Philomena O'Neill was born in Ireland. Her family moved to Ghana, West Africa when she was eight years old and immigrated to Canada when she was 14. She met her husband in 1976 on a sailboat in Patchogue, Long Island, and shortly after marrying, moved to Seattle where they raised four children. She has been illustrating children's books, magazines, and education material for nearly 20 years. You can see more illustration work on her website at philomenaoneill.com.