A Parrot Tail Lily follows a gardener who discovers a rare plant growing in his garden and focuses all his attention on that one plant, neglecting the others. What was the inspiration for your story?

The inspiration for this book was not originally related to gardens and plants at all, but rather, they have been used as a metaphor for some important issues. Through the roles related to the garden, I wanted to highlight how even a good thing can become a burden and a problem if the attitude is wrong. In this book, the gardener Cosmo gets into a mental breakdown with his rare plant, and eventually, the whole garden suffers. Even the specialty, the parrot tail lily that gets all possible care and attention, will hardy survive.

Of course, I admire flourishing gardens and have tried to take care of some of my own as an adult, but with hardly any success. I admit I’m more of a friend of free-growing nature – forests, beaches, and flower meadows. Such elements are not included in this book. Instead, it focuses on cherishing a rare object or thing and showing how that can go wrong and ultimately no longer bring joy to anyone.

One metaphor that lurks behind this book is parenting. I have always been worried about parents who start excessively grooming their child who has some special skill. With good intentions, they can eventually isolate the child from their natural environment and a free and joyful childhood life. This situation can be related to some talent at school, music, or sports. A child or young person who is the target of the wrong kind of encouragement can begin to feel unwell. There is a risk that the demands and pressures take over and the growing child’s life becomes too narrow and focuses just on a limited view.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

As I already mentioned, the garden, with its plants and the people associated with it, is a metaphor for something bigger. Through it, I can express my appreciation for the diversity of life. While a unique and rare plant deserves attention, it is essential to remember that nature is a whole—more than the sum of its parts.

We must understand the mutual interaction of the different parts of nature and the importance of everyone for the other’s well-being. Plants and flowers need wind, water, sun, warmth, insects, and shelter before they can do well. People also need more than just some rarity to care for. We need the joy of color, abundance, the scent of plants, and the opportunity to admire everything around them. This fairy tale emphasizes how important it is to work together with others and enjoy the results with friends.

However, the core message can be summed up in two words: respect and balance. These concepts can encompass the entire human relationship with nature.

Do you enjoy gardening, if so do you have a favorite plant or flower?

I’m not precisely the gardening type. I sometimes build flower beds, plant seedlings, and tend to them, but too many obstacles often arise.

As a child, I made my first flower bed in our yard, but the neighbor’s overactive children rode their bikes over it just as the seedlings sprouted buds. Sometimes, I had to weed and water my mother’s and neighbor’s flower beds, but other summer activities were much more fun. In recent years, I have mainly focused on plants in the yard of our summer house that wouldn’t be appetizing to the nearby herds of roe deer! They eat almost everything!

Of course, I admire beautiful gardens and their floral splendor, but my particular favorites are wildflowers. I collected dozens of plants from the meadows and forests near my childhood home during summer leaves. This school assignment was quite a chore: collecting plants, taking notes, drying, pressing, attaching the dried plants to cardboard, and labeling them with their Finnish and Latin names. However, the chore was enjoyable and taught me a lot about plants and their growing environment.

However, my favorite natural plants are trees—especially birches and pines. Birches are generally gentle-looking trees that change their appearance with the seasons, while majestic pines are easy to admire when they grow, for example, on a high sandy ridge. I also like the idea of trees sheltering birds.

What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?

As usual, I have many books in different stages. Right now, I spend most of my time collaborating with several illustrators—Bangladesh, India, Brazil, Italy, and Ukraine. Even though the brush is elsewhere, it is nice to follow the progress of the work, comment on it if necessary, and answer any questions the illustrators may have.

I just received the illustrations for two books in my Lyrics of Life Series. The pair will be published later this year. The whole series is based on a new, interesting idea. I have also found more books for the new Wickwick Global Hearts Project. There, I translate the stories from English into Finnish. So far, these books have come from Bangladesh, Turkey, and Ghana. It is nice to connect cultures with this bridge-building project. I believe I will also have the book from Africa ready by the next Bologna Children’s Book Fair. Wish me luck!

It is also enjoyable to follow along and comment on the evolving book layouts. Two unique books illustrated in India are nearing completion: The Old Rose Villa and A Dream House. I created these books based on stories my Indian-born friend shared with me. I can’t wait to see how they will be received, and I hope my friend will also like the result!

It will be nice to meet international publisher friends at the upcoming book fairs in London, Bologna, and Frankfurt and present our work results to them. Of course, I am particularly interested in reader feedback, which is always a pleasure to receive! If I reach the target audience, I haven’t written in vain.

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