JaNay Brown-Wood

JaNay Brown-Wood, PhD, is an award-winning children’s author, poet, educator, and scholar. Her first children’s book Imani’s Moon won the NAESP Children’s Book of the Year Award and was featured on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show and Storytime with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and her second book Grandma’s Tiny House: A Counting Story! received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and won the CELI Read Aloud Book Award. JaNay also has several poems published in Highlights for Kids, Highlights High Five, the poetry anthology Thanku: Poems of Gratitude (Lerner/Millbrook, 2019) and the forthcoming anthology No World Too Big (Charlesbridge, 2023). JaNay is also the author of the popular picture book series Where in the Garden (Peachtree Publishing), four Chicken Soup for the Soul Babies/Kids books, Crayola’s Follow That Line! Magic at Your Fingertips (Kids Can Press, 2022), and the New York Times Bestselling book Why Not You? (Penguin/Random House) which she collaborated with Ciara and Russel Wilson. She has many more books both published and in the pipeline including a series of chapter books called Love Puppies (forthcoming, Scholastic).

PRESENTATIONS

For Kids & Students – 30min to 45min

Author Day with Mrs. JaNay (a quick presentation about her journey, perseverance, and sharing some books)
Where in the Garden Storytime (with song and activity)–Any of the Where in the Garden books
Circle Times (which include short songs, reading a few of her books, and movement activities)–for preschool aged and younger
Let’s Talk About Reading: (Importance of reading and how it is important in so much that we do, share books, and answer questions)–K-3
Thinking about Journeys: The story of a Writer and her books (3-6, and above)
Magic in your Fingertips: Letting your Creativity Flow

For Community Members (Parents and Adults) – 45min

Pondering Diversity in Children’s Books and Why it’s Important
Building brains and literacy skills
Diversity in children’s literature
Literacy and the Summertime Slide
Words on Inspiration and the Power of Representation

For Educators/Librarians – 60min

The Power of Sharing Authentically Diverse Books with Children and Youth
Using Math to Empower Students through Diverse Math Stories
Words to Build a Better World: Contemplating and Crafting Authentic Stories for Children
Some food for thought: Research, ECE, and Ideas about Supporting Young Children
Considering curriculum planning in YOUR expanded learning environment
Inspiration and he Stories it can Grow
What Books Can Be–windows, mirrors, sliding glass doors
The Power of Literacy: Engaging Young African American Readers
Equity, Literacy, and the Importance of Representation
Words on Inspiration and the Power of Representation
Intentionality, Diversity, and the Power of Representation
Literacy, the Brain, and the Power of Representation
A Dive into Diversity in Children’s Books: Considerations for your Practice
The Importance of Diversity is More than Anecdotal
Using Poetry to Support Social and Emotional Skills

For Children’s Authors – 60min to 120 min

- Creating Picture Books that POP!
- Words to Build a Better World: Contemplating and Crafting Authentic Stories for Children
- So You Want to Write a Children’s Picture Book? Here are Some Things to Know
- Let’s Talk Picture Books: The art of crafting and revising books for children
- The Music in Read-Alouds (writing and sharing them)
- Inspiration and the Stories it can Grow
- A weeklong workshop that teaches about all the steps needed to publish a book for kids

University Community