Monica Gunning

Born in Jamaica, children’s book author Monica Gunning moved to New York City when she was 18 years old. She earned her BA from the City University of New York and her M.S.Ed. from Mount St. Mary’s College and studied at the University of Guadalajara. Gunning has authored Under the Breadfruit Tree: Island Poems (1998), Not a Copper Penny in Me House: Poems from the Caribbean (1999), America, My New Home (2013), and A Shelter in Our Car (2013), among others. Her poetry frequently invokes images of the Caribbean as well as immigrant experiences. She lives in Laguna Niguel, California, and has worked as a bilingual teacher.