Verna Aardema was born into a family of nine children in New Era, Michigan. As a young aspiring writer, she found inspiration and refuge in a cedar swamp behind her house. Verna attended a lot of writing classes at Michigan State University, but none of them were geared toward writing for children. Verna writes largely African folktales because of her passion with that enormously diversified continent. She didn't think about the children's book field until many years later, when she had to make up stories to encourage her baby daughter to eat. Some of the world's most odd and enchanting folktales have originated from its jungles, deserts, and vast plains.

Verna has over 25 novels published to far and is still working on others. Her books have been published in French, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, and Afrikaans, among other languages. Verna and her husband, Albert, live in North Fort Myers, Florida.