Jan Ormerod was born in Western Australia and grew up with three older sisters. From a young age, she was engaged in visual arts, inspired by many different sources, including comic books. After art school, Ormerod became an Associate of the Western Australian Institute of Technology and Design. She also taught art to talented students in secondary-school enrichment programs.

Jan Ormerod’s first picture book, Sunshine (1981) won the Mother Goose Award. She went on to publish more than fifty books, winning many more awards. Her other well-known works include Moonlight, Goodbye Mousie, Miss Mouse’s Day, Lizzie Nonsense and Water Witcher.