🪩🪩🪩COVER REVEAL TIME!🪩🪩🪩 Put on your platform shoes and shiny shirts, folks! DISCO DAVE is about to bust a move! Illus by Yana Kozak #MaginationPress Hitting the dance floor March 3, but available for warm-ups now! tinyurl.com/m79uyeyj #kidlit #childrensbooks #PB #disco #SEL #YouShouldBeDancing

GREAT NEWS! My little buddy Porcupine got himself a preliminary nomination for Missouri's 2026-2027 Show Me Award! I, Jody, couldn't be happier! Illus Angela Edmonds Published by Magination Press

KC-area writers! Join me for the @jocolibrary.org Writers' Conference! It's free! I'll be talking about writing Picture Books at 3 pm on 10/17! Lots of sessions for adult writers, too! Details👇

This #GrandparentsDay, I'm happy to announce my first board book, especially for Grandmas! Illus Ana Zurita, pubbed by Highlights Press! It crinkles! 😊 Preorder wherever you get books! Out before the holidays!

This Thursday, 4-8, downtown Liberty! See you there! Go, Chiefs!

Thanks JS and Penny for featuring EMERGENCY KITTENS! (They make everything better!) jsjenbooks.com Art by Dave Mottram @randomhousekids.bsky.social

Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story made @cindyschrauben.bsky.social Read Around North America list! Thanks, Cindy! tinyurl.com/4xnhuyrr

My ride or die is 11 today! Happy Birthday, Soph! ❤️

This Thursday, 4-8, downtown Liberty! See you there! Go, Chiefs!

open.substack.com/pub/kidlitgr... @jodywrites4kids.bsky.social I recommended your book and @lindsayamoretti.bsky.social featured it in her Back-to-School books!

Thanks for your recommendations, Lindsay and @amyhouts.bsky.social!

Liberty-area friends! Come join the fun at Historic Downtown Liberty's 🏈 First Thursday🏈 on 9/4/2025! I'll be signing books at Basement Books from 4-8!

Kansas City and Surrounds...Come see me and other authors for adults and kids at the 2025 @jocolibrary.org Writers Conference on Thursday, 10/17 at 3:00 CST. I'll be sharing about how to write picture books! More info and registration below! The conference is free!

Happy First Day of School to all who celebrate! Illus Claire Messer @simonandschuster.bsky.social

Good morning! I'm excited to share the covers of my latest titles from Highlights Press, out October 7! Illus by Travis Foster. More to come in this rhyming riddle puzzle series! tinyurl.com/494f72bj

Beach days may be slipping away, but best friends never do. @joannelewvriethoff.bsky.social #TwoLions #BackToSchool

I was thinking today about this book I wrote in 2014. It still feels relevant for some reason. I can’t explain it. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 #TaylorSwift

It’s a book birthday #giveaway! TOMATOES ON TRIAL: The Fruit V. Vegetable Showdown hits shelves today, and I’ll choose FIVE winners of free copies on Friday, 8/15. (U.S. entries only.) To enter, by sharing the image of your choice, tag and follow @lindsayhmetcalf. LET THE FOOD FIGHT BEGIN!!!!!

When @kclibrary.bsky.social brings the preseason book puns @anningalls.bsky.social @suegallion.bsky.social #CritiqueGroup

Scientists! @skypeascientist.bsky.social matches scientists with classrooms, libraries, & more for virtual Q&As! It's easy and fun! We are looking for 750 more volunteers by 8/15 If you're down to chat with 1-5 classrooms this semester, sign up here www.skypeascientist.com/sign-up.html

Thanks #BurlingtonCountyLibrary for including It's Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! for #BacktoSchool2025! Illus Claire Messer #BeachLaneBooks @simonandschuster.bsky.social tinyurl.com/362ah8bm

I had a great time at the Marshall Public Library Wednesday! Photo credit Amber Hendricks!

What an amazing day! I'm overcome and thrilled to share that The Last Day Julian was My Best Friend has won the 2025 #CrystalKiteAward Midsouth! Thank you SO MUCH for loving Anthony and Julian's story of friendship and grace.💗 🚲🥞⛺🏖️ @joannelewvriethoff.bsky.social @scbwi.bsky.social #SCBWI #SCBWI25CK

Thanks so much #MidwestBookReview!💗 “Owning up to a mistake, loyalty, stealing, being honest, friends letting us down... all important themes and lessons featured in this heart-warming tale.” —Midwest Book Review Full review www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/jul_25.h... @joannelewvriethoff.bsky.social

Delighted to see my buddy Jill Esbaum’s book POLECAT HAS A SUPERPOWER on this list!

