At Purple Butterfly Press, we believe children’s books have the power to change lives.
Our journey began with a mother’s love and a mission to help others heal. Purple Butterfly Press was founded by Alexa Bigwarfe, an author, advocate, and publisher who began writing as a way to process the overwhelming grief of losing her infant daughter. What began as personal healing through words soon became a calling—to help others share their stories of hope, empathy, and resilience.
Alexa’s passion for storytelling, combined with her background in advocacy, led her to build a publishing company rooted in compassion, connection, and courage. With Purple Butterfly Press, she created a space where important stories—especially those that tackle big emotions and difficult topics—could reach the children and families who need them most.
Today, Purple Butterfly Press is a hybrid publishing imprint dedicated to creating beautifully illustrated, emotionally resonant children’s books that support learning, growth, and healing. Our titles focus on social-emotional learning (SEL) themes such as kindness, grief, inclusion, empathy, and self-confidence. We partner with talented authors and illustrators who are deeply committed to empowering young readers.
Our authors include educators, therapists, parents, and changemakers—each bringing their own lived experience to stories that spark meaningful conversations.
With every book we publish, we strive to offer more than just a good story. We aim to offer children a safe space to feel, to question, to imagine, and to grow. Whether you're a librarian looking for thoughtful titles to support your SEL curriculum or a parent searching for books that reflect your child’s journey, we’re here to help.
Together, we can make the world a better place—one book at a time.
Our partnership model allows us to work hand-in-hand with the authors who are a good fit to publish with us. If you're interested in learning more about publishing with Purple Butterfly Press, please sign up for our newsletter for updates on when we'll be open for submissions.
Learn more about the submissions process by visiting our submissions page.
