Mikaela Rianne is the author and illustrator behind Lemon Baby, a forthcoming children’s book series about tending and a love that tries to make everything just right.

She holds a BFA in Life Drawing and a master’s in medical illustration. Her eye for detail, close observation, and love of nature have shaped the little world she has created through the lens of motherhood.

Lemon Baby began as a gift she wanted to give her son, inspired by his first outfit in this world, the nickname that followed, a first birthday party, and his mother’s love for yellow.

She knew during his first year that she wanted to write him a children’s book. She wrote this one because she wanted a lemon cake for his birthday.

In a way, it all feels like one and the same. Inspiration begets inspiration. The order of what inspired what isn’t entirely clear anymore—it lives somewhere in between.

From there, Lemon Baby grew into an ecosystem of its own.