Jean Perry is an author, journalist, and former elementary school teacher. Perry has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from New York University and a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Teaching from Columbia University. Perry was the first black female reporter at the New York Daily News, where she was a reporter for more than decade. She then went into elementary education, where she worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District for twenty five years. Perry is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).