As you're thinking about #BacktoSchool or #FirstDayofSchool, please keep Busy Bus, bus driver Ben, and shiny, red Engine 4 in mind! People have said nice things about these books. 🤣😊🚌🚒Pubbed #BeachLaneBooks @simonkidsuk.bsky.social Illus Claire Messer.

So happy to have signed PORCUPINE HAD A FUZZY SWEATER pubbed by Magination Press illus by Angela Edmonds at ALA recently! Thanks for sharing @lernerbooks.bsky.social! lernerbooks.blog/2025/07/ala-...

Such a fun Kansas/Missouri writers’ meet up with Sue Gallion, Traci Sorell, Brenda Maier, Dale-Marie Bryan, Ann Ingalls, and Lindsay Metcalf!

How can you help your favorite author without buying their book? Here are a handful of ideas of things you can do before their book releases: 1. Request that your local library purchase a copy. This can be done in person or often in an online form.

Friends! Need a heartwarming #friendship story that explores #forgiveness & #reconciliation? The Last Day Julian was My Best Friend gorgeously illustrated @joannelewvriethoff.bsky.social is on sale this month on Kindle for $1.99! shorturl.at/xdumm #SEL #Teachers #Librarians #feelings

Thanks to Lindsay Moretti for creating these #STEAM units for grades 3-5 on the interdependence of ecosystems! substack.com/@lindsaymore... #STEM #STEAM #Nonfiction #Science #Teachers #Librarians @randomhousekids.bsky.social @csneal.bsky.social

Bee helping pollinate the world!

At #ALAAC25, I got to sign ARCs of the first 2 books in my new NF series w Highlights Press, Who am I? Sharks and Other Ocean Animals & Pandas and Other Bears! Pics w Missouri librarian Jenn Baldwin, Ed Dir Michelle Budzilowicz, & awesome author @rebeccaglevington.bsky.social! Out in Oct!

Yay @danielmiyares.bsky.social!!! #ALA

Such a fun time at @cherylklein.bsky.social’s #ALA kidlit gathering with @jyotigopal.bsky.social Dianne White, Matthew Burgess @meganlitwinbooks.bsky.social!

@beamingbooksmn.bsky.social booth at #ALA

See you soon #ALAAC25!

Amazing!! Thanks, @lindsayamoretti.bsky.social!

Heading to #ALAAC25? Stop by and see me and pick up a free book! #MaginationPress #HighlightsPress

Thanks @christinevanzandt.bsky.social for featuring Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story on #TeachersTuesdays! Free discussion/activity guide/song on website! facebook.com/christine.va... instagram.com/christinevan... linkedin.com/in/christine... @csneal.bsky.social @randomhousekids.bsky.social

Have you voted in the Crystal Kite Awards yet? Each year we recognize great books from around the world. The Crystal Kite Awards are chosen by other children's book writers and illustrators, making them the only peer-given awards in publishing for young readers. Vote via your Member Home.

Such a great time at Storypalooza yesterday at The Learning Tree with these awesome folks! #books #kidlit #writingcommunity

Are you going to #ALAAC25? Stop by and see me! #AngelaEdmonds #MaginationPress

The great thing about the @scbwi.bsky.social #CrystalKite is that I get to read lots of fantastic books I'm unfamiliar with! Round One voting is open now!

Congratulations to these creators and to my buddy, Cook Prize Silver Medalist, Lori Alexander for Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park!

Hey, KC area kids! Come join me and 5 other authors/illustrators on June 10 from 9-noon! Preorder books at The Learning Tree!

Book It! is back!!! 🍕

CREEP, LEAP, CRUNCH: A FOOD CHAIN STORY by Jody Jensen Shaffer @jodywrites4kids.bsky.social (& Christopher Silas Neal) @csneal.bsky.social . . . from worm to bear Lyrical. Wonderful. A fun read aloud. (2023, Alfred A. Knopf) #PB #kidlit #librarians #teachers

Currently in my backyard! I love the Merlin Bird ID!

What an honor! Thanks, Salina Public Library, for highlighting the 2026 Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award nominees! I've got FREE resources on my website! salinapubliclibrary.org/2025/05/off-... @csneal.bsky.social @randomhousekids.bsky.social #STEM #PictureBook #Animals #Nature #FoodChain