Smithsonian Kids: D Is for Dinosaur

Courtney Acampora holds a B.A. in art history from San Diego State University and a M.A. from the University of Arizona. Currently working in publishing, Courtney's lifelong love for both art and books fused together and gave her the opportunity to write and create engaging books for kids. Courtney lives in San Diego, California.

Marta Garatea was born in Pamplona, Navarra, in the north of Spain, surrounded by mountains, forests, and amazing sunsets. When she was little, she enjoyed watching animal documentaries and her favorite movies--The Neverending Story, TLOTR, Inside the Labyrinth, and The Dark Crystal, along with many others from Disney. This explains why you can find little fairies and magical creatures in her art. She loves to transmit emotions with her illustrations, reflecting a mystical, dark and bright mist, along with feelings such as friendship, sadness, and joy. She studied comics in Escola Joso in Barcelona and always knew she wanted to become an illustrator so that children and adults could enjoy reading fantasy stories as she did. She now lives with her chubby old cat, Lynch, in Sabadell, where she cooks her grandma's recipes and keeps forgetting to drink her tea on time.