You may have heard that music can actually impact plants, but you may not have heard about this special plant concert that really happened!

Tonnye Fletcher is an author and music educator who writes stories of hope, music, and wonder. She is the host of PBJamz – a multimedia blog spotlighting picture books with musical hooks. She is a woman of faith and a literacy advocate who loves her family dearly. They all live in North Carolina on a small family farm, where Tonnye tries to grow herbs and other plants. Tonnye shares an old Victorian farmhouse with her husband, Shane, and their cats. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on BlueSky or Instagram.

MUSIC PLANTS HOPE is a picture book about a very real concert. It was during the pandemic and 4 musicians decided to put on a concert to an Opera house full of plants. Tonnye decided to turn this event into a beautiful lyrical picture book that ended up being accompanied by Natalia Bruno’s gorgeous illustrations. This book brings many unexpected surprises.

Welcome Tonnye!

Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey. When did you start writing picture books? How has that brought you to writing this picture book?

Tonnye: Hi, Jena! Thanks for having me on your blog! I’ve been writing forever! LOL! I’ve been dabbling in picture books for about as long as I’ve been teaching – almost 30 years. I even sent out quite a few queries (old school! SASE and everything!) Of course, I knew nothing really about actually writing picture books. I knew a LOT about reading them, though. In 2019, I decided it was time to get very serious about my writing career, so I started doing on-line conferences, classes, webinars, etc. and then on Leap Day 2020, I leapt into Kidlit, starting doing contests and more webinars, conferences and classes. All. the. Things.

Me: I know plants thrive when music is played to them, but a whole plant concert in an opera house? How did you first hear of this performance? What gave you the idea to write this story as a picture book?

Tonnye: An agent posted this concert video on social media and said she’d like to have a picture book about the concert, so I watched the concert over and over and thought it was something I could definitely write about.

Me: This is your debut picture book and it is stunning! The text flows just as the music does from page to page and the illustrations are every bit as lush as those plants in every seat of the opera house! How many drafts did it really take to get to this final state? How long did it take from first idea to final published book?

Tonnye: I have about 24 different versions in my file. LOL! Lots of feedback from critique partners and groups. It originally had less than 200 words, so the first task was to add more words and details. Then, lots of wordsmithing, and trying to figure out how to get the grounding details without interrupting the flow of the text. We ended up putting that as the prologue and the epilogue. The last task was reworking the title. It required almost as many revisions as the text itself! LOL!

Me: Can you tell us a bit about your research process for this book? How long did it take you to research all the different facts and tidbits that went into this story? Any favorite discoveries or research methods?

Tonnye: The first research was watching the concert many, many, many times!

Then, I read every article I could find at the time about the concert. I did some plant identification to make sure I was correct in identifying the plants I was including in the text. I also read about Puccini and Crisantemi and the UceLi String Quartet, as well as the Liceu Theatre. Not all of that made it into the text. A lot of that information I’ve used as part of the pre-launch “Back Matter Blitz”, and it will definitely make it into the educator guides and school presentations, etc.

After the book was written, I took a trip to Europe and interviewed Eugenio, attended an opera at the Liceu and explored Lucca (Puccini’s hometown). I loved getting to walk the streets of Lucca and sit under the smiling balcony lights of the Liceu and hear music swelling in that space. While I did that after the writing, there is nothing like experiencing the places and the music first hand and talking with Eugenio face to face. The Liceu has a virtual online tour that is very cool. I’m still continuing research as I gear up for school visits and presentations!

Me: That’s a LOT of research! Wow! What is one thing that surprised you in writing this book?

Tonnye: Well, the concert itself is very surprising. It’s such a unique occurrence. I love that Eugenio had that idea. The whole concept is a novelty – which, as a conceptual artist, is what he does. His art is designed to inspire people to think about things differently, which I think this concert did. I think, too, how well it was received (though not by everyone), was a little surprising, but I think that is a testament to how much we needed hope and joy in the moments of the pandemic.

Also, when I first saw the sketches that Natalia did, it was the most surprising thing. I absolutely loved what she did, but it was not at all what I was expecting!

Me: Natalia Bruno’s illustrations in this book are gorgeous. The way she weaves plants and music together, as well as young readers, is just magnificent! And I outright gasped when I turned the page to see the viola illustration! Did you have any illustration surprises? Any favorites?

Tonnye: Oh, my goodness! The illustrations that Natalia did are absolutely magical, and I cannot imagine anyone better for this book. Her work is stunning, and it is so hard to choose favorites! I love the spreads where the instruments and the plants are intertwining. I adore the little nature surprises she sprinkled throughout. The swallow as the harbinger of music and hope – so wonderful! The cut-aways where the music emanating from the instruments are the colorful plant illustrations are beautiful and spectacular!

The biggest surprise that left me guessing were the two little childlike characters. They do not appear in the text at all, and I knew they were purposeful, but I was so curious about them. After the illustrations were final and all was said and done, and I felt like Natalia and I could chat about her work, that was my first question to her. I love the story she created underneath the main story of these two sweet friends who lost each other in the separation of the pandemic and wander through the pages of the book trying to find each other again. The end papers where Natalia continues their story are some of my favorites. Their little story was such a beautiful addition, and I think adding the child-like characters was perfect to ensure that young readers will be invested in the book. When I showed the illustrations to Eugenio, he said, “Ah, I see what she did. She made it good for kids.” He was exactly right!

Me: Any advice would you give to aspiring picture book writers?

Tonnye: Work hard, learn everything you can, and then give yourself lots of grace and room to grow. Understand that this journey is a marathon, not a sprint, so be gentle with yourself. Much of this journey is simply waiting for a cosmic alignment: right story, right time, right person . . . there is much we cannot control, so give yourself grace and keep moving forward.

Secondly, I would say find ways to connect with readers. It’s never too early! Volunteer at your library. Connect with your local reading/literacy groups. Volunteer at the schools. Find your niche where you can connect with readers. That will make all the difference in the world when you do finally get your yes. That doesn’t happen overnight, so you need to be cultivating those relationships as early as possible. Those relationships will be the key to sharing your book when your yes does come. My work with the NC Reading Association has given me more opportunities for sharing and presenting than any other single thing I’ve done or been involved with. So, find your reading groups and get connected!

That is great advice Tonnye. Thank you for stopping by my blog today.

Dear readers, this book publishes next week. It’s a magical blend of art, poetry, music, and nature in multiple ways that has to be seen to be truly appreciated. Trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss it!