Dana Ryan

Dana Ryan spent her childhood in California and British Columbia, giving her a solid love of sunshine and a lasting dislike of snow. She learned French as a second language in Canada, then married a Spanish speaker and decided to learn that too. Three babies later she started writing books in her spare time.

Because she struggled to find early Spanish readers for her bilingual children, she created Martín y Pepe with the help of a gifted illustrator. The “primeros lectores” series invites beginning readers to enter a colorful world of animal friends while reinforcing foundational literacy skills.

Her chapter book, Foodie Island, first began as a bedtime story and grew into the whimsical, edible adventure it is today. Although written in English, it contains many words that sound a lot like gibberish.

Dana lives in Southern California with her husband and three children.