Mary Jantz

Mary Jantz grew up with a shoebox full of Post-it-sized, self-made “mini” stories she would write and illustrate herself using stick figures and simple titles, such as Johnny Gets a Haircut or Sally Goes to the Park. Simple titles and little ideas, one after another. Any small thing she could think of would somehow turn into a Post-it story and into that shoebox.

After earning degrees in both education and nursing, she spent many years and a couple of careers before pursuing her dream of writing for children full-time.

With a knack for incorporating personification into her many picture books, such as The Penny Book, The Nickel Book, The Little Goldfish, and Miss Wise and Her Magical Classroom Supplies, Mary believes that such placement of feelings into inanimate objects is more than just being silly and fun; it's a gentle way to help kids learn kindness and love. And what better way to help children connect with the characters in her story than by giving them the opportunity to see the world from the point of view of a lonely penny, an adventurous nickel, an insecure fish, and even a frustrated crayon. The author believes that kids start to understand what it means to care, to include, and to show empathy for others when they can relate to a character’s feelings and recognize that they might feel the same way sometimes. And what better way than to make a character that is engaging, like a coin or a glue stick!

Her most loved story for the 100th Day of School is the beautifully illustrated book If I Were 100 Years Old which pulls at the heartstrings of all ages. This story gives students a chance to understand not only what it feels like to walk in an older person’s shoes, but also why we need love at every possible age and stage of our lives. She is also the author of Defending the Title, a middle-grade favorite that reflects the true struggles of a student-athlete trying to thrive on a Texas high school baseball team.

In her free time, Mary enjoys running, hot yoga, school author visits, and watching her three boys play baseball in the place they call home: the sunny, warm state of Arizona. And of course, she takes a notebook everywhere she goes, just in case she gets inspired to write.

While the shoebox full of Post-it notes is somewhere stashed away in an attic, her writing journey continues to grow, and all of those little ideas have now turned into big ideas. As she always loves to tell every child she reads to in schools, it is never too early or too late in your life to fulfill that dream of becoming an author: “If you have a story, write it down, because you just never know what might happen someday in the world of publishing.”