Wen Hsu was born in Taiwan, and two years later her family moved to Costa Rica, where she grew up. She holds a degree in Architecture from the University of Costa Rica, as well as a BFA with honours in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. Wen has previously illustrated books for children in Costa Rica and Guatemala, as well as other books in the USA. She was granted the NOMA Concours Grand Prix in 2008.