Rosemary was born in New York City and raised on the New Jersey shore. She grew up in a home that was always filled with books, dogs, classical music, and other things her parents held in great esteem.
Speaking about her youth, Rosemary recalls, "New Jersey was farm country and I spent much of my time outdoors, running around the woods behind our house and playing baseball with the neighbor's kids.
At two years old Rosemary began to draw. When she was not outdoors, she was always drawing. At nineteen, she attended Boston Museum School. Rosemary worked seven years in publishing before her first book was published in 1968, an illustrated edition of Gilbert and Sullivan's A Song to Sing, O! Rosemary Wells' career as an author and illustrator spans more than 40 years and 120 books. She has won numerous awards, and has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko. She has also given Mother Goose new life in two definitive editions, and created an unforgettable world for grown-ups and kids alike in Voyage to the Bunny Planet.