Monica Wellington was born in London and lived in Europe until she moved to the United States at age seven. As a child she always loved to draw and paint, but it wasn’t until she went to college that she realized she wanted to be an artist for her profession. She went to the University of Michigan’s School of Art to earn her BFA and studied pottery, painting, and printmaking.
After art school, while traveling and living in several different countries, she had various art related jobs, which were all good background and preparation for doing children’s books. She has both written and illustrated most of her books.
She says, “I usually start a book visually, with an idea of what I want to paint pictures about. The pictures may come first before the words for me. Both the pictures and words go through many revisions, and I am often still working on the final words after I finish the pictures.” She says that doing children’s books is great. “I get to have a job where I spend my days doing totally what I love to do. And it is very gratifying that my work goes out into the world and is shared with other people. I feel incredibly lucky for all this!”
Books in order of publication:
All My Little Ducklings – 1989
The Sheep Follow – 1992
Mr. Cookie Baker – 1992
Night Rabbits – 1995
Night House Bright House – 1997
Night City – 1998
Squeaking of Art: The Mice Go to the Museum – 2000
Apple Farmer Annie – 2001
Firefighter Frank – 2002
Crêpes by Suzette – 2004
Zinnia’s Flower Garden – 2005
Pizza at Sally’s – 2006
Truck Driver Tom – 2007
Riki’s Birdhouse – 2009
Gabby and Grandma Go Green – 2011
Colors for Zena – 2013
My Ballet Journal – 2014
My Leaf Book – 2015
Dear Ballerina– 2019
Oak Lawn Library Friends 