Children's author takes a turn for the (slightly) serious

Jarrett J. Krosoczka has made millions of kids laugh with the thirty-plus books he has put out so far.

His newest one mixes silly with serious, though.

The graphic memoir Hey, Kiddo, which made the National Book Award longlist, doesn’t shy away from the tough parts of Krosoczka’s upbringing.

Krosoczka discussed that childhood — how his mother struggled with addiction, how his grandparents stepped in early, and how he processed all of that as a youngster — with All Things Considered’s Audie Cornish.

Listen to the interview below or read highlights on NPR’s website.