Jody Cauduro is an Australian Children’s Book author who was born in Wollongong, NSW. She has spent most of her life in this beautiful area of Australia, completing her schooling and a Bachelor of Education Degree at the local University.
Her interest in reading began from her parents, Ann and Harold. Bedtime stories and reading material were everywhere around the house, and it was this that set her on a path of a lifelong interest in words and learning. An inspiring selection of Children’s Literature lecturers helped reinforce an aim of writing for children… so here she is – putting those aims into action.
Having worked in Early Childhood Education and Primary schools since 1988, Jody continues to enjoy sharing books with children and adults as part of her teaching. Now tutoring at Uni herself, she doesn’t pass up an opportunity to enthuse her students with children’s books of all kinds.
Her first self-published book was, The Blue Thief (2013). Jody heard William Webster from Inspiring Publishers, Canberra, talk at the local Writer’s Centre and soon afterwards enlisted his expertise in publishing her story. This story came from watching the fascinating antics of a particular bird during walks around the hills near her home (can you guess which bird it is? – check out the story) The Rainbow Mystery Series (TRMS) was born.
While Mandy Waited ( 2016 ) was the second book in TRMS. This story was inspired by her Italian father-in-law’s array of backyard fruit trees and plants. As an acknowledgement, Mandy receives a birthday present from her Italian grandfather at the beginning of this story. The catch is, she has to watch, wait and care for this new arrival before discovering the orange surprise it will produce (and I bet it’s not what you think!) Along with Mandy, children can learn about the relationship between seasons and growth as well as the important role native and honey bees play in supporting the creation of our fresh food.
Stay tuned for five more books in the Rainbow Mystery Series.
The third book Jody has written is published by Custom Books, Hong Kong. The beautiful illustrations provided by Charlotte Shama bring to life a memory Jody had involving her children when they were young. Watching…Wondering (2018) is written with the ages 2 – 5 years in mind. The main aim, however, is for it to be shared in regular cosy reading sessions between adults and children of any age. The story focuses on Ben, who has recently spent time indoors due to illness, but is now delighted to be outside, watching and wondering about the world around him. This is a story celebrating the power of the imagination. An added bonus with this story, is that the readers can add their own creative input by illustrating the blank pages at the back of the book.
Her most recent book is a foray into the musical genius of the artists and bands from the 1960s. An interactive story for children aged 6 – 12 years, Discovering Those Musical, Suit-Wearing Bugs From Times Past (2020) has been illustrated by the talented Liam Waldie. This is a book designed to encourage readers to find embedded song titles from the 60’s as well as Liam’s hidden ‘bugs.’ Fun and educational, this narrative strives to highlight and ignite an interest in the phenomenal output of music during this decade, particularly songs by The Beatles.
Jody is available for workshops in schools, libraries and at literacy events. She is a Committee Member of the Illawarra / South Coast Branch of The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA), a member of the Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA), the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (ALEA) and the South Coast Writers’ Centre (SCWC).
Here are some photos from workshops and events Jody has been involved in.