Dolores Johnson received a bachelor's degree in art from Boston University. She eventually moved to the Los Angeles area and applied her talents to advertising and television. At a friend's suggestion, she enrolled in picture book writing and illustrating courses. She was eventually asked to illustrate Jenny by Beth P. Wilson, which was published in 1990. Since then, she has written and illustrated several of her own stories including What Will Mommy Do When I'm at School?, Now Let Me Fly, and The Children's Book of Kwanzaa.