Gianna Marino

Gianna Marino was born in San Francisco and spent her early years galloping horses through Golden Gate Park. Her explorations expanded after graduating from high school. In order to afford her many journeys, Gianna had several jobs at once: an apprenticeship with a muralist, a jewelry designer, a product designer, and driving horse carriages through the park. She explored many corners of the world, from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, to the South Pacific, Mongolia, and as crew on sailboats in the high seas.

Gianna finally landed a full-time freelance gig designing toys for children, but after several years in a corporate box with no windows, she left for good and began painting, illustrating, and writing books for children.

Gianna has written over a dozen award-winning books, including Meet Me at the Moon, Too Tall Houses, Following Papa's Song, Night Animals, Night Animals Need Sleep Too, If I Had a Horse, We Will Live in This Forest Again, and she is the New York Times best-selling illustrator of Don’t Let Them Disappear, written by Chelsea Clinton.

Though she still wanders the world, Gianna now lives in Southern Colorado on an elk reserve and works full-time writing and illustrating.