Rita Reed

Rita Reed is the award-winning author and creator of Dogfish Tales, a children’s picture book series that spreads positivity, inclusiveness, and acceptance of all. Through her big-hearted character Dogfish, she writes stories that empower kids to be kind, confident, and wonderfully themselves.

Rita’s love of the ocean began in childhood. She never missed an episode of The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, but her real inspiration was her father, an avid scuba diver whose magnificent stories of eels, giant octopus, whales, and sharks sparked a connection to the sea that never faded. Years later, she dreamt of a character named Dogfish, and was inspired to write meaningful, empowering stories for children.

A passionate advocate for accessibility, Rita believes in books for everyone. She partners with the nonprofit Imagination Storybooks, where Dogfish Tales are available in video and audiobook formats for blind, deaf, and neurodiverse children. She is a member of SCBWI, CIPA, and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Rita lives in sunny Southern California, where she studied art, architecture, and interior design, and enjoys time with her family and two spoiled cats.“I feel Dogfish in my heart. He’s the vulnerable, innocent child in all of us.”