school visits
About
Jody Jensen Shaffer (SHAY-fur) is an award-winning poet and the author of more than 90 books of fiction and nonfiction for children, including Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story (2026 Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award nominee, 2025-2026 Show Me Award/Missouri prelim nominee, Oklahoma’s 2025 Donna Norvell masterlist, 2024 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book, 2024 Crystal Kite Winner, 2024 CYBILS Award Finalist Elementary Nonfiction, “Best of 2023” Pennsylvania School Librarians, SLJ starred review), The Last Day Julian was My Best Friend (2025 Crystal Kite Winner, Betsy Bird’s Best of 2024 Readalouds List), Porcupine Had a Fuzzy Sweater (2026-2027 preliminary nominee Missouri Show Me Award), Prudence the Part-Time Cow (Missouri Show Me Award finalist, National Book Festival pick), A Chip Off the Old Block (Iowa Goldfinch Award nominee, Amazon Teachers’ Pick), It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! (Amazon best seller and Book Box pick), Sometimes I am Hot Lava, and more. Jody’s poetry and fiction have been published in magazines like Highlights, Ladybug, and Clubhouse Jr. Jody lives in Liberty, Missouri, with her family. When she’s not writing, Jody can be found spending time with family, walking her rescue dog, Sophie, and cheering on the Chiefs and Royals. You can find Jody online at jodyjensenshaffer.com, on Twitter and BlueSky @jodywrites4kids, and on LinkedIn.
From Jody:
I grew up the youngest of three kids in a northern Missouri college town, where my dad taught anatomy and physiology and my mom taught at the local elementary school. I earned my Bachelor’s in English from William Jewell College and my Master’s in English from Truman State University. After 12 years in the business world, I left to raise my children, and that’s when I fell in love with children’s literature.
10 random facts about me:
1. I am endlessly fascinated by the natural world.
2. I try to walk for exercise most days.
3. I like dogs. A LOT.
4. I am a member of two long-term writing groups. We give each other feedback to make our stories better.
5. I prefer a hoodie over a sweater, tennis shoes over heels.
6. The one food I can’t live without is peanut butter! Yum!
7. I love laughing and funny people and things.
8. I can sing the names of the 50 states in alphabetical order and the preamble to the constitution.
9. I remember the exact moment I learned how to read.
10. I loved being a kid.