Marijke Simons was born in Amsterdam in 1952 and later immigrated with her parents to Montreal. After attending McGill University, she studied teaching and returned to Amsterdam. In 1976 she moved to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and in 1988 set up a small teaching studio where she continues to teach art to children. She has illustrated a number of books, including Who’s a Scaredy Cat by Joan Payzant, and wrote and illustrated Jigs and Reels: a Cruise in Maritime Waters .