Kevin

Johnson

Children’s Author and Illustrator

Graphic Novelist

Travels from: Porto, Portugal

“Cape takes us there and brings us back, leaving us better and more hopeful than we were before. A necessary read for ever-present grief.” — Antwan Eady, author of Nigel and the Moon

Kevin Johnson (aka “Captain Create”) is a proud Temple University alumnus, who grew up just south of Philadelphia, PA. There, he spent his childhood seeking adventure with friends, watching movies, reading comics, and falling in love with the magic of storytelling.

Kevin is the author of the critically-acclaimed picture book CAPE along with an upcoming unannounced graphic novel. As the adopted son of two lifelong educators, Kevin dedicates his focus and energy to helping children embrace the power of imagination and storytelling.

As an author, he believes children should have access to a wide spectrum of literature and the creative arts. He writes with the intention of helping reluctant readers and underrepresented children “see themselves on the page.”

When he isn’t writing, he’s visiting schools, libraries, and book festivals or traveling in search of inspiration for his next book.

Cape

Roaring Brook Press |

June 20, 2023

Children’s

A young child learns that even superheroes hurt too in this heartrending story about loss and love, written by debut author Kevin Johnson and illustrated by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Kitt Thomas.

When a child loses the person in his life that he loves more than anything, he uses his cape as protection from his grief. On the day of the funeral, he uses it to block out the pictures and stories people share, refusing to acknowledge the memories that keep bubbling up. He won’t think about them. He doesn’t want to.

He avoids the memories, until he no longer can.

He remembers then. Their laugh, their smile, the moment they gave him the cape. The cape transforms, becoming a source of comfort and strength as the child navigates the sadness and joy that these memories bring up.

In Cape, Kevin Johnson has crafted an achingly beautiful and honest story about processing and redefining grief after the loss of a loved one. With evocative illustrations by New York Times bestselling artist Kitt Thomas (Stacey’s Extraordinary Words), Cape is a powerful, unforgettable, and necessary story.

Bipoc Author, Black Voices, Death & Dying, Grades K-5, Grief & Loss, Kid Lit, Male Author, Overcoming Trauma, Social & Emotional Development

Let's Get Graphic: Reaching the Reluctant Reader

In this talk, Kevin Johnson details his path from a reluctant reader to a critically-acclaimed author. He discusses how comics and graphic novels encouraged his path to read more and how educators and caregivers can help foster a love of reading in every child.

The Masterpiece of Mess

In this talk, Kevin Johnson discusses the direct correlation between personal vulnerability and moving fiction. Kevin dives into the deeply-personal origin of CAPE and details how perfectionism can be a hindrance to great art.

The Prize of Persistence

In this talk, Kevin Johnson chronicles his 27-year path to publishing. Discussing rejection, self-doubt, near-misses, disappointments, and resilience, Kevin offers hope and inspiration to aspiring storytellers to never give up on their publishing dreams.

“CAPE by Kevin Johnson is beautiful, inspiring, and a wonderful tribute! Our school was fortunate to receive an advance copy of CAPE by Kevin Johnson and a wonderful virtual author visit. The book is moving and talks about the difficult topic of loss in an empowering way. The gorgeous illustrations perfectly complement this moving piece of literature. CAPE is a must-have for public/school/home libraries! Our scholars enjoyed an engaging virtual author visit with Kevin as well. He shared background about his life, shared inspiring messages, and encouraged all to share their creativity with the world. Kevin also read CAPE aloud to our scholars. It is always so special to hear the book shared the in the author’s own voice. Kevin left plenty of time for questions and enthusiastically answered them with enthusiasm. I highly recommend a visit with this up-and-coming author. We already have an in-person visit scheduled with Kevin for the 2023-2024 school year. We can’t wait! We think it will be pretty special for him as well to share his book inspired by his amazing father and our school’s namesake.” — Marybeth Barbro, Red Clay Consolidated School District, 2023

“Kevin was very engaging over Zoom! He was able to connect with our 1st through 5th graders by keeping their interest up by making connections and using appealing visuals. After reading his book Cape to our students, Kevin asked them questions about the story and they enjoyed asking him follow-up questions as well. The theme of the book allowed for an open-ended discussion about how everyone has a superpower. He discussed (in just the right amount of detail for students in the elementary grades to understand) his writing process as well as the perseverance he displayed to get published.” — Dawn Lawless, Downingtown Area School District, 2023

“A great story connects people. Today, through the Natixis’ book community, we had the opportunity to hold a storytelling event for some of the Natixis staff. It was a fantastic morning, where we had the opportunity to get to know Kevin Johnson aka Captain Create. We found out about the world of storytelling.” — Mariana Ferreira, Natixis, 2023