Alba Marina Rivera was born in Russia in 1974, and she grew up in Cuba. When she moved to Barcelona she discovered her love for illustration, which she studied at the Escola Massana. She received the prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award in the New Horizons category for her book El contador de cuentos. It was also recognized as "Los mejores libros para ninos y jovenes" (the best books for children and youth) by Venezuela's Banco del Libro and was a finalist at the Picture Book Festival in Korea.