Q&A With Author John Contratti

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A quick online search of my next guest revealed pictures of actor John Contratti posing with no less than Hollywood stars Mary Tyler Moore, Danny Devito, Jenna Elfman, and Cuba Gooding Jr., just to name a few. As I dug deeper, I soon found that this actor-turned-teacher-turned-author has an impressive and wide-ranging professional background, with experience in a few Hollywood feature films, as a chef currently running a very popular cooking blog, and, perhaps in the most rewarding vocation of all, as a fourth grade school teacher.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thanks.~Rosco’s Reading Room

Q. Hello John. Thanks so much for joining us. Would you tell us a little bit about yourself and your books?

A. Hi Shana. Thanks for having me. My name is John Contratti. I’ve been a Long Island school teacher for over 20 years. With professional experience as a chef, I wanted to mix things up in the classroom, so I started cooking during my math lessons. Trying to get fractions, measurement and sequencing across to my students, cooking seemed like a great way to get their attention and put what they were learning to use. And it worked!

What I was doing soon caught on. People started writing articles about me and I was contacted by the very popular, family friendly Hallmark Channel. I heard from the channel’s cooking program Mad Hungry With Lucinda Scala Quinn, produced by Martha Stewart, and they offered me a spot on the program. After cooking up some of my favorite recipes on the show, I began writing a food blog called Cooking With Mr. C.

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Contratti makes his television debut on the Hallmark Channel show Mad Hungry With Lucinda Scala Quinn. The attention from the show led to his first book, Cooking With Mr. C

The blog took off bigger than I ever anticipated. Soon, I was being encouraged by Hollywood A-listers and children’s authors Henry Winkler and Julianne Moore to start writing a book. My first book, Cooking With Mr. C. tells my story of cooking with my students in the classroom. It was released in 2016 and was a quick hit with children and teachers across the country.

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Contratti has known Henry Winkler for over 18 years

The success of that book led to my current follow up, Mr. C. Takes Manhattan, which is dedicated to Winkler and Moore. The entire gang from the first book is back, and on an adventure in New York, visiting famous landmarks across the city. I wrote these books to share the message that we all can be so many things in life and that there’s so much out there in the world to explore and learn about.

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Friends Contratti and fellow author Julianne Moore attend many of the same events

This is also what I’ve tried to convey to my students for all these years. There’s so much out there for kids to know about. I get ten months a year to work my magic for a new bunch of students but now, with my books, I’ve found a way to reach kids year round and anywhere in the world.

Q. That’s a fantastic philosophy on writing for children. Can you tell us what sort of feedback you’ve gotten about the books?

A. I’m very thankful for the attention I’ve received from fellow authors and children and teachers from all over the country. I was delighted to hear that other teachers are using my books to tie in with their daily lessons, and that Mr. C. Takes Manhattan pairs quite well with a social studies unit on communities.

Q. That’s really neat. What’s your biggest challenge in terms of being an author?

A. My biggest challenge, like so many others’, is keeping up with my daily schedule. With teaching in my classroom daily, book signings, food blogging, writing and being involved with numerous organizations that benefit children and theater, it makes for a very busy life. I try to write for 15 minutes every day at the very least. I know it’s not much, and certainly some days it’s more than that, but I have to keep up with it.

But I have no complaints. I get to meet so many wonderful people. Whether it’s an author, chef, or a Hollywood celebrity, I’m very thankful. It’s still very surreal to have become friends with people I’ve watched on television and gone to the movies to see while growing up!

Q. I’ll bet it is! What plans do you have for the future in terms of publishing?

A. I’m working on book number three in the Mr. C. series with an anticipated Fall 2019 release. I’ll also be in talks in getting ideas on how to develop the series into a cartoon for television. In the tradition of PBS Kids’ Arthur and The Magic School Bus, I can visualize Mr. C. and all of the kids as an animated program for kids.

Also, I’m busy putting together my first novel for adults. It’s time to write for a new audience as well.

Q. How exciting. That certainly will keep you busy for a while. Where can people keep up with you and buy your books?

A. Both of my books can be purchased at the following links on Amazon (Cooking With Mr. C. and Mr. C. Takes Manhattan) or through the publishing company, Mascot Books. On social media, you can find me as Cooking With Mr. C. on Facebook and WordPress. You can also follow me on Twitter @cookingwithmrc.

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Contratti gets a big kick out of seeing himself as a cartoon character

Thanks again for spending some time with us today! I wish you all the best in your future projects.

And to our readers, I hope you’ll check out John’s books and show him some love on social media by sharing this post if you liked it. Thanks so much for reading!

~Shana

53 comments

  1. Just discovered your blog. I really enjoyed this article on John Contratti. I remember him from being an avid viewer of the Hallmark Channel.

  2. I remember this gentleman was from the Hallmark cooking show “Mad Hungry”. Glad to see he writes books now.

  3. I enjoy reading about creative teachers. I do remember this gentleman from the Hallmark Channel. Very nice article.

  4. Nice Q&A on this author. I found so many pictures of him with some of the biggest stars around from the past and present. Very interesting! Thanks for featuring him.

  5. Thank you, for this article on John Contratti. He’s one of my favorite children’s authors. I love his books and am so excited at the possibility of a Mr. C. television series. I’ve known Mr. C. for many years. He is a wonderful man, with a heart of gold and a fantastic sense of humor. The effort he puts into his teaching is unmatched. I can’t think of a better influence on children than Mr. C. He lives life to the fullest, enjoying and learning, everyday.
    I can’t wait to see what new adventures, recipes, books, celebrities, etc….Mr. C. has in store.

  6. I always check out your blog to see what’s happening in children’s lit. Love the latest article on “Mr. C.” Looks like he’s made many people aware of your blog through this interview. Congrats!!!

  7. I tell all second grade teachers out there, like myself, “Mr. C. Takes Manhattan” is one of the best picture books to use with any unit on “Communities”. It’s a wonderful book filled with factual information that’s good for all elementary kids.

    1. It’s so inspiring hearing from other teachers who are using this series. Thanks for your comment, Grace!

  8. I was a avid viewer of the Hallmark Channel show “Mad Hungry”. That’s where I first discovered John Contratti. Ever since then, I’ve been a devout follower of his blog and now buy his children’s books for my kids. It was nice to see him profiled on this blog.

    1. “Mad Hungry” brought me more attention than I ever imagined. Thanks for following my blog, Claire.

  9. Thank you Shana for this wonderful article about this multitalented person. I have attended several of John’s book signings and he is always gracious and kind. John is a wonderful author, teacher, and chef. I’ve used his books with my third grade students and they loved them! Keep writing!!!

    1. That is fantastic! So glad to hear about more teachers using the books. Thanks for your comment.

  10. Shana, I’m a big fan of your blog. This article on Mr. C. is wonderful! What an amazing story. Thanks for bringing him to our attention. I will order his books for the grandkids.

  11. I’m picturing The Fonz now – loved that show. And now saying “Mr. C.” is making me think of Mr. Cunningham on Happy Days. Fonzie called him Mr. C! Fun!

  12. Interesting article, Shana. Multi-talented teachers is what kids need today. He’s definitely showing his students all they can be. I look forward to more of your posts.

    1. Agreed. Cooking is such a neat way to make math make sense to kids. And what a great idea to write about it. Thanks for the comment, Wayne.

  13. I’ve been a fan of John Contratti’s ever since he appeared on “Mad Hungry”. I love his books. This is a very nice article.

  14. Pingback: A New Article On “Mr. C.” And His Books | Cooking With Mr. C.

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