Henrietta Defreitas grew up in the East End of London, and has six siblings and numerous nieces and nephews. At senior school she excelled in Art, Law, Chemistry and Biology and qualified as a medical secretary.
She draws her inspiration for the Henratty Mortimer books from her childhood experiences, remembering her 'big sister' role in looking after her two younger sisters and watching her nieces and nephews at playtime. Her parents' funny interaction with one another and jovial behaviour are also brought to life in her storytelling.
Not only is Henrietta a talented children's author, but her creativity also extends to singing and songwriting and she has written and produced many songs over the years, one of which is Henratty Mortimer's theme song, Come Fly With Me.
Henrietta has also written four poem picture books based on the other animal characters in her Henratty Mortimer books and a further poem picture book dedicated to her mother.
All her books have an underlying value that she believes children can learn from, and her concepts are drawn from the many proverbs that her mother would use as she was growing up when she wanted to teach Henrietta a valuable lesson in life.