I am the youngest child in a large, loud family. My nickname as a kid was "Snot-Nose." I spent most of my time on the back of a horse, exploring the craggy hills of Southern California.

When I was six, our family went to visit some friends of my parents. During dinner at the kids table, I was faced with the challenge of holding my own in a large group of older kids, some of whom I had never met before. That night, a peculiar slap happiness hit me and I began to make tip jokes and stories, which made no sense whatsoever, yet were strangely funny. Since that time, my family has referred to these kind of quirky nonsensical stories as Gennifer jokes. Sometimes when I am writing, I hear that weird humor again.

About Writing:

My father left for work wearing a starched white shirt and shiny black wing tips. But when he got home, he slid his feet into blue canvas slip-ons, donned a funny plaid shirt that buttoned easily over his big belly, and sat down behind an enormous Underwood typewriter. Clearly, this was the treat he'd been waiting for all day.

When I sit down at my computer, I feel as if I've just taken off a pair of high-heeled shoes that have been pinching my feet all day. I fit in my chair like there is a Lego connection between the chair's seat and my bottom. Writing is so much fun.

Favorite Quote About Writing:

"What really knocks me out is a character that when you are done reading you wish was a friend of yours and you could call them up." --J.D. Salinger

This month, the National Parenting Center has awardedMoonstruck: The True Story of the Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon their prestigious Seal of Approval. Moonstruck was one of just seven children's books selected for this award by a panel of parents, children and educators. The NPC awards announcement described Moonstruck this way: "This hysterical and irreverent book which explores, in extraordinary depth, the well known Mother Goose line, "And the Cow Jumped Over The Moon" will have you and your children in stitches. With her tongue firmly planted in her cheek, Gennifer Choldenko tells the "true" story of the very first moon jumping bovine. You will laugh out loud as you read this book, we guarantee it. The illustrations by Paul Yalowitz are equally wonderful, making this a book you'll love having on your shelf."