Believe in Fairies is an enchanting children’s picture book that gives readers a reason to appreciate wildflowers. How did you come about this theme for the book?

This book was Sherrie’s idea; she’s a keen gardener who loves fairies. My series of children’s books tackle the topic of conservation, and Sherrie shares my concern regarding the loss of wildflower species, here in the UK. The fairies help educate children and their parents about the various types of wildflowers, and their enemies such as snails and mice. The book encourages children and their parents to grow wildflowers and to appreciate them in the meadows and other open spaces.

You wrote this book with Sherrie Trotman. What was the collaboration like between you?

The collaboration was easy and enjoyable. Sherrie wrote the first draft of the poem, and I edited and added to it. I hired and worked closely with the illustrator, communicating Sherrie’s original ideas and those of my own. Once we approved the artwork, I designed the finished book.

I loved the little cute snail that makes an appearance in this book. Do you have any favorite scenes from the book?

Our favourite illustration is titled ‘Their will-o’-the-wisp may give you a fright’. It features three fairies with ghoulish-blue glows. In the foreground, we see two terrified mice fleeing from them. The cute snail was originally a mouse. However, because we have two mice in ‘Their will-o’-the-wisp may give you a fright’, I asked the illustrator to change the other mouse into a snail. I’m glad you like it.

Do you have any future collaborative books that you’re working on?

We have several ideas for collaborative books. However, at the moment, I’m working on the final two books of the Wayne Gerard Trotman’s Rhyming Stories series.

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