Jen White Interview
Jen's favorite scene from Tim Burton's Wednesday. "I feel like both of these characters at the same time, a lot of people must feel the same too."
Christie Megill: Alright! This is exciting, we’ve never done this format before. I think it'll be a great way to connect so many juicy subjects from your love of children’s books, to art, science, monsters and museums. Shall we jump right in?
Jen White: Absolutely! Thank you so much for your time, I’m thrilled. Maybe a little nervous. [laughs]
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Christie Megill: There’s nothing to fear here! Let’s start with some easy questions. What were your favorite subjects growing up?
Jen White: I always loved art and science. I was a curious child, with a silly sense of humor, who loved drawing, princesses and animals. Even at that young of an age I thought I’d grow up to either be an animator for Disney, or a Biologist. My dad worked in aerospace and my mom was an elementary school teacher. Funnily enough, my dad loved taking me to Disneyland, and my Mom enjoyed taking me to La Brea Tarpits, or The Griffith Observatory which is still one of my favorite places today. I remember my favorite toys being a microscope, an art farm, a Safari Barbie, a subscription to Zoo News and a menagerie of stuffed animals.
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Christie Megill: Would you say art and science are the same subjects you write about today?
​Jen White: Yes! [laughs] Quite literally, I wrote a book called The Chemistry Between Art & Science. It’s a nonfiction picture book for kids with real examples of how Art & Science work together, even though we’ve been taught to think of them as separate subjects. They have a lot in common! For example, curiosity and observation. Together, they have the power to visualize and build a better world, and have done so many times throughout our history, they’re excellent problem solvers. It comes out in Oct 2025 and I’m so proud it will be in museums and libraries around the world. It’s a dream come true.
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It wasn't until I was an adult working as a designer that I realized how Art & Science work together all the time. I do some design work for the San Diego Air and Space Museum, and I see a lot of art and science working together in history there, too. I should add that my 5 year old son also inspired this book. He's very creative, loves to draw, build robots, and use my telescope.
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2020, Nature lovers: hiking Yosemite with my son.
2020, Started designing for the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
2023, Showing off the giant Exhibit signage I designed for the front of the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
2024, I created branding for the Apollo 11 55yr Anniversary Gala at The San Diego Air & Space Museum.
​​2024, One of my favorite things to do is hike to the Griffith Observatory in LA through Ferndell Trail.
Christie Megill: You once said “The stories we tell are constellations of the experiences we’ve had.”
Jen White: Yes, exactly. I don’t think stories are inspired by a single event. I think our stories come from a collection of experiences, people, memories. They bubble up, and once a story becomes clear in my mind, I start to see examples of it everywhere. That’s when I know I’m on to something. Storytelling is a magical process, sometimes it doesn’t feel like I'm in control of it. Stories reveal themselves when they are ready, or most likely when we are ready.
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"The stories we tell are constellations of the experiences we’ve had."
—JEN WHITE
1985, My dad admiring the engineering of It's a Small World at Disneyland.
There is nothing like the fresh smell of pumpkin guts and a candle burning inside a Jack-o-lantern.
My love for Disney Princesses hasn't changed.
Wanted to be a black cat. Couldn't stop meowing. Drove parents crazy.
My vampire era, my best friend, and the scarecrow I made with my mom for our school's scarecrow contest for Halloween.
Christie Megill: Growing up, were there any books, or movies that had a powerful impact on you?
Jen White: For children's books, my favorites were The True Story Of The Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, and of course Where The Wild Things Are. I loved the coziness of The Mitton, by Jan Brett, though it's a Ukrainian fairy tale it reminded me of my Norwegian grandmother. ​For YA, I was obsessed with the Bunnicula series by James Howe, and of course as a child of the 80’s I loved Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark. The Green Ribbon and In A Dark, Dark Room, they are core memories for sure.
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​I also loved this beautiful Disney Book that was about making animated movies. I think I got it as a Christmas present. It had black and white photos of animators at work. I really connected with it. After staring at the pages for hours I remember pausing Disney movies on VHS and drawing the characters. ​I didn’t have any brothers or sisters, so I spent a lot of time with my imagination and art supplies. Movies made a huge impact on me as well, I have so many memories of pizza on Friday nights and trips to Blockbuster video. I loved looking at all the VHS art, especially in the horror section. ​
​Christie Megill: Ah yes! We share a bond with our love of all things spooky. When do you think that started for you?
