Hi, I’m Mikayla White, storyteller, doodler, collector of random facts, and mom of five daughters. Yes, five. There is never a dull moment. Or a quiet one.

I was born and raised in Lakeland, Florida, and these days I wear a lot of hats: homeschooling mom, lover of Jesus, author, illustrator, and unabashed book obsesser. My favorite color is purple; I know far too many random facts, and I firmly believe a lot of joy hides in the little things. I like finding it and then pointing it out to everyone around me.

I’ve been drawing, doodling, painting, and making things for as long as I can remember. Inspired by artists and storytellers like Eric Carle, I studied Graphic Design at Ringling College of Art and Design, where I discovered that apparently my definition of “art” also included sculpting, building boats, and welding. I even managed to do the last one without setting myself on fire, which I consider a success.

But children’s books weren’t part of the plan. At least, not at first.

It wasn’t until I started teaching art to my own girls that I remembered something I think grown-ups sometimes forget: creating doesn’t always need a reason. Sometimes you make something simply because you wonder, What if…?

And with five daughters constantly supplying ideas, questions, adventures, and general chaos, there are plenty of “what ifs” around here.

Add in an ADHD brain that rarely travels from Point A to Point B without visiting Q, purple, a dragon, three completely unrelated facts, and a new story idea along the way, and eventually I realized I should probably start writing some of this stuff down.

So I did.

Now I write and illustrate stories full of wonder, laughter, adventure, and the wonderfully odd ideas that refuse to leave me alone. Through Feather and Flame Press, our family publishing company, I get to send those stories out into the world. Stories lit by grace, carried on laughter, and rooted in light and hope.

I hope the books I create give kids a reason to wonder, laugh, ask questions, notice something they’ve never noticed before, and maybe stay up just a little past bedtime because they need to read one more page.

Although as a mother of five, I should probably officially discourage that last one.

Also, I really miss naps.