Interview with Olivia Coates!
We’re honoured to be able to speak with talented author, Olivia Coates about her newest picture book, Rosie’s Garden. Stemming (pardon the pun) from a place of passion for nature, her story shines with kindness, compassion and advocacy for the people and the green spaces around us. Like in the book, the unity of community plays a large role in making positive changes, and we appreciate the support of our own kidlit community for Olivia and in welcoming Rosie’s Garden into the world.
Please take care in reading about Olivia’s personal loss. Our thoughts are with you and your family, Olivia. xx
About the Author
Olivia Coates is an early childhood professional who is passionate about the role of the natural environment in education and care for young children. Since the beginning of her teaching career in 2005, Olivia has secured numerous garden grants for local kindergartens and schools, and worked closely with organisations who provide supported employment for people with a disability. The projects targeted better access, inclusion and connection.
She adores visiting these gardens now and seeing children immersed in play amongst nature, growing and harvesting vegetables, feeding chickens and collecting eggs, learning the names and traditional uses of plants. The sense of community that grows from these experiences – that’s the magic. It shows that investing a little bit of time really can have a lasting impact.
Rosie’s Garden is Olivia’s second picture book, following her debut Shadow Wall.
Please find Olivia Coates at her website: Children’s Author | Olivia Coates Author and on Instagram.
About the Illustrator
Samantha McLelland is a freelance illustrator and former school art teacher. She loves pottery, cooking, reading and exploring the outdoors.
Please find Samantha McLelland at her website: Samantha McLelland – ART – DESIGN – ILLUSTRATION
Rosie’s Garden is available for purchase through EK Books.
(Teacher’s notes are available here, too!)
Congratulations on the upcoming release of your delightful new picture book, Rosie’s Garden.
This is a beautiful and inspiring story about preserving natural spaces and working together as a community to achieve a sustainable future. Why were you inspired to write this book?
I volunteered for 7 years in the veggie garden at my daughter’s primary school. It earned me the title; Crazy Garden Lady and I wore it proudly.
I soon became aware of the positive impact the garden space was having on children’s wellbeing. For some kids, their struggles in the classroom were disheartening, but in the garden, that all goes out the window. A garden meets children exactly where they are in any given moment and there is something so (pardon the pun) grounding about that. They can dig away a bad mood, reconnect with peers through imaginative play as they mix magic potions from herbs and flowers, or find solidarity in a mission to empty a trailer load of cow manure in a single lunch break.
I could also see positive benefits filtering through the wider school community; children brought fresh produce home to their families, grandparents came to see funky scarecrows and conversations grew; ‘Hey, we picked yam daisies from the bush tucker garden today.’ ‘What’s a yam daisy?’
It was such a joyful experience, and seeing those social and environmental connections strengthen; that was the seed of inspiration for this story.
Why are the themes of environmentalism, urbanisation and community important to you?
To be honest, I didn’t consciously fathom how important community was to me until I started writing and soon discovered it creeping into all of my manuscripts.
Then our world shattered after the devastating death of our 14-year-old son last September. Since then, we have felt the full force of community strength as people have rallied around us, holding us upright with their love and support. From groceries to farm jobs and crying together into endless cups of tea. Even joining forces to help launch a certain new picture book into the world, when the very thought of this process felt inconceivable. I get overwhelmed with emotion thinking about the kindness that has been extended and feel so grateful for all our various communities.
As for urbanisation; it’s inevitable; we need places for people to live and work and everyone deserves to have a roof over their head. But it can be devastating when this comes at the expense of green spaces and when natural environments are compromised. As a nature lover, it’s a confronting issue, but I think it’s important for small children to feel hopeful about future solutions.
And despite an escalating population, there are many encouraging examples of urban greening, from rooftop farms and nature reserves to living laneways and green facades. I think transforming underused spaces into thriving ecosystems is an exciting concept and a necessary shift for a sustainable future.
Please tell us a bit about your main character, Rosie, and her determination to minimise the change in her neighbourhood. How did you develop her character and how might she inspire young readers?
Rosie, bless her little red wagon, is loosely based on a real-life Rosie who used to visit me often in the school garden. The classroom was not always an easy space for Rosie to learn, but in those plots and patches, her love of digging was contagious and her curiosity, welcomed.
Like the book character Rosie, most children can relate to feeling small and helpless at some point. But standing up for what you believe in, whether that’s the right for a space to dig, or saving a chicken from a dumpster, facing changes head on, that takes courage. I hope young readers can take inspiration from the fact that small people with big hearts can feel empowered to make a difference.
Your illustrator, Samantha McLelland’s artwork gorgeously depicts a warm, friendly community feel, in amongst some moments of despair with the use of an aptly toned colour palette of nature versus industrialisation. What do you love most about her work, and were you able to collaborate during the process?
Samantha captures mood so effectively and I love that her illustrated places feel familiar and relatable. The cityscape could as easily be set in Melbourne as New York and it’s easy to dream yourself into the scene. Samantha has also incorporated quirky detail, like Mr Dellagatti’s crocs, the chalk art on the garden wall, and Esmeralda (the chicken’s) construction helmet. These things all add a sense of joy to the narrative.
Aside from the initial illustration notes, which were more about clarity than artistic choices, I tried not interfere with Samantha’s expertise. I was given the opportunity to provide feedback on some early storyboard sketches, but felt underqualified to offer advice. I had already seen some of Samatha’s other work and fully trusted her ability to bring the story to life.
What do you love most about Rosie’s Garden?
Seeing the sunflowers in Samantha’s illustrations of the community garden, the first time I saw the book, made me emotional. When our son passed away, we planted a large paddock of sunflowers in his honour so he would have something bright to look on from his place in the stars. And then to have them pop up in Samantha’s illustrations despite not being mentioned in the text, felt serendipitous.
I also love how the story reflects, realistically, that some changes are unavoidable but that, even when a solution seems impossible, the drive to help others in the community can push us into action and towards hope.
And of course, that little red wagon- I absolutely need one.
Anything else you’d like to share about yourself or this book?
I’m a bit of a community garden junkie. I may be guilty of forcing our car into a screeching U-turn on more than one family holiday, to double back after passing a Community Garden sign. I love exploring these spaces and wondering about the unique stories of individuals who interact here and the impact they have on the garden and each other and the impact the garden has on them.
Thanks so much for the opportunity to learn more about your touching story, Olivia! 😊
Please find Olivia Coates at her website: Children’s Author | Olivia Coates Author and on Instagram.
Please find Samantha McLelland at her website: Samantha McLelland – ART – DESIGN – ILLUSTRATION
Rosie’s Garden is available for purchase through EK Books.
We’d love for our kidlit community to join in to share in the exciting release of Rosie’s Garden with Olivia Coates. This enriching story is sure to unite and empower readers across the globe!
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To join in this promotion or for book marketing enquiries please contact info.booksontour@gmail.com
