Meet Jambo Jennifer Puzzles & Books

Jennifer

Do you have a story behind your business name?

Chickens on the Moon Publishing, which is my parent company, is named after a plot line in a book series that is due out in the coming months. In general though, it's meant to represent the idea that there are no rules when it comes to imagination, especially when you are creating for children. 

Jambo Jennifer Puzzles was named for the friendly greeting you get all over Africa. It means hello but it is always said with a bright smile and a genuine warmth to make you feel welcome.  I get to experience this time and time again when I am there photographing animals for my puzzles and books.

Love the meaning behind Chickens on the Moon, and I bet that is such a great experience being able to photograph animals in Africa. Tell us how did you get start?

I come by this business honestly. First and foremost, as a mom! But I also had a 20 year career in photography and a bit of magazine writing. And always in the background I wrote poems and stories. So when it came time to put down my 40 pound backpack of camera equipment it was easy to decide what to do next - children's books and wildlife puzzles!

Very cool. What inspires you to create?

My company specializes in unplugged fun, to try to help parents and teachers combat the onslaught of screen options in our world today. I think it's really important for kids (and adults!) to be able to still enjoy themselves away from a screen.

So true. What is a typical studio day like for you?

Right now I'm doing a LOT of puzzles! Literally putting the pieces together so that I can photograph them at different stages for marketing. I'm also working very hard on my Becky Barnes book series. The first two books will be released together (hopefully this winter). I do the lettering myself and so it takes a good bit of time. So in short, I don't really have a typical day as my projects are many and varied!

What is your favorite part of being an artist?

Right now I'm completely obsessed with my alphabet puzzles and the explorer cards that come with them. I love that when you buy a Jambo Jennifer Puzzle, you also get to learn all about the animal that it features. That was very important to me as I developed the product. Even the 1000 piece puzzles come with an Explorer Card because I feel strongly even adults still love to learn.

Do you have a favorite product that you have created and why?

I do love Africa Dreaming - I think it's the perfect bedtime book but it also has a lot of adult fans because of the intimate wildlife photography.  

What do you like most about Arvada?

I'm a relatively new resident here so I am still learning about my hometown! I love Old Town of course, and the parks are amazing. I'm partial to the one across the street from our house - I can photograph turtles, ducks, muskrats, herons, bullfrogs... the wildlife here is so abundant, even in the city. But also, my camera and I can be above 14,000 feet with my beloved mountain goats in just a little over a hour!

What can we expect to see from you at Jackalope?

I hope families will discover me so that they can have a few new items to share with their kids when they know they've had enough screen time for the day. I try to make sure my creations are fun for the whole family to experience together, whether they are reading one of my books aloud or learning from one of my puzzles that bighorn sheep can ram each other at 40mph! 

Anything special you’d like to share?

It's never too late to reinvent yourself. I turned 50 last year and I started my company at age 48. If you aren't happy or can no longer do what you've always done, dream big and go for it.

Find Jambo Jennifer Puzzles & Books at Jackalope Arvada this October 5th & 6th, 2024