Icenoggle, Jodi 1967–

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Icenoggle, Jodi 1967–

(Jodi O. Icenoggle)

PERSONAL: Born December 1, 1967, in Fridley, MN; married; children: three sons. Education: Montana State University, B.S. (physical education/sports medicine), 1992.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Boyds Mills Press, 815 Church St., Honesdale, PA 18431. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Writer.

MEMBER: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

AWARDS, HONORS: paraTreasure State Award nomination, and Florida Agriculture Literacy Day selection, both 2006, both for 'Til the Cows Come Home.

WRITINGS:

America's Betrayal, White Mane Kids (Shippensburg, PA), 2001.

'Til the Cows Come Home, illustrated by Normand Chartier, Boyds Mills Press (Honesdale, PA), 2004.

Schenck v. United States and the Freedom of Speech Debate ("Debating Supreme Court Decisions" series), Enslow Publishers (Berkeley Heights, NJ), 2005.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Golden Destiny; The Great Ca-Lamb-Ity of Crosby Crossing; Sunspots.

SIDELIGHTS: Children's book author Jodi Icenoggle began her writing career with America's Betrayal, the story of Margaret Yamaguchi, a Japanese-American girl who is sent with her family to live in a government internment camp following the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The author also draws on her interest in American history in the book Schenck v. United States and the Freedom of Speech Debate, which discusses the legal and political history of one of the most treasured of Americans' rights. Reviewing America's Betrayal, Billings News Online contributor T.J. Gilles noted that "Icenoggle does well in expressing the point of view" of her young protagonist and for "employing … the teen jargon of the time."

Illustrated by Normand Chartier, Icenoggle's picture book 'Til the Cows Come Home is a colorful variation on a tradition Jewish folktale. In the book a young cowboy is given a beautiful piece of leather, from which he fashions a sturdy pair of chaps. Over time, the chaps become worn and are not longer useful, so the cowboy refashions the leather into gloves, a vest, a hatband, and a button. As the leather ages still more, so does the main character, marrying, having children, and building a secure life for his family. Finally the leather wears out entirely, leaving the elderly cowboy with a funny story to tell his daughter. Icenoggle creates a "delightful cowboy interpretation of an old Jewish folktale," commented a Kirkus Reviews critic, while Mary Elam wrote in School Library Journal that "Chartier's action-packed watercolor illustrations are a perfect match for the author's Western colloquialisms."

Icenoggle once commented: "I never intended to be a writer. It was something I stumbled upon after graduating college. As a full-time mom with three boys, I'm able to devote time to them because my schedule is flexible. I usually write late at night or early in the morning. And most of what I write is based on my experiences as a kid, or those of my own children."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2004, review of 'Til the Cows Come Home, p. 179.

School Library Journal, January, 2002, DeAnn Tabuchi, review of America's Betrayal, p. 132; March, 2004, Mary Elam, review of 'Til the Cows Come Home, p. 172.