Gemma Merino spent the first half of her life in her hometown near Barcelona where she became an architect with very itchy feet. And after living and working in Dublin, Tel Aviv, and finally London, she discovered the fascinating world of picture books. Gemma won the Macmillan Prize for children's book illustration in 2011 for her first book, The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water, while studying for her MA in children's book illustration at the Cambridge School of Art.