Jen Arena
@jenarena.bsky.social
Kids book author and kids book editor
Check out some of my books! Acorn Was a Little Wild (S&S), Besos for Baby (Little Brown), GIVE (Knopf), Marta! Big and Small (Roaring Brook)
agent: Stephanie Fretwell-Hill, Red Fox
jenarenabooks.com
Check out some of my books! Acorn Was a Little Wild (S&S), Besos for Baby (Little Brown), GIVE (Knopf), Marta! Big and Small (Roaring Brook)
agent: Stephanie Fretwell-Hill, Red Fox
jenarenabooks.com
I was totally tickled by this spot in an upcoming Breezy Valley book by R.W. Alley.
November 14, 2025 at 6:27 PM
I was totally tickled by this spot in an upcoming Breezy Valley book by R.W. Alley.
Swedish snail on Midsommar.
November 9, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Swedish snail on Midsommar.
I had a blast at the Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge this weekend!
Thank you to everyone I got to meet at my panel, program, and signing and thank you to the young readers who voted for Acorn Was a Little Wild as their favorite picture book of the year!
Thank you to everyone I got to meet at my panel, program, and signing and thank you to the young readers who voted for Acorn Was a Little Wild as their favorite picture book of the year!
November 3, 2025 at 4:50 PM
I had a blast at the Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge this weekend!
Thank you to everyone I got to meet at my panel, program, and signing and thank you to the young readers who voted for Acorn Was a Little Wild as their favorite picture book of the year!
Thank you to everyone I got to meet at my panel, program, and signing and thank you to the young readers who voted for Acorn Was a Little Wild as their favorite picture book of the year!
My inner 8-year-old got super excited when I opened Impossible Creatures and saw the absolutely beautiful illustrations. 😍
More of this please!
More of this please!
October 23, 2025 at 5:55 PM
My inner 8-year-old got super excited when I opened Impossible Creatures and saw the absolutely beautiful illustrations. 😍
More of this please!
More of this please!
A wall of authors who came to sign, great T-shirts . . . and art!
October 6, 2025 at 8:32 PM
A wall of authors who came to sign, great T-shirts . . . and art!
BookPeople has such amazing shelf-talkers and displays, too!
October 6, 2025 at 8:29 PM
BookPeople has such amazing shelf-talkers and displays, too!
Is there any warmer welcome than going to a new city and a new bookstore and finding lots of copies of your books?
Thank you so much, Austin and @bookpeople.com!
Thank you so much, Austin and @bookpeople.com!
October 6, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Is there any warmer welcome than going to a new city and a new bookstore and finding lots of copies of your books?
Thank you so much, Austin and @bookpeople.com!
Thank you so much, Austin and @bookpeople.com!
I had to explain that Creepy Pair of Underwear is a fantastic picture book by Aaron Reynolds and @peterbrownstudio.com.
He was relieved.
He was relieved.
August 6, 2025 at 6:59 PM
I had to explain that Creepy Pair of Underwear is a fantastic picture book by Aaron Reynolds and @peterbrownstudio.com.
He was relieved.
He was relieved.
I got this box in the mail and my husband was concerned. He knew it probably was the MerryMaker plush for Acorn Was a Little Wild, but calling it "creepy pair of underwear"? He thought that was to discourage porch pirates. 😂
Luckily there were acorns inside!
Luckily there were acorns inside!
August 6, 2025 at 6:55 PM
I got this box in the mail and my husband was concerned. He knew it probably was the MerryMaker plush for Acorn Was a Little Wild, but calling it "creepy pair of underwear"? He thought that was to discourage porch pirates. 😂
Luckily there were acorns inside!
Luckily there were acorns inside!
ALA in Philly was a blast!
I saw old friends, made new friends, and reconnected with colleagues from all different parts of my publishing life.
Plus I came home with some great books to read! 📚📚📚
I saw old friends, made new friends, and reconnected with colleagues from all different parts of my publishing life.
Plus I came home with some great books to read! 📚📚📚
July 1, 2025 at 12:33 AM
ALA in Philly was a blast!
I saw old friends, made new friends, and reconnected with colleagues from all different parts of my publishing life.
