Daggett, Neely: - Neely Daggett is an Iranian American artist who was born in Columbia, Missouri, in July 1982. She spent her early childhood riding bikes, swimming in lakes, exploring caves, and creating her own books out of construction paper. In sixth grade, her family relocated to Chicago, and although she currently lives in Portland, Oregon, she still considers herself a Chicagoan at heart. Neely has a degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Colorado. Neely is a mom to three human children, 21 plant babies, and one cat. Creating diverse, lovable characters for children's books is her passion. She is also very much inspired by nature and hopes to illustrate a book that promotes a cleaner, kinder planet someday.