About the Author

V. Anna always liked reading--entering a new universe filled with magic and potential. Books are what taught her that her closet doesn't hide monsters; it hides Narnia. She remembers the days before reading chapter books, being put off by the idea of a story without colorful drawings and more taken in by the illustrations that the words. Then came the era of Nancy Drew and Percy Jackson and Maximum Ride and countless other picture-less books, inspiring dreams of one day becoming an author herself. She couldn't have guessed that she would actually end up with her own picture books--very full circle, in a way.

V. Anna wrote The Friendly Flower as a part of a school project in her sophomore year of high school. Her project consisted of writing the story and donating copies to local hospitals. After witnessing some children’s joyful reactions to her first complete book, The Friendly Flower, she became inspired to write and illustrate The Painted Butterfly. She hopes that both stories will make more kids smile, and help them grow up with a stronger sense of friendship and beauty.

V. Anna wrote The World We Live In over the summer of 2020, using free time in quarantine to channel her own thoughts into a short book. She worked on the illustrations intermittently over the following months, hoping her creation could provide some solace in a daunting world.