Judy was born in New York City, but raised in the suburbs of Chicago as a White Sox fan. She grew up in an interracial family, and her background is Puerto Rican and African American. The daughter of a pastor, Judy was a good student and avid reader growing up. Her favorite books from her childhood were Peter Pan and Little Women. Judy also spent her youth doing gymnastics and church activities. In high school Judy became interested in movies, animation and art which led her to attend Biola University, near Los Angeles, where she studied film. Inspired by the Lord of the Rings trilogy and a desire to travel, Judy attended the University of Auckland in New Zealand where she received her MA in film, TV and media studies. Her expertise is the history of cinema, especially the American musical genre.

After returning to the States, Judy held jobs in preschool and elementary education, higher education and the music industry. Along the way, Judy never lost her love of books and reading, and hoped to one day write and publish a book. Finally in 2020, Judy decided to pursue her dream and wrote her first children's book, AJ's Neighborhood, inspired by walks in her neighborhood with her son. AJ's Neighborhood was illustrated by Amanda Dowell and self-published in 2022. A Spanish version of the book was released in 2024.

Judy's first traditionally published book, Ice Cream Everywhere: Sweet Stories from Around the World, illustrated by Lucy Semple, was published by Sleeping Bear Press in March of 2024. Her forthcoming book, Baseball for Breakfast, will be published by Charlesbridge in 2026.

Judy is very active in the writing community. She is co-host of PB Power Hour, facilitates the picture book critique group for SCBWI-SoCal, writes the Back Matter Break Down blog, a member of the PB Buds launch group and the Red Bud Writers Guild, and coordinates self-published volunteers for World Read Aloud Day. When she's not writing, Judy is busy taking care of her two young children. She is an active member of her local church where she is involved in children's ministry, music and justice ministries. She also loves spending time watching baseball games, baking, watching movies, going to the beach, and listening to music. Judy lives in Southern California with her family.

Visit Judy online. Follow her on Instagram and Bluesky.

Books by Judy Campbell-Smith