Jen White: Indeed! Let’s see, I love a very specific type of monster—monsters with heart. I often watched The Munsters and The Addams Family reruns on TV. I was also obsessed with Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice. They’re all such lovable monsters, aren’t they? They were also so funny, from the dry, dark, subtle sense of humor, like in the eyes of Edward Scissorhands, or Beetlejuice’s goofy, revengeful one-liners. I adored them. Still do. I've always loved rooting for the underdog, and I’ve always gravitated towards people who were a little different. I also loved the honesty of his monsters, there was no hiding who they were. They wore their hearts and emotions on their sleeves, and just put it out there, the good and bad. There is something trustworthy about that for me, for sure.
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For me, growing up in a suburb of LA it felt like magic was always around, movies were constantly being filmed around us. Night of the Living Dead was filmed down the street from one of my childhood homes, facing directly outside my bedroom window. Spooky stuff always piqued kid’s curiosities in the neighborhood. I mean neighborhoods with families and young kids are the BEST for Halloween! Schools to this day also love making Halloween decorations and taking trips to the pumpkin patch. Oh and of course Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, that was my favorite. Where there are kids, there is magic.
Christie Megill: Have you ever had a haunted experience?
Jen White: Yes, once in Ireland at an old bnb while travelling with a girlfriend. And I’m pretty sure in our last 1960’s house we made some ghost friends there for sure. [laughs] A story for another day. I’ve been on ghost tours in New Orleans Louisiana, Salem Massachusetts, and I've visited the catacombs of Paris, and tombs of Cairo, those were awesome, but no ghosts reached out.
Christie Megill: You've mentioned to me how Tim Burton was an inspiration of yours. Did his movies inspire your own ghost stories?
Jen White: Oh yes [laughs] there are similarities and differences for sure. I love his themes, like the balance of comedy and darkness, macabre and fairy tale, sadness and sentimental, loveable yet misunderstood outcasts. I also really admire his consistent vision for the worlds and characters he creates. Anyone can recognize a Tim Burton film, and that’s over decades!
However, his monsters are extremely cool, [laughs] I think my monsters are very sweet, probably more childlike and shy like me, perfect for children's books. I'm proud to say I think we're both weird though. [laughs] I'm currently pitching a heartfelt ghost story about a ghost named Spirit, and I'm working on pitching a graphic novel series called Ghost & Bat, Guardians of The Garden. I suppose my characters have the heart and humor of Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson, the sciencey-nerdiness of Narwhal and Jelly by Ben Clantoon, and a big dollop of spooky Tim Burton. The day they find a home and are published, I would most definitely follow Tim Burton's playbook of unwavering dedication to his characters’ worlds.
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"[Tim Burton's] monsters are extremely cool. I think my monsters are very sweet and probably more childlike and shy like me, perfect for children's books."
—JEN WHITE
1964, The Munsters.
1964, The Addams Family.
1988, I fell in love with Beetlejuice and thought Lydia Deetz was so cool.
1988, Return Of The Living Dead 2, a bunch of zombies and my bedroom window on the left in Santa Clarita Valley, California.
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1990, First crush, Edward Scissorhands.
Christie Megill: You have something else in common with Tim Burton...
Jen White: Oh? ​
Christie Megill: You both grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, and moved to England!
Jen White: Ah! Yes, that's funny, that is true! I grew up in the suburbs of LA (about 30 mins north from Tim Burton’s childhood home actually) but my parents separated, my mom remarried an Englishman, and we moved to England when I was 10.
Christie Megill: Wow, that’s quite a big move for a 10 year old!
Jen White: Yes. And I wasn’t happy about it. [laughs] It took me a while to warm up to England. I was young, no brothers or sisters to confide in, I had to say goodbye to my sunny home, my close friends, my belongings, my beloved pets, my dad. To start an all girls British school. In the fog and rain and cold. In an unfamiliar house. I remember being very sad and having a lot of anxiety, so it took some time for me to settle in.
Christie Megill: What do you think helped you overcome the stress of moving?
Jen White: My mom helped me by taking us out for tea at garden nurseries. We bought a bird feeder. I took up bird watching. [laughs] I dug a goldfish pond in the mud in the back yard. I read a lot. We enjoyed going to the theater, royal gardens, and museums. It also became much easier as I got older. I had more independence. I could go into London alone. I had a film camera, and a tube pass. I spent almost every weekend going into central London to visit the National Gallery which was free. My favorite painting was An Allegory with Venus and Cupid by Bronzino. I loved the girl with the dragon tail, of course. Everything was old, grand, imperfect. I loved The Tower Of London. It was so spooky, like “they used to put severed heads on spikes” spooky. I remember loving that, and their superstition of the tower’s Ravens, still there today of course, and that they give them biscuits soaked in blood as treats. [laughs] That's so British, right? Buckingham Palace was also mesmerizing, I loved the castles. The crown jewels. The cobblestones. I even grew to love the fog, the misty rain, and mossy cemeteries. Coming from California, it’s like what you see in the movies or amusement parks, but it was real. Real history. Real old. I fell in love with history while living in England for sure. I like to say, history is a collection of true ghost stories, that’s pretty exciting right?
