JaNay Brown-Wood

JaNay Brown-Wood is a professor and writer of children's books.

Biography

Early life and education Brown-Wood was born in California. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned a bachelor of arts in psychology and applied developmental psychology in 2007. She then attended California State University, Sacramento, for a master of arts in child development. She received a Ph.D. in education from the University of California, Davis. In 2021, following the announcement that certain Dr. Seuss books would no longer be republished due to how certain groups were depicted, Stephen Colbert recommended Brown-Wood's book Imani's Moon (Charlesbridge, 2014) on Late Show With Stephan Colbert, asking audience to "consider these books from people of color".

Why Not You? (Random House, 2022), which Brown-Wood wrote with Ciara and Russell Wilson, received a starred review from School Library Journal. It was a New York Times bestseller.

Brown-Wood has written other children's books, including a biography of Harriet Tubman.

Personal life Brown-Wood is married and has one child. Grandma’s Tiny House: A Counting Story! illustrated by Priscilla Burris, Charlesbridge, 2017. Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep, illustrated by Elissambura, Charlesbridge, 2021. Follow that Line! Magic at Your Fingertips, illustrated by Robert Justus. Running Kids Press (New York, NY), 2022. Why Not You? Ciara and Russell Wilson, illustrated by Jessica Gibson. Random House, 2022.

Where in the Garden series

Amara’s Farm, illustrated by Samara Hardy, Peachtree Publishing, 2021.