I am a children’s book writer/illustrator from Allendale, NJ.  I grew up in Mt. Vernon, NY, the oldest of three girls, in a family filled with books, music, and art.  As a child, I loved to draw, color, and read.  I loved books like Margaret Wise Brown’s Home for a Bunny, Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, and E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web.  I think we must’ve owned every Golden Book ever published!  I decided early on that my life would somehow revolve around art, and making pictures. To the right are some pictures I did when I was 11, in 6th grade.

After graduating from Mt. Vernon HS, I attended Marymount College, Tarrytown, NY, where I especially loved taking drawing and silk screening.  Then I received an MA in Art Education from the College of New Rochelle, NY, earning K-6 Teachers’ Certification before working in textiles, where I created designs for the Domestics Markets.  I have studied Children’s Book Illustration at the School of Visual Arts, Parsons, and in numerous workshops. I am a member of the SCBWI, the Author’s Guild, and CBIG.

My picture books are inspired by my own childhood memories as well as joyful playtimes with my daughters. My creative process begins with rough dummy sketches torn from brown paper bags and ends with energetic, handcrafted, full-color collages.  I enjoy creating intricate, tactile effects the old-fashioned way: with cut and torn special papers, fabrics, trimmings, and plenty of glue.

My first picture book, That Dancin’ Dolly, received the IRA/CBC Children’s Choice Award. Playground Day is my second book.  I feel that we all have a responsibility to nurture, educate, and entertain the youngest members of society, and can think of no better way to do this than through picture books.

My husband and I have two wonderful daughters, Lesley and Julia, and a pug named Gatsby. When I am not making pictures, I enjoy traveling, music, photography, museum visits, spending time with my family, and (my new passion) oil painting.

Thank you so much for visiting my website!  I am available for author visits where I demonstrate my creative process in an interactive, fun and educational presentation called “From Brown Bag to Picture Book”.  Please contact me at jjmerz@yahoo.com.