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"History is a collection of true ghost stories, that's pretty exciting right?"
—JEN WHITE
Christie Megill: [laughs] I couldn’t agree more. Sounds hauntingly dreamy! I have to ask, were you Goth in High School? I’m picturing a young Wednesday Addams here. [laughs]
Jen White: [laughs] No, no! Not at all. I mean, I thought Goths and Punks were really cool, but I was cheerful, a little shy, insecure, silly, your average girl who loved animals and art. I was kind, but also had boundaries, I was strong, played sports, did well in school, wanted to get good grades, and go to college for either design or biology. I mean I was also a kid who grew up loving Disney Princesses, Rainbow Bright, Sheera. Just your well-balanced fantasy-loving girl [laughs]. But I’ve always liked people or things or experiences that were a little different, a little spooky, or a little weird. Like a moth to a flame. I was Wednesday Addams for Halloween a few times though! My parents were conservative, however. I do remember wanting to paint my nails black, and they were not into it. I also wasn’t allowed to wear eyeliner. When my kids grow up, if they’re kind, doing their best in school, healthy (I tell my kids now healthy heart, healthy head, no drugs), I will definitely support them if they want to wear black nail polish [laughs]. I think it’s healthy for kids to express themselves creatively, whether that's art, music, or fashion, and not suppress it. ​
1987, Visiting The National Gallery when I was 5, London, England.
1987, An 80's Californian kid who loved neon pink at a palace somewhere in Europe.
My British middle school. Founded in 1878. My school in England survived across 3 centuries, 2 world wars, 6 kings and queens, 35 Prime Ministers, 11 Headmistresses and 3 London Olympics.
1999, My American School In London high school trip to Cairo, Egypt, visiting the Egyptian Pyramids.
2014, Adult years, exploring the Catacombs of Paris, France.
​​Christie Megill: What was going to school in England like?
Jen White: Well, very different from my American elementary school. [laughs] I went to an all-girls private British school for 3 years, which would be the equivalent to American Middle School from 6th, 7th & 8th grade. I was petrified. I came home crying on my first day, and many days after that. It felt so strict and proper, the teachers were so scary. It reminded me of Harry Potter, or Nevermore Academy. But, eventually, things slowly changed. I noticed the teachers were actually quite funny, even though they came off quite strict or scary, and that's when I learned about the English's dry sense of humor. It was all a bit of an act, kids loved it. Students still giggled even when they were scolded to sit up straight and be quiet. I did like wearing school uniforms though. The students were also very curious that I was an American from California, and I remember being asked quite a bit if I knew Arnold Schwarzenegger [laughs]. They were so kind; they took me in, and that helped me while I fumbled through things like using a fountain pen in "Maths" and learning French and Latin. Ugh it brings back so many memories, I'll be sure to put it all in my own YA fantasy someday [laughs].
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For high school, I changed schools again to an international school in London with an American curriculum, so I could take SATs to get into an American university. I loved it there, the adjustment was easier. I was there for 4 years. I related to many other kids who also moved around, it was a great experience.
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I should add even though adjusting was hard, I'm very appreciative that my family cared a lot about giving me the best education and experiences they could.
Christie Megill: Now, what happened when it came time to return to California?
Jen White: I had mixed emotions. New friendships were made in England, and it was sad to have to say goodbye, again. But I was also excited to return home. I went to Art Center College Of Design in Pasadena, was surrounded by other creatives, it felt like a great new start. Thankfully my first job out of college was working as a designer for a Publishing company, I’m so thankful for that opportunity, that they gave me a chance. That’s where I fell in love with making books, and had a little peek behind the curtain how publishing works.
Christie Megill: After years as a designer, what made you finally take the leap into writing and illustrating your own children’s books?
Jen White: I’ve been a branding designer for about 20 years now, which is crazy. But when I became a parent, so many things changed. I wanted to give my kids the most loving, magical childhood, and memories. You see how innocent, sweet, heartfelt, creative and curious they are growing up, and you see that in other kids too! It also makes you remember yourself as a child, and what you loved as a kid, that was a surprise. I remembered how I wanted to write and illustrate children’s books when I was little. I wondered if little me, would be proud of grown-up me. I started thinking about my past, my future, my kids, all at the same time. When you have children, the magic returns, vividly.
