Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 30, 2026

Jon Agee

Jon Agee is a children's book writer and illustrator whose work centers around wordplay. Since 1981, he has published more than 31 books.

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Jon Agee
Born1960 (age 65–66)
Nyack, New York, U.S.
OccupationsChildren's book writer, illustrator, cartoonist
Known forPicture books and collections centered on wordplay (palindromes, anagrams, etc.)
Notable workDmitri the Astronaut
Smart Feller Fart Smeller
AwardsSymmys palindrome award winner (2013, 2021)

Jon Agee (born 1960) is a children's book writer and illustrator whose work centers around wordplay. Since 1981, he has published more than 31 books.1

Early life and education

Agee was born in Nyack, New York in 1960. He attended Cooper Union School of Art and graduated with a BFA degree.2

Career

Agee's art style is known for its "trademark blocky ink-and-watercolor illustrations," according to The New York Times.3

In the 1990s, he wrote two musicals for children for the Tada! theater company,4 one of which was titled B.O.T.C.H, short for Bureau of Turmoil, Chaos and Headaches, a fictional New York City agency in charge of disrupting city functioning.5

He has written cartoons for The New Yorker.6

Agee has published several books of palindromes and word play such as anagrams and oxymorons.4 He became interested in them after a friend started writing them. "I liked the way absurdity and logic were intertwined," Agee said.4 In its review of Agee's book of 60 illustrated oxymorons called Who Ordered the Jumbo Shrimp?7 The New York Times wrote that "it would be a near miss, if not a minor catastrophe, not to take the calculated risk of treating the whole family to this instant classic."7

His books include the 1996 picture book Dmitri the Astronaut, Smart Feller Fart Smeller, and many more.89

At the first annual Symmys palindrome awards, he won in the short palindrome category for "An igloo costs a lot, Ed! Amen. One made to last! So cool, Gina!".10 He also won in 2021.4

Personal life

Agee lives in San Francisco with his wife, Audrey.2 He enjoys crossword puzzles. In 2003, New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz wrote that Agee had thanked him for including his name in a Friday crossword and joked that "he would not be satisfied until his name appeared in a Monday puzzle, the easiest of the week, where every answer is supposed to be familiar to most solvers. Only then would he know that he had truly arrived."11

List of works

Picture books

  • If Snow Falls (1982)12
  • Ellsworth (1983)812
  • Ludlow Laughs (1985)812
  • The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau (1988)812
  • The Return of Freddy LeGrand (1992)12
  • Flapstick (1993)12
  • Dmitri the Astronaut (1996)812
  • The Return of Freddy Legrand (1999)812
  • Milo's Hat Trick (2001)812
  • When Z Goes Home (2003)812
  • Terrific (2005)812
  • Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? (2006)812
  • Nothing (2007)812
  • The Retired Kid (2008)812
  • My Rhinoceros (2011)812
  • The Other Side of Town (2012)812
  • Little Santa (2013)812
  • It's Only Stanley (2015)812
  • Lion Lessons (2016)812
  • Life on Mars (2017)812
  • The Wall in the Middle of the Book (2018)812
  • I Want a Dog (2019)812
  • My Dad Is a Tree (2023)812

Collections of word play

  • Go Hang a Salami! I'm a Lasagna Hog!: And Other Palindromes (1991)89
  • So Many Dynamos!: And Other Palindromes (1994)89
  • Who Ordered the Jumbo Shrimp?: And Other Oxymorons (1998)89
  • Sit on a Potato Pan, Otis!: More Palindromes (1999)89
  • Elvis Lives!: And Other Anagrams (2000)89
  • Palindromania! (2002)89
  • Smart Feller Fart Smeller: And Other Spoonerisms (2006)89
  • Orangutan Tongs: Poems to Tangle Your Tongue (2009)9
  • Mr. Putney's Quacking Dog (2010)89
  • Otto: A Palindrama (2021)89

As illustrator

References

References

  1. Saxon |, Antonia. "Q & A with Jon Agee". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  2. "About". www.jonagee.com. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  3. Paul, Pamela (September 14, 2011). "Boys at Play". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  4. Hill, Angela (2021-11-17). "SF author Jon Agee's whimsical word play yields a book of palindromes". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  5. Graeber, Laurel (January 2, 1998). "Family Fare". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  6. Smith, Sarah Harrison (December 18, 2013). "Christmas for Keeps". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  7. Combes, Abbott (November 15, 1998). "Who Ordered the Jumbo Shrimp?". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  8. "Books by Jon Agee and Complete Book Reviews". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  9. "Word Play Books". JonAgee.com. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  10. Williams, John (March 11, 2013). "Palindrome Prize Winners Announced in Oregon". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  11. Shortz, Will (March 3, 2003). "Crossword Memo: What's in a Name? Five Letters or Less". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  12. "Picture Books". JonAgee.com. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  13. Durell, Ann; Sachs, Marilyn (1990). The Big Book for Peace. New York: Dutton children's books. ISBN 0525446052.