George Ancona (born December 19, 1929) is an American photo essayist and creator of photo-illustrated children's picture books. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, the son of immigrants from Mexico.[1] He painted signs for Coney Island at "12 or 13" years[1] and as a teenager "knew I would become an artist".[2] As of 2008 he lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico.[2]