A former elementary teacher, Monica has written several picture books for children, Perico Bonito, a bilingual book, and The Two Georges, a bilingual ABC book. Her latest work is Not a Copper Penny in Me House, an illustrated book of her poems, an NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts. She earned a bachelor's degree from City University in New York City, and a master's degree from Mount St. Mary's in Los Angeles. Monica was named one of the Outstanding Elementary Teachers in the U.S. and is a member of a number of organizations devoted to children's literature. The mother of two sons, Monica is originally from Jamaica, West Indies.

Who am I? "In the sixth grade, many years ago, I won the school's poetry contest for writing a poem entitled 'My Garden.' But my dream to be a writer lay dormant a long time. During a sabbatica lfrom teaching, I took a course in Children's Literature at Mount St. Mary's College and met several authors. In conversation, I realized there were stories in my head waiting to be put on paper.".