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Author Biography
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PROFESSIONAL BIO

Jennifer Ward is the author of numerous acclaimed books for children, including Way Out in the Desert, Somewhere in the Ocean, Over in the Garden, The Seed and the Giant Saguaro, The Little Creek, Forest Bright/Forest Night, There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea, Because You Are My Baby, Way Up in the Arctic, I Love Dirt! 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature,   The Busy Tree , Let's Go Outside!  Outdoor Activities and Projects to Get You and Your Kids Closer to Nature. and the forthcoming titles There Was an Old Monkey Who Swallowed a Frog (Marshall Cavendish, spring 2010), and There Was an Odd Princess Who Swallowed a Pea (Marshall Cavendish, 2011).

Her award-winning titles have been featured in magazines such as Ranger Rick, Your Big Backyard, Learning Magazine, Martha Stewart's Real Simple and Parenting Magazine, and she has been featured on national television and radio.


Her books have also received many honors, including the Giverny Award for Best Children's Science Picture Book, the American Booksellers Association "Book Sense Pick of the Lists", a Learning Magazine "Teachers' Choice Award for Best Children's Picture Book", a "Parents' Choice Award", a Governor's First Grade Book Selection for the states of New Jersey and Arizona, a Barnes & Noble Author of the Month two years in a row, and a Grand Canyon Reader's Award winner and honors recipient, among others. 
She is represented by Stefanie Von Borstel of Full Circle Literary.
 


Jennifer is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
 


In Jennifer's Words
 

 














 

Quick Facts

Education: University of Arizona (BA Education, Minor Science)
Hobbies: reading (lots of children's, of course), traveling, music, running, paying my overdue library fines...
Favorite place: ocean, lakes, rivers, streams - love water
Favorite picture book: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble  (Steig's writing and illustrating is genius)
Pets: I have an extended pet family.  It includes 4 dogs, a noisy cockatiel & a six-toed cat.  I live with the cat and three dogs.
Family:  1 beautiful daughter and 4 amazing sisters; I'm smack dab in the middle of 5 
It's True:  I am an ordained minister and officiate weddings now and then.
 

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PERSONAL BIO


L-R: my sister Laura, my mom, me, my dad and my sister Kris. 

 

I was born in Southern California where my parents, four sisters and I whiled away days among avocado trees, mountains & sunshine.  When I was nine, my family moved to a small college town in Southern Illinois. My sisters and I spent the first month in our new house, a two story house and such a different house than the one level ranch-style homes in California, climbing the stairs and sliding down them on our bottoms.  Who needed toys when you have stairs?

My dad was a professor, and I feel fortunate that the home he and my mother created for us included lots of books, lots of pets, lots of freedom and lots of opportunities to explore life outdoors. 

As a child I ran barefoot, rode bareback, chased fireflies, climbed trees, caught crawdads in the creek, secretly raided  vegetable gardens, and (quite cleverly), rigged playing cards to my Huffy bicycle spokes with clothespins to create a motor sound when I pedaled. 

It was a lime green "boys" Huffy bicycle. 
I was cool.
Or so I thought.

 
 

My parents nurtured a love of the outdoors in all of us.  My sisters and I played in tune to the rhythm of seasons, and to this day I find that nature and making adventure outdoors remains an important part of my creative process when writing for children.

 

  

 

 

 
 

I also spent a lot of time creating and illustrating stories when I was young, most of them about my pets.  I loved to draw, and I loved books.  Here are a few samples of books I created as a child:

     

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Because I loved making stories, my parents gave me a picture book as a gift, with this inscription:

 

      

   Jenny-

        Your Mother and I see in this book the prototype for your own artistic creativity - a love for life's children - and animals too!  We hope to share your volumes in the years ahead. 
 
           All our love, Mom and Dad.
 
 
The book given to me was Good Dog Carl, written and illustrated by Alexandra Day. I think it's pretty remarkable that my parents encouraged me to become an author, and now I am an author. (Thanks, mom and dad!)  Literacy in the home is an important thing!

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Here & Now

I grew up to be an educator, like my dad.  I submitted my first story for publication in 1998 while I was teaching - author Byrd Baylor was invited to speak to the students at my school and during her talk, she also inspired me to write for children. 

My
first published picture book, Way Out in the Desert, was accepted by the first publisher it was submitted to.  Beginner's luck, for certain.  
 
Following the success of my first publication came additional titles, including, Somewhere in the Ocean, Over in the Garden, The Seed and the Giant Saguaro, Forest Bright, Forest Night, The Little Creek, There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea, Way Up in the Arctic, and Because You Are My Baby, I Love Dirt!, The Busy Tree, and Let's Go Outside!  In 2010, There Was an Old Monkey Who Swallowed a Frog will debut into the world, followed by There Was an Odd Princess Who Swallowed a Pea in 2011.

       
 
 

  
With my sister Kris, who also happens to be my BFF.  And L-R: my dad, mom, me, sister Kris, her husband Mars, & sis-scientist-turned-pastry-chef, Deb.

 

 
 

 

In addition to writing full time, I spend a lot of time with my family - because they're amazing people, fun to be with & I love them.  I divide my time between Tucson, AZ (my home away from home) and Edwardsville, IL (my home.)   

   

        

 
 

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