Author Tonnye Fletcher on the Power of Plants- plus a GIVEWAY! « Lydia Lukidis
Author Tonnye Fletcher on the Power of Plants- plus a GIVEWAY!
Hello world!!
Welcome to my kidlit blog, Blissfully Bookish. Over the years, many people have told me they have an idea for a children’s book but aren’t know how to get started. That’s why I created a FREE webinar designed to help aspiring writers take those first steps with confidence. If you—or someone you know—may be interested, you can sign up here: bit.ly/LydiaWrites. I’ll also be offering more advanced webinars for children’s writers who already have some experience and are looking to take their craft to the next level.
And now for today’s Q & A- I got to interview an author I saw working hard and then a few years later, announcing her new book. Please say hi to Tonnye Fletcher, here to discuss her new picture book, MUSIC PLANTS HOPE, illustrated by Natalia Bruno, and published by Reycraft Books.
BUT first- YAY! Tonnye is generously giving away a a virtual visit (AMA or virtual school visit) OR a PB critique (up to 700 words, NO rhyme) OR a copy of MUSIC PLANTS HOPE (shipping in USA)! Simply comment on this blog, contest ends June 12, 2026.
Please describe the journey to publication and inspiration for MUSIC PLANTS HOPE.
In late June, 2020, an agent posted the video of the concert for plants on Twitter and stated she would love to see a picture book about the event. I watched the concert numerous time and wrote three different takes on the concert over the next couple of months. I polished all three a bit and sent them all to her in the fall. She said none of them were what she had in mind, and passed. I polished, queried, and pitched them over the next 2 years or so. In Feb. 2023, I pitched it as part of the Twitter Pitch Party. Winsome Bingham liked my pitch and sent me a message to send her the full mss. A few days later I sent her the manuscript, and she called me within a couple of hours to say she wanted to buy the book for Reycraft Books. Three years later, I am holding a beautiful book that all started with a tweet. As a matter of fact, this book, beginning to end probably wouldn’t have happened without Twitter. The inspiration and the Pitch Party both happened within Twitter.
What message would you like the book to impart to children?
I hope this book helps readers of all ages realize a few things:
- Just like the plants in the story, we experience music not just with our ears, but also with out bodies.
- There is a big beautiful world with amazing things to see and hear. This book is truly a worldwide collaboration – An Italian composer who wrote music honoring an Italian duke/prince/ former Spanish king, which was celebrated by a Spanish artist in response to a worldwide pandemic by musicians from around the world in Barcelona, Spain, written about by a teacher from NC, illustrated by an artist from Argentina and published by Reycraft Books in NY. All of this is a testament to what can happen when we build on each other’s art, celebrate each others’ voices and honor each others’ homes and cultures. I hope that readers are inspired with curiosity about other places and other cultures through this book indirectly.
- Most of all, I hope that readers of all ages begin to explore music as a healing tool – for themselves and for our world. Music has helped me work through some of my most challenging seasons, and I hope this plants that seed of hope in their hearts that music can do the same for them.
In the story, music becomes more than just sound—it becomes a form of care and connection. Was that symbolism intentional from the beginning?
Absolutely! The music, written by Puccini, was a form of care and connection after a dear friend had passed away. Based on my interview with Eugenio Ampudia, it was intentional from the beginning of the project. His reason for choosing this piece of music was to somehow communicate to the plants our grief and sadness during the pandemic, but then using the plants that had been exposed to this beautiful, sad, and powerful music as a conduit for gratitude for the people who were instrumental in the healing, providing another level of care and connection.. Natalia Bruno picked up on that, too, from my text and further symbolized the music through the swallow who helped guide these two child characters back to each other, thus also providing that element of care and connection for them. Throughout the planning, the concert, the text and the illustration, the healing power of music on multiple levels is evident and intentional.
Please paste a short and compelling excerpt from your book.
Lavender leans as the violin lifts and lowers with the notes,
Violets vibrate with the viola’s throaty tones.
