Santat was born in 1975 to Thai immigrants in Brooklyn before moving to California when Santat was three.Hsu, Connie. "Dan Santat." The Horn Book Magazine, July-Aug. 2015, p. 55+. Literature Resource Center. Accessed 3 May 2018. After attending high school at Adolfo Camarillo High School, Santat graduated from the University of California at San Diego with a bachelor's degree in microbiology.MySpace Page Santat then attended the Art Center College of Design, graduating with distinction. While there he became friends with illustrator Peter Brown.