Plus I came home with some great books to read! 📚📚📚
I saw old friends, made new friends, and reconnected with colleagues from all different parts of my publishing life.
Plus I came home with some great books to read! 📚📚📚
I love that The Cat Who Saved Books includes a note from the cover illustrator.
I've never seen that before! It seems like a great idea in light of all the AI generated art we've been seeing.
I've never seen that before! It seems like a great idea in light of all the AI generated art we've been seeing.
June 23, 2025 at 9:58 PM
I love that The Cat Who Saved Books includes a note from the cover illustrator.
I've never seen that before! It seems like a great idea in light of all the AI generated art we've been seeing.
I've never seen that before! It seems like a great idea in light of all the AI generated art we've been seeing.
I'm still in shock that this is happening!
MerryMakers is making a plush toy of the Acorn from Acorn Was a Little Wild! They captured Jessica Gibson's art perfectly.
MerryMakers sent me a prototype--it's the cutest little nut ever!
🌱🌳📗😍
MerryMakers is making a plush toy of the Acorn from Acorn Was a Little Wild! They captured Jessica Gibson's art perfectly.
MerryMakers sent me a prototype--it's the cutest little nut ever!
🌱🌳📗😍
May 30, 2025 at 6:30 PM
I'm still in shock that this is happening!
MerryMakers is making a plush toy of the Acorn from Acorn Was a Little Wild! They captured Jessica Gibson's art perfectly.
MerryMakers sent me a prototype--it's the cutest little nut ever!
🌱🌳📗😍
MerryMakers is making a plush toy of the Acorn from Acorn Was a Little Wild! They captured Jessica Gibson's art perfectly.
MerryMakers sent me a prototype--it's the cutest little nut ever!
🌱🌳📗😍
I got an amazing batch of mail for Acorn Was a Little Wild from students in Maryland yesterday.
Most were very complimentary.
And then there's this one. . . . 😂
Is there any way to read this that's not throwing shade?
Most were very complimentary.
And then there's this one. . . . 😂
Is there any way to read this that's not throwing shade?
May 23, 2025 at 5:29 PM
I got an amazing batch of mail for Acorn Was a Little Wild from students in Maryland yesterday.
Most were very complimentary.
And then there's this one. . . . 😂
Is there any way to read this that's not throwing shade?
Most were very complimentary.
And then there's this one. . . . 😂
Is there any way to read this that's not throwing shade?
Wow!
I'm blown away--K-2 students in Louisiana chose Acorn Was a Little Wild as their favorite book for 2024-2025!
What an incredible honor. Thank you so much, you wild little acorns!
🎉🎉🎉
library.la.gov/services/for...
I'm blown away--K-2 students in Louisiana chose Acorn Was a Little Wild as their favorite book for 2024-2025!
What an incredible honor. Thank you so much, you wild little acorns!
🎉🎉🎉
library.la.gov/services/for...
May 22, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Wow!
I'm blown away--K-2 students in Louisiana chose Acorn Was a Little Wild as their favorite book for 2024-2025!
What an incredible honor. Thank you so much, you wild little acorns!
🎉🎉🎉
library.la.gov/services/for...
I'm blown away--K-2 students in Louisiana chose Acorn Was a Little Wild as their favorite book for 2024-2025!
What an incredible honor. Thank you so much, you wild little acorns!
🎉🎉🎉
library.la.gov/services/for...
This is how Tampa celebrates Independent Bookstore Day! Since they're waiting for their bricks-and-mortar location to be completed, BookEnds Ybor set up in a rum distillery. There were even special literary cocktails, like Hemingway Margaritas. Yo ho ho!
☠️🦜🍹📚
☠️🦜🍹📚
April 26, 2025 at 8:16 PM
This is how Tampa celebrates Independent Bookstore Day! Since they're waiting for their bricks-and-mortar location to be completed, BookEnds Ybor set up in a rum distillery. There were even special literary cocktails, like Hemingway Margaritas. Yo ho ho!
☠️🦜🍹📚
☠️🦜🍹📚
Happy Earth Day!
Go say hello to a bee and hug a tree!
Go say hello to a bee and hug a tree!
April 22, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Happy Earth Day!