Cello notes stretch,
reaching for heart strings,
And plants pulse, though they have no hearts.
Do you have plants of your own, and have you ever tried playing music for them?
I live on a farm, so plants are a huge part of our life, LOL. My dad has had a greenhouse for years, and he keeps music playing for them regularly. In my own home, I have plants, although I don’t have my dad’s green thumb. There is always a wide variety of music playing in our house so our plants are constantly exposed to all kinds of music. However, after this book, I am itching to do a full-on experiment about the effect of music on plants. I hope some teachers will be inspired to do their own experiments with plants and music! It’s a great STEM/STEAM project relative to the book.
What is your writing process and does it vary depending on the project?
While some aspects of the writing process don’t really change, (You always start with an idea, then a rough draft, then revisions that eventually lead to a final product.) each project is certainly different in terms of research needed, how many revisions, how long you need to set it aside between revisions, how long it takes to find the missing piece(s), etc. For me, oftentimes stories start as a little seed of an idea – a phrase, a character, a title. Then a rough draft. From there it varies greatly. Sometimes that’s as far as a project goes. Other times, it needs massive research to even finish the rough draft. Other times you can get a rough draft down and then flesh it out with research. Often, I find there is research at every stage. Like I’m still doing research for Music Plants Hope, but now it’s more research to dig deeper and share with audiences more about the music, the plants, etc. Every story has it’s own process, but there is an undergirding skeleton process that remains the same.
Please share your favorite books that inspired you.
I think the fact that my journey as a writer began with poetry in 4th grade is still actually evident in my work. While I would never count myself a poet, poetic language and playing with words in poetic ways definitely shows itself.
Early in my writing journey, I was very inspired by the humor and style of Robert Munsch. I adore everything written by Kate DiCamillo – her use of language is phenomenal.
There are so many great picture books out there, and I use many of them for mentor texts to make my stories the best they can be!
What is the best piece of advice you would give to other writers?
Keep moving forward. No matter what. If this is the dream, then pursue it with all you’ve got and don’t stop. Keep learning, keep growing, and keep moving forward.
And a bonus question just for kicks! What song would be the theme song for your book?
While it’s hard to step away from Puccini’s Crisantemi, since it sits at the heart of Music Plants Hope, I think the song “Listen to the Music” by The Doobie Brothers captures the idea that music can help us feel things that we are needing – can help fill a gap in our lives, which I think is also one of the central messages of the book. I think any song that speaks to the power of music to help us feel, process feelings, explore other perspectives, etc. would be a great theme song for this book.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Bio
Tonnye Fletcher learned to talk early, read early, and write early. And ever since, words have been as important as breathing. Tonnye is currently enjoying writing picture books that incorporate music, animals, nature, and intergenerational relationships with lots of humor and heart. She is active in SCBWI-Carolinas, and Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Picture Book Challenge. She is also involved with the NC Reading Association, presenting annually at their state reading conference about music, reading, and writing. She also leads her local council in many community activities promoting literacy. Tonnye holds a Master’s in Early Childhood Education, and is a national board-certified teacher who is currently teaching K-2 music in southeastern NC. She brings together her love for reading, writing, teaching, and music with a multimedia blog series called PBJamz, where she spotlights picture books with musical connections. When she’s not doing teacherly, readerly, writerly, musical things, she also enjoys hanging out by the fire pit, snuggling with her kitty, cooking, learning about nature, and traveling with her husband, Shane. They live on a farm with extended family where faith, hope, and love reign supreme, with bits of chaos mixed in to keep things real.Tonnye is super-excited to be on this author’s journey with the witty and whimsical Joyce Sweeney as her agent.
You can find out more about Tonnye (which, by the way, rhymes with Connie) on social media or her website.
Twitter: @tonnyef
Facebook: @TWFauthor
Instagram: @tonnyefletcher67
Bluesky: @tonnyef.bsky.social
Website: www.tonnyefletcher.co
