Peter Catalanotto was born in March 1959 in Brooklyn, NY, and grew up in East Northport, Long Island, where he attended Elwood-John Glenn High School.

Peter then went on to write several picture books, the first being Dylan's Day Out, published in 1989.

(2005), Emily's Art (2006), Ivan the Terrier (2007), Question Boy Meets Little Miss Know-It-All (2012), and his Monkey & Robot series.

Peter teaches the first children's book writing course offered at both Columbia University and Pratt Institute.

In 2008, the First Lady, Laura Bush, commissioned him to illustrate the White House holiday brochure.