Stiegemeyer, Julie

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Stiegemeyer, Julie

Personal

Born in Denver, CO; married; husband's name Scott (a Lutheran minister); children: Jacob. Education: B.A. (English); M.A. (English education) Hobbies and other interests: Walking in the woods, spending time with family, watching movies, doing puzzles, reading, writing.

Addresses

Home and office—IN.

Career

Author and freelance writer. Worked previously as an educator.

Member

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Writings

Faith at Work, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2001.

Colors I See in Church, illustrated by Kathey Mitter, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2002.

Things I Do in Church, illustrated by Kathey Mitter, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2002.

Things I Hear in Church, illustrated by Kathey Mitter, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2002.

Things I See in Church, illustrated by Kathey Mitter, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2003.

Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend, illustrated by Chris Ellison, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2003.

Thanksgiving: A Harvest Celebration, illustrated by Renné Benoit, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2003.

Baby in a Manger, illustrated by Nicole Wong, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2004.

Things I See at Easter, illustrated by Kathy Mitter, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2004.

Bethlehem Night, illustrated by Gina Capaldi, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2005.

Bright Easter Day, illustrated by Susan Spellman, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2005.

Cheep! Cheep!, illustrated by Carol Baicker-McKee, Bloomsbury Children's Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Mommy Promises, illustrated by Wilson Ong, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2006.

Things I See at Baptism, illustrated by Kathryn Mitter, Concordia Pub. House (St. Louis, MO), 2007.

Merry Christmas, Cheeps!, illustrated by Carol Baicker-McKee, Bloomsbury Children's Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Contributor to Christian Parenting Today magazine.

Sidelights

Julie Stiegemeyer has always had two loves in her life: reading and writing. She began her writing career at a very young age, completing her first children's book—recounting the adventures of a helicopter—while she was still in kindergarten and moving into poetry in fourth grade. As a writer for children, Stiegmeyer's focus has been primarily on religious-themed books for pre-readers, although the board book Cheep! Cheep! and its sequel, Merry Christmas, Cheeps!, are published by a mainstream press. Deemed "irresistible" and "inventive" by a Publishers Weekly reviewer, Cheep! Cheep! uses one-syllable words to express the anticipation of three newly hatched chicks as they anxiously await the arrival of a sibling who has yet to emerge from his egg. Linda Zeilstra Sawyer, reviewing the board book for School Library Journal, cited the simplicity of both text and illustrations and added that, "together they strike the perfect balance to create a charming picture book." Citing the engaging illustrations by Carol Baicker-McKee as depicting "cuteness in action," a Kirkus Reviews critic called Cheep! Cheep! "one to keep."

As a professional writer and children's-book author, Stiegemeyer has made it a habit to keep a journal capturing daily events and thoughts, and she often refers to this book for her story ideas. On her home page, she

encourages aspiring writers to read as much as they can in the genre that they would like to write for. While beginning writers often neglect the value of reading, she added, "reading in your specialty helps you learn the basics of style, tone, length, pacing, character development, plot development, and a whole host of other things."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March, 2006, Loretta Gaffney, review of Cheep! Cheep!, p. 327.

Child, March, 2006, Julie Yates Walton, review of Cheep! Cheep!, p. 36.

Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2006, review of Cheep! Cheep!, p. 45.

Publishers Weekly, September 22, 2003, review of Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend, p. 71; September 22, 2003, review of Cheep! Cheep!, p. 66.

School Library Journal, March, 2006, Linda Zeilstra Sawyer, review of Cheep! Cheep!, p. 202.