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About Me!
My name is Jannie Ho (pronounced Jane-nee) and I write and illustrate children’s books. I’m also a cartoonist for Chickengirl comics, in which I draw myself as a neurotic hen observing the details of everyday life.
I was born in Hong Kong and moved to Philadelphia at the age of 9. I’ve always loved drawing but didn’t know much about careers in art, other than fashion design. So I moved to New York to study at Parsons School of Design in hopes of being a fashion designer. But during my freshman year, I saw the senior illustration thesis show. I knew that I had found my tribe and I was meant to be an illustrator.
After graduating, I worked as a designer and art director at fun places such as Nickelodeon, Scholastic, and TIME magazine for kids. It was from working at Scholastic Book Clubs that fueled my love for children’s books, and hoped that someday my books would end up in a flyer (it has!)
Besides illustrating for books, magazines, games, stationery, I also write my own stories. Some of them include BEAR AND CHICKEN (Running Press Kids), HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR (Penguin Random House) and THE LOST MITTEN (Holiday House.) I’m also the creator of SUPER CHICKEN AND SHELLY, a semi-regularly featured comic in Highlights High Five magazine.
I live with my mathematician husband and daughter near Boston, MA. I grumble every winter about the snow and the cold here, but this is where I call home. Thank you for getting to know more about me!
