Welcome to the website of Jennifer Ward!

Jennifer writes full-time from her home in Southern Illinois, which she shares with her husband, a busy cattle dog, and a cuddly chihuahua.

Her house is in a city, but her yard is nestled among wild things: old growth oaks, a creek, a pond, native plant species, and a wonderful abundance of wildlife.
She is easily distracted by everything outside of her windows!

 

When not writing, she's busy gardening to support biodiversity, photographing bird behavior (what are those birds up to?), and working in her small-batch ceramics studio, Nuthatch Garden Studio. Here, she lovingly creates one-of-a-kind bird and garden-themed ceramic mosaics. Her husband is her "burning man", firing their vintage kiln with the pieces Jennifer creates.
 
Jennifer's books include the award-winning Mama Built a Little Nest, illustrated by Caldecott medalist Steve Jenkins, There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea, illustrated by Steve Gray; The Busy Tree, illustrated by Lisa Falkenstern; How to Find a Bird, illustrated by Diana Sudyka; Sleepy, Surprising Ways Animals Snooze, illustrated by Caldecott medalist Robin Page - and many other titles that connect readers to the wonders of the natural world.