The Birth of Rosie & Raven by Kayla Silber
Rosie & Raven is a beautifully illustrated picture book with a magical twist. When viewed through a phone or tablet, the artwork comes to life with enchanting animations, original songs, and gentle mindfulness moments, inviting children into a deeper, more interactive reading experience.
In 2016, Kayla had a dream so vivid it felt more like a memory. She was holding an old, mysterious book that looked like an illuminated manuscript, with an intricate rose drawn on the first page. But the rose wasn’t still, it was three-dimensional, moving in a way her mind couldn’t comprehend. Somehow, she knew she had created this impossible thing, though she didn’t yet understand what it was.
When Kayla discovered augmented reality at a tech show in 2018 and began animating her paintings, she often thought back to that dream, as if she had been shown a glimpse of what was to come. Over the next eight years, she refined a meticulous process and developed a style that wove together ancient wisdom and modern technology. Yet even as she poured herself into art, she always felt there was something more she wanted to say, and some other way to say it.
On January 1st, 2024, just two days after a profound kundalini retreat and plant medicine journey, a complete concept dropped into her mind. It came in the form of a children’s book, and she immediately realized that the dream she had ten years earlier was ready to be born into reality. That very night, she began writing, and the story poured out of her like water, flowing from the original vision of the rose.
For four months, she lived and breathed Rosie & Raven. She wrote from her heart, composed and sang original songs, and allowed long-suppressed parts of her creativity to rise to the surface. The process felt like a divinely guided exploration of her own soul, a reunion with her inner child, a remembering.
When the first draft was complete, she submitted it to publishers, fully certain it would be picked up. But after months of silence and a few gentle rejections, she realized something important: they couldn’t see what she saw. Rosie & Raven didn’t fit the mold of what they believed the market wanted. So, Kayla decided to publish it herself. She knew the road would be harder, but it would also be hers — her story, her art, her freedom.
For a year and a half, she refined the book from prototype to final edition, even developing a custom AR platform designed to deliver a seamless and elevated experience for readers without the need to download an app. In July 2025, she officially launched the final edition and was finally ready to let her fly.
And she flew.
A month later, Kayla showcased the book at a tradeshow in New York. During a live brand feature at her booth, the creative director of O Magazine happened to walk by — right as the cameras were rolling. The synchronicity was surreal, but by then, Kayla had grown accustomed to the magic surrounding this project. While she was overcome with excitement, she wasn’t surprised; Oprah’s face had been on her vision board since the day she started writing.
A messenger was sent to pick up the book, and five weeks later, Kayla learned that her creation, Rosie & Raven, had found its way into the hands of the Queen herself. It was chosen as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things for 2025. (will supply the link on nov 4).
No agent. No publisher. No marketing team.
Just laser-focused vision, devotion, and belief…and maybe a little fairy dust.
