I have illustrated over 35 books for children and written a few of them as well. I also create digital collages for art shows and galleries.  I love to dance, play the drums, travel, garden and cook. I speak fluent German and a bit of Italian. I have two beautiful children and a very silly dog named Enzo. I was raised in New York City and presently live in New Hampshire.

My family is Italian-American. When I was a child, we lived very close to each other, and every Sunday, we gathered at my grandparent's house to eat dinner or have homemade cake and coffee. My Nana and Pop lived next door, and my favorite place to explore was Pop's garden. It was a fascinating mixture of natural and human -made things. Under the peach tree grew a bathtub; next to the chicken coup, a pile of porcelain sinks took root. The grapevine trellis was constructed with a network of rusty pipes supporting the weight of lush purple grapes while hundreds of green leaves merged to form a cool umbrella. My grandfather could not read or write. Pop was kind, resourceful, and capable. His intelligence dwelled in his presence, in his knowledge that when he was with you, there was nowhere else he wanted to be; when my grandfather was grilling a sausage he savored its aroma, when he was eating a juicy tomato he enjoyed each bite. He was happy with the collage of beauty that surrounded him, created just from living daily life, as he provided with his hard work for the family he loved. He was forever young in his spirit and attitude. Pop knew that life was serious, that there were many difficulties and challenges, sadnesses and injustices; therefore, growing a luscious fig and gathering the chicken eggs in the morning took on an even greater importance.

As an artist, I always feel Pop in my heart, even though I have not seen him since I was twelve, when he died.  My grandfather and his garden  taught me not let myself be confused by negative outside influences, to enjoy the moment as it is and allow the collage of life to flow in and out of the works I create with surprise and delight.

I have been writing and illustrating as JoAnn Adinolfi for a long time and it felt right to move forward into a new chapter of writing and illustrating with a name that gives me strength and confidence, so I combined my parents' names.  My beloved father passed in May of 2020, yet I am so grateful that my spunky mother is as feisty as ever! I hope that all the books I create as Josie James demonstrate joy, humor, creativity and integrity and bring stories to life in the best tradition of children's literature. Remembering names and lives well lived is the joy of story telling.