I have a daughter, she loves Disney princesses, astronauts, and loves to draw. My son loves robots, science and space. He also loved ghosts for a while, and dressed up as one for Halloween. They are pure joy, and my biggest inspiration. Everything I do, I do for them, and for the little girl I once was. For all kids.
Christie Megill: What projects are you currently working on, and what goals do you have in the future?
Jen White: I just wrapped up my first debut illustrated picture book, Katie, Big & Strong by Jennifer Cooper (Sourcebooks, Fall 2024). It’s a magnificent nonfiction story about a strongwoman named Katie Sandwina in the Victorian era who fought for women's rights, despite men telling her otherwise! I hope I can work on more non-fiction stories about strong women in the future. My debut author-illustrator picture book, The Chemistry Between Art And Science, comes out this year (Holiday House, Fall 2025). And I’m currently illustrating Invisible Kisses by Sarah Rockett (Sleeping Bear Press, Spring 2025).
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I’m also manifesting that Spirit, a ghost story we’re pitching, or Ghost & Bat, Guardians & The Garden, a graphic novel series I’m currently working on, find their home with a publisher in 2025. I’d also love to write spooky, fantasy, romance YA novels someday, or even screenplays for movies in the future. Maybe pitch an animated series. There is no dream too big, but there are limited hours in the day. [laughs] It just takes one step at a time.
Christie Megill: Absolutely! Now, what are your words of wisdom about, GOAL SETTING:
Jen White:In life there are no shortcuts to success, just focus, making plans, and the hard work that goes into reaching your destination. Unless it's a shortcut through an old mossy cemetery, there’s always a story to be found in a cemetery. [laughs]
Christie Megill: GHOSTS:
Jen White: If you’re ever feeling haunted, don’t be scared to hug your ghosts. Metaphorically, I like to imagine the things that haunt us, as little children who want to be heard. Consoled. Understood. It’s a superpower that comes from being a parent I think. Being a parent provides a new perspective on a lot of things.
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"Don't be scared to hug your ghosts. I like to imagine the things that haunt us, as little children who want to be heard. Consoled. Understood. It's a superpower that comes from being a parent I think."
—JEN WHITE
Christie Megill: WITCHES:
Jen White: Love them! I have a kitchen witch from my Norwegian grandmother that my mom passed down to me. Everyone kept her in their kitchens, but she's hanging out on her broom in my studio to help bring me good luck—or at the very least help me not spill my coffee.
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Christie Megill: WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS:
Jen White: If you are looking to start writing or illustrating stories, write or illustrate the books that you wished for as a child.
Christie Megill: FAVORITE CHILDREN’S BOOKS TODAY:
Jen White: Oliver Jeffers, Here We Are. Jon Klassen I Want My Hat Back. Marla Frazee In Every Life and Little Brown. Rebecca Green, How To Make Friends With A Ghost.
Christie Megill: BRAINS (in my best zombie voice):
Jen White: Your mind is your most precious jewel, don’t drown it or dull it. Take care of it. Be gentle with it. If you are struggling, find a mental health professional or therapist you trust. As a side note I love comedy, Conan O’Brien talks a lot about this on his podcast.
Christie Megill: Organizations you support?
Jen White: Please help me in supporting The Monarch School in San Diego, the nation's only K-12 public school for unhoused youth. Visit monarchschools.org.
Christie Megill: Parting words?
Jen White: Believe in magic. It’s everywhere. Enjoy the stars. I also love my children very very much, they are my whole heart. And to them I say, "I’m so proud of you, and I'm so lucky to be your mom."
JEN WHITE
Author Illustrator Designer
I believe in creating magical picture books
with heart that inspire all children to dream, and find calm and comfort under the stars.
Personal life
Born in Los Angeles during the Perseid Meteor Shower, Jen grew up believing in magic. Influenced by her mom who was an elementary school teacher, and her dad who worked in aerospace, Jen loved art, science and picture books. Life and work took Jennifer to London and NYC, and today you'll find Jennifer with her family in San Diego, writing, illustrating, and designing. Her most important title is mom to her two small children, and together they love visiting museums, baking, gardening, collecting rocks, sticks and seashells.
Creative life
Jennifer received her BFA in illustration with honors at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Jennifer pursued her first job in publishing as a designer at Harcourt Trade Publishers in San Diego, then Disney Hyperion in New York, followed by creating award-winning work for branding and digital studios as a visual designer and Creative Director back in California. Today, Jennifer is following her heart and is writing and illustrating picture books, and designing for a variety of clients such as trade publishers and The San Diego Air & Space Museum. ​​​