M.K. Weber

M.K. Weber is an author, illustrator, and maker. Her debut picture book, The Book Monster, is inspired by her own bookish life. M.K. grew up with a voracious appetite for books and a love of telling stories. Each week, her mother took her to the library and maxed out the family's three library cards. Not only did it provide a strong foundation for a love of reading, but provided unnaturally strong arms as carrying 150 library books the car is no small feat. (Shout out to the librarians who loaned us their carts!)

M.K.’s love of books led to a career in education in which she could inspire the next generation of book lovers. As a former elementary and ESL teacher, Mariah now serves as the Executive Director of Auburn University’s Harris Early Learning Center and faculty in Human Development and Family Science. She holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and a master’s degree in ESOL from Auburn University. She received her PhD from University of Alabama at Birmingham in Early Childhood Education with a focus on supporting multilingual learners. Her areas of interest include early literacy, translanguaging pedagogy, and linguistic sustainability.

Her husband Ryan has been her favorite person since elementary school. Together they have created two tiny book monsters. They have made their home in Birmingham, Alabama. You can find them taking walks around the lake, playing board games, or, of course, reading.