Daniel San Souci
Daniel San Souci was born in San Francisco. The family moved across the Bay to Berkeley, where his father was working for the University of California. In the tree-lined Thousand Oaks district, Daniel spent all his waking hours running around the neighborhood with his two brothers and many friends.
It was at this time that Daniel discovered the magic of books. "There was real excitement about literature in my family," says Daniel. "When I wasn't outside playing, I could be found on the rug in my room, surrounded by my books." When Daniel started reading on his own, he went right for the "Scribner’s Adventure Classics." His favorite books were Last of the Mohicans, Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and The Boy King Arthur. It was at this time that he discovered the great illustrators, Howard Pyle and N. C. Wyeth. Daniel started drawing and painting constantly and was soon dreaming of becoming a children’s book illustrator.
In high school, Daniel signed up for every available art class. He was also attending the Berkeley Adult School in the evenings. "All the other art students were much older than me," he says. "But they were serious students, very talented and very helpful." Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled at the California College of the Arts in Oakland, California. There he had the opportunity to study with many outstanding teachers.
Daniel thinks that one of the most interesting facts about his career is that he has done many books with his brother Robert. "What makes this so unique is not only the fact that brothers are creating books together, but we were both born on October 10th. I arrived on Robert's second birthday."