Rachel Berman was born in 1946 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Previously known as Susan King, she discovered her original birth name, birth date, and the names of her biological parents about 10 years ago. This experience led her to reclaim her birth name. She was a self-taught painter who worked as a professional artist for more than 30 years. She illustrated her first picture book, Pigmalion written by Glenda Leznoff, in 2001. She also illustrated Bradley McGogg: The Very Fine Frog and Miss Mousie's Blind Date, both written by Tim Beiser. She died on May 28, 2014 at the age of 68.