Jay Leno to Publish Children's Book With Simon & Schuster

Posted on August 22, 2003

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, has announced plans to publish the first picture book written by Jay Leno, host of the NBC television program, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. If Roast Beef Could Fly, scheduled for publication in summer 2004, is the story of the ultimate backyard barbeque gone wild -- based on a true story from Leno's childhood. The book will be illustrated in full color by S. B. Whitehead, best-known for his work in Entertainment Weekly.

The agreement was negotiated by Rick Richter, President & Publisher of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; Byron Preiss of Byron Preiss Visual Publications, who is producing the book; and Amanda Urban of I.C.M. who represented Mr. Leno.

"Not only are we thrilled to be publishing Jay Leno," said Rick Richter, "We're particularly pleased to have this book because it's a story only Jay could tell."

"This story is one of many of my family stories that I enjoy telling people," explained Jay Leno. "So I thought it would be fun to do it in a way that kids might enjoy."

Jay Leno is the host of the Emmy Award-winning and top-rated The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, currently in its twelfth season. Prior to becoming host of Tonight, Leno had been the exclusive guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson since September 1987. Leno has appeared in hundreds of comedy shows around the United States for the past 20 years. He remains passionate about performing in front of live audiences and appears regularly in Las Vegas, on college campuses around the United States and in other venues.

In 1998 Leno published the bestseller Leading with My Chin (HarperCollins) and also has published four versions of Headlines, a compilation of books and desk calendars featuring his favorite funny newspaper headlines, and Police Blotter, a book with humorous newspaper clips involving police stories. Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in Andover, Massachusetts. He and his wife, Mavis, live in Los Angeles. In his spare time, he enjoys working on his world-class collection of classic cars and motorcycles.

S. B. Whitehead's illustrations have appeared in Red Foley's Cartoon History of Baseball (Little Simon, l991) and the magazines Entertainment Weekly, Time, Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Wall Street Journal, and TV Guide. He and his wife Robin live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Byron Preiss Visual Publications, specializes in books for young readers. They produced the New York Times bestsellers, Halloween by Jerry Seinfeld (Little, Brown) and The Good Fight: How World War II Was Won by Stephen E. Ambrose (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster). They are located New York.