Magical Spring Wish is a tender children’s story about Granny, Nina, and Toby the horse, whose selfless wish sparks a dreamlike spring adventure filled with kindness, love, and wonder.  What inspired Toby’s wish and the magical adventure that follows?

We live in a world where we give our children everything. They are taught to make birthday wishes and Christmas wishes, but do we also teach them to make wishes for someone else?

That was the heart behind Toby’s story. Toby sees someone he loves going through difficult times, and instead of wishing for something for himself, he wishes to make Granny happy. To me, that is true love.

The whole purpose of the book was to plant a small seed in children’s hearts and minds, the idea that kindness, empathy and selfless wishes matter.

Why did you choose springtime farm life as the setting for this story?

My mum used to tell us about her granny’s horse, Žeran, who one morning appeared with mysterious braids in his mane that no human hand could undo after sleeping at her granny’s house. Her granny would tell her the old folklore myth about fairy locks, magical braids said to appear in a horse’s mane after a fairy’s visit. She truly believed the story, and later she showed us the places where it all happened and where Žeran once lived. Seeing those places with my own eyes and spending lots of time there left a deep mark on my childhood memories and imagination.

Spring felt like the perfect setting because, to me, it represents life, hope and new beginnings. The first flowers blooming after winter always feel magical, as if the world is slowly waking up again. I also have beautiful memories of going into nature with my sister and family to pick spring flowers together, so that season has always carried a very special feeling in my heart.

What was the collaboration process like with illustrator Bruna Rezende?

Working with Bruna Rezende was a truly wonderful experience. She is an incredibly talented illustrator who deeply understood and connected with the story from the very beginning.

I gave her more than 20 pages of detailed notes describing how I imagined the illustrations, which is not always easy for an illustrator when they have to follow someone else’s vision so closely. But when she first sent me her artwork, I was speechless. She understood the emotions, atmosphere and magic of the story perfectly and brought them to life in such a beautiful way through her drawings. There was almost nothing to change.

Bruna has a very special way of connecting with children through her illustrations, allowing them to imagine, dream and create their own little stories while reading. I truly wish the world sees more of her art, and of course I also hope we will work on many more projects together in the future.

What do you hope children take away after reading and colouring Granny’s new house?

What I hope children take away from the story is the importance of making wishes for someone else and understanding the beauty of kindness and selfless love.

The colouring page was added to help reinforce that message in a creative and memorable way. When children colour Granny’s new house, they become part of Toby’s wish themselves and can create their own version of the story through imagination and creativity. I believe children often remember things best when they can interact with them.

Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon