly Laugh Books
Moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, teachers, librarians, stars and more.
My grand kids want to hear it over & over. I also use this book for gifts because it's so original.
He asks me to read it multiple times in a row! Such a fun book for kids to build a love for reading!
A wonderfully crazy, super-silly picture book that young children will WANT to read. Highly recommended!
The book is incredible. I absolutely LOVE it. I think it can easily be a huge influence on the next generation of vents.
He became so invested in the book and loved looking for all the signs of the dinosaurs. This book was requested night after night.
Imaginations will soar while laughter fills the room. My school library will have a basket filled with books from my new ‘favorite author’, Jimmy Vee.
Pre-K class loved it. Lots of interaction, shouting, and laughs were had. I plan to read it in my own classroom next year.
The book is so well written and humorous that it'll not only make children laugh, but also make adults chuckle out loud. One warning: your kids will want you to read this book over and over again.
My 4 year old grandson loved it! He wanted me to read it over and over again!
My kids are now walking around with socks on their hands, making their own sock puppet games and commentary. So much fun to watch!
I LOVE the art; the story is good, but the illustrations are really what brings this book to life! My kids have asked for it to be read every night since we got it.
This book will have little ones giggling in no time. It's delightfully mischievous and taps right into kids' love of pointing out the obvious that adults seem to miss. As an educator, I think it's perfect for any classroom.
Thank you, Jimmy Vee, for creating an instruction book for ventriloquists illustrated with such clear drawings. I might say… ‘a Vent book for the rest of us’.
A guaranteed giggle-fest. It's a comedic gem that's not just for kids, but for the whole family to enjoy together.
Kids get to point out all the clues — teeth marks, tails, chaos — and feel like they're smarter than the grown-up character. The rhyming and humor make it great for read-aloud time.
If you are searching for a funny picture book for kids, this one is for you. The perfect story to show kids how much fun reading can be.
A cute tale told in rhyme with colorful illustrations that kids will love to read over and over.
Jimmy Vee has a fun, kid-like spirit that lends itself to a refreshing style of children's literature.
I love this book, it's great. So easy to understand for kids and adults too!
The book is funny, imaginative, and certain to draw kids to read it again and again, and probably a few adults. Author Jimmy Vee is a rhyming master.
A fun-filled picture book that entertains from start to finish, with surprises along the way. If you enjoy funny cartoons, you will love this book.
The pacing works well for read-aloud moments because each page offers a surprise or punchline that invites laughter.
With a robust vocabulary and numerous twists and turns, Professor Nincompoop inspires the reader.
This book is marvelous reading that will make kids feel good about themselves. Little Jimmy is phenomenal and this book is, too.
More than suitable for all ages — grown-ups, too. Parents will love the idea of sharing this book with their children.
The kids were literally rolling on the floor!
The illustrations are full of personality. It was written by an author who has performed magic and ventriloquism for many years and knows just how to hit kids' funny bones.
This delightful book could be subtitled “Hooked on Ventriloquism”. I hope it finds its way onto the shelves of all elementary school libraries.
What a fun book to be able to recommend to families and children interested in learning more about the art of Ventriloquism!
Wow! What a great little book. Clear, easy to follow instructions, great illustrations, and a book that could be used by the novice as well as a refresher for the seasoned pro!
I bought this book for my homeschoolers and my homeschooler groups as an art project and I couldn't be more pleased and excited.
By far one of my favorite children's dinosaur books, and it is perfect to use as a read-aloud for teachers or librarians alike.
What ensues should set off giggles from young readers, as the actions and expressions of the characters are sure to set off some chuckles.
Little children will love this story. It is engaging, silly and the illustrations are entertaining. A perfect book to curl up with your child and giggle uncontrollably.
The dino wrangler spends the whole book insisting there are absolutely no dinosaurs around, even while the evidence keeps piling right in front of you. This book had her giggling the whole time.
I loved the rhyming of the story and how that just flows and gets you into a cadence, especially when you read out loud.
Your child will have fun going through the pages looking for evidence of dinos. I highly recommend this book.
A fun book that will cause young readers to scream and point when they see a dinosaur, despite Dangerous Dave not finding any.
A fun book from start to surprising finish! This author really knows what makes kids tick.
A super book for reading aloud to kids and to encourage participation between parents and kids.
The story is well written and does bring on the giggles from little ones. Illustrations are eye catching and maintain attention wonderfully.
This book is full of laugh-out-loud fun, tongue twisters, and the best kind of mischief! This book will quickly become a favorite in your home!
Such a funny read. The kids love it!! Detailed pictures and super fun if you like to do silly voices when reading to the kids.
Kids will love Professor Nincompoop. The illustrations go perfect with the storyline that will keep children laughing. Super funny and creatively written.
My kids enjoyed this one a lot! The silly repeated phrases, the unreliable narrator, and just the word ‘nincompoop’ made for a fun read.
I read this to my kids (8, 6, 4) and they all enjoyed it. The book is a lot of fun for the kids and provides a lot of laughs.
Quirky characters vividly brought to life with clever wordplay and outlandish scenarios that escalate hilariously.
A hilarious telling that will entertain individuals of all ages. Humorous, silly and delightful!
A nice funny read with illustrations that perfectly balance the zany story!
This book was silly and fun! I think little boys would especially enjoy the quirky illustrations!