Go say hello to a bee and hug a tree!
Go say hello to a bee and hug a tree!
I'm so excited to share the cover of Abrazos for Baby,
a companion to Besos for Baby and Sonrisas for Baby! How lucky am I to be paired with Blanca Gomez for this series? Her art is perfection!
Abrazos means hugs in Spanish, and to me, this book feels like the biggest, best hug.
a companion to Besos for Baby and Sonrisas for Baby! How lucky am I to be paired with Blanca Gomez for this series? Her art is perfection!
Abrazos means hugs in Spanish, and to me, this book feels like the biggest, best hug.
April 10, 2025 at 7:09 PM
I'm so excited to share the cover of Abrazos for Baby,
a companion to Besos for Baby and Sonrisas for Baby! How lucky am I to be paired with Blanca Gomez for this series? Her art is perfection!
Abrazos means hugs in Spanish, and to me, this book feels like the biggest, best hug.
a companion to Besos for Baby and Sonrisas for Baby! How lucky am I to be paired with Blanca Gomez for this series? Her art is perfection!
Abrazos means hugs in Spanish, and to me, this book feels like the biggest, best hug.
Outside, they had a stick library for dogs. 🐾🐕🦺
March 21, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Outside, they had a stick library for dogs. 🐾🐕🦺
I love this colorful seed library at the St. Pete public library.
March 21, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I love this colorful seed library at the St. Pete public library.
Somebody pinch me . . . Besos for Baby was on Jeopardy last night! Who would have ever thought this little board book, written by me and illustrated by Blanca Gomez, would end up on TV?
The coolest thing about working in publishing? You never know what will happen next!
The coolest thing about working in publishing? You never know what will happen next!
February 21, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Somebody pinch me . . . Besos for Baby was on Jeopardy last night! Who would have ever thought this little board book, written by me and illustrated by Blanca Gomez, would end up on TV?
The coolest thing about working in publishing? You never know what will happen next!
The coolest thing about working in publishing? You never know what will happen next!
Happy Valentine's Day!
I hope today brings you lots of besos. 🥰
I hope today brings you lots of besos. 🥰
February 14, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Happy Valentine's Day!
I hope today brings you lots of besos. 🥰
I hope today brings you lots of besos. 🥰
I can't stop thinking about the Michigander show at Crowbar last Sunday. They completely blew me away! I think they're in Memphis this weekend, maybe Tally tonight. If you have a chance to see them, go!
January 28, 2025 at 5:47 PM
I can't stop thinking about the Michigander show at Crowbar last Sunday. They completely blew me away! I think they're in Memphis this weekend, maybe Tally tonight. If you have a chance to see them, go!
Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day!
I didn't even know this was a thing, but I am so here for it! Thanks to my dog's appreciation of squirrels, I wrote Acorn Was a Little Wild.
I didn't even know this was a thing, but I am so here for it! Thanks to my dog's appreciation of squirrels, I wrote Acorn Was a Little Wild.
January 21, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day!
I didn't even know this was a thing, but I am so here for it! Thanks to my dog's appreciation of squirrels, I wrote Acorn Was a Little Wild.
I didn't even know this was a thing, but I am so here for it! Thanks to my dog's appreciation of squirrels, I wrote Acorn Was a Little Wild.
It's the most wonderful day of the year 📚📚📚
Happy Jolabokaflod, to all my reader friends!
Happy Jolabokaflod, to all my reader friends!
December 24, 2024 at 3:07 PM
It's the most wonderful day of the year 📚📚📚
Happy Jolabokaflod, to all my reader friends!
Happy Jolabokaflod, to all my reader friends!
My mom came home from the store today with bread in a can. She was really excited. I didn't even know this was a thing.
She said we only had it a few times when I was a kid because it was too fancy and expensive. 💙
She said we only had it a few times when I was a kid because it was too fancy and expensive. 💙
December 23, 2024 at 9:56 PM
My mom came home from the store today with bread in a can. She was really excited. I didn't even know this was a thing.
She said we only had it a few times when I was a kid because it was too fancy and expensive. 💙
She said we only had it a few times when I was a kid because it was too fancy and expensive. 💙