Janet Lee was born in Ottawa, Ontario, and was drawn to the Yukon after graduating from Queen’s University. She found herself in the small town of Faro and began working in Ross River, which brought her into contact with the First Nations people of the Yukon. Her respect for the culture drew her close to the Elders and, in turn, they shared their love of stories with her.
Dinosaur Valley is based on a story she told her children, Jane and Jeff, when they were young and clouds rolled into the valley one fall morning. Jane and Jeff are grown now, and Janet and her husband, Bill, have left the Yukon. But no matter where they are, whenever they see the morning clouds sitting low in a river valley, they know it is another Dinosaur valley day.