Mariana Ruiz Johnson was born in Buenos Aires. She is an illustrator and author of picture books, and she has written books for children on all continents. In 2013 she received the International Compostela Prize for Illustrated Album for her book Mamá, translated into more than ten languages. In 2015 she was the winner of the international Silent Book Contest with the book While You Are Sleeping. She was selected for the illustrators exhibition at the Bologna Book Fair in 2023 and 2024. She is a professor at the Buenos Aires University. She lives in the outskirts of Buenos Aires with her husband, two kids and a cat.