Meet Amicus Ink Author Jessica Shaw
Jessica Shaw knows the magic of storytelling begins with seeing the world through a child’s eyes. Since 2001, she’s been writing stories that capture the humor, wonder, and emotions of childhood, leading to her delightful picture books The Great Cookie Kerfuffle and Alice Alone (Spring 2025). In this Q&A, she shares her creative process, the joys of writing for kids, and the inspirations behind her books. And don't miss the video at the end for a bonus question!
Q: How long have you been a children's book author and what sparked your interest to write children's books?
Jessica Shaw: I began writing for children in 2001. Being immersed in the lives of little ones—my own and their playgroup friends—was the spark. Seeing things through their eyes and being tuned in to what they interpreted as funny, scary, fascinating, or frustrating made me want to write stories that would strike a chord with kids. For a while, I submitted short stories and poems to children’s magazines like Highlights and Ladybug. Along the way, I started working on longer stories and trying my hand at picture books. I had some success writing non-fiction books for educational publishers, and then – voila! – the stars aligned in 2019 when I sent a picture book to Amicus and it was a perfect fit. That book was The Great Cookie Kerfuffle, which came out in August of 2022!
Q: What does your writing process look like? What are some things that inspire you?
Jessica Shaw: My writing process is messy! More organic than methodical. I scribble on post-its and backs of receipts, I run through alternate endings in my mind while I shower, I tap nonsensical phrases into the Notes section of my phone at 2 am, and I audition perfectly lovely strings of words for potential titles or opening lines in one of my many writing notebooks. Once all the bits and pieces are shaping up into a beginning, middle, and end in my mind, then it’s time for my laptop.
The obvious answer is, of course, I’m inspired by kids! But I’m also inspired by kindness, nature, and words! I love to just play around with fun words. Sometimes a word or a phrase is the initial inspiration and then the story comes later.
Q: What do you find most appealing about your career in writing children's books?
Jessica Shaw: Feeling connected to others in a meaningful way is really important to me, and writing is one of the ways I make those connections. It’s rewarding to think about someone smiling, laughing, learning, or feeling seen after reading one of my books.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to aspiring children's book authors?
Jessica Shaw: Just one? Oooph. Keep it fun! There are all kinds of “rules” about what aspiring writers should do…how often they should write and for how many minutes, what they should or shouldn’t write about, how often they should query, etc. If you get too wrapped up in the rules, the joy of writing can be lost. Don’t set yourself up for failure with unrealistic expectations of yourself. Write when you feel inspired! Write the story you feel compelled to write for kids. Then write another one!
Q: What would you have been if not an author?
Jessica Shaw: Hmm…I’ve had a lot of different jobs while also writing, and I’m not done evolving yet:) But if I had to choose, I’d say my current job— teaching— is a natural fit for me.
Q: You've written two books for Amicus Ink, The Great Cookie Kerfuffle and Alice Alone. Can you share some insight as to why you wrote these two incredible picture books?
Jessica Shaw: The Great Cookie Kerfuffle first came to me when I set out to write a friendship story with animal characters. I needed an inciting incident…something to put them at odds and make them temporarily forget the importance of their friendship. Enter, stage left: the cookie! Who doesn’t love a cookie? After the initial draft was written and revised, it sat for a long time. A few years, actually. When I dusted it off and re-read it, inspiration struck. I revised it yet again, adding in the count up to ten and back down to one. I knew it was ready and would be a perfect fit for someone at that point. I thought Amicus might be that perfect fit, and it was! The illustrator, Pauline Gregory, brought my characters to life in the most adorable way, and I was so pleased with the entire process and the finished product!
Alice came to me as I was musing on just how busy families are these days, and how children (even only children!) can feel lost in the murky middle of everything. The words flowed, snip-snap-lickety-split-quick(ly)—IYKYK, and I soon had a first draft. I always share my work with trusted writer friends for feedback, and I received some fantastic ideas that led me to a final draft that I absolutely loved. A book of my heart, with humorous twists. The surprise ending came to me as I thought about Alice being in the “middle,” literally. I knew not everyone would catch it, but it’s a fun “Easter egg” on that last page! Amicus did such a lovely job, yet again, and I absolutely struck gold when Olga Herrera signed on as illustrator!
Shop Jessica Shaw's picture books:
Alice Alone (NEW SPRING 2025)
The Great Cookie Kerfuffle