nell plants a tree

Posted on 03/13/2023

Balzar + Bray | 978-0062865779

 

Before a grip on a branch
and a fall to the ground
and a scrape
and a leap
and a reach for the top,
before anyone finds out how high they can climb,

Nell picks up a seed. 

 

So begins Anne Wynter‘s beautiful story of the love, care, and influence of one person on her family and extended family over several generations. Alternating between the past and the present, the narrative weaves a gorgeous description of a close-knit family playing, planting, cooking, eating, reading and sharing life with one another. Daniel Miyares‘ rich illustrations in pen and ink, gouache, and collage embue the story with the warmth and wonder of nature, family, and friends.

Anne was kind enough to allow readers a peek into the journey of her latest book.

 

DIANNE: NELL PLANTS A TREE is a beautiful picture of a specific way one generation plants a seed that grows and bears fruit for generations to come. What was the spark that made you decide to write about this topic and, more specifically, to tell the story around the image of a tree?

ANNE: Thank you! Well at first I was trying to tell the story of a grandmother and a grandchild. I wanted to show the cause and effect of how the grandmother’s actions impacted her descendant in some very tangible ways. But the story felt way too flat. Then, after many drafts, I decided to focus on a pecan tree.

The tree idea came from out of nowhere when my husband’s aunt sent us an email encouraging us to plant trees in our area. As soon as I read it, it hit me that I should center the book around a tree. Thank goodness for that email!

DIANNE: I remember reading a compelling early version of this story in 2018, and even then, the idea of planting a seed and the connection between generations was at the center of the story. But, as you continued to work on your idea, the telling of your story changed quite a bit from that version. Understanding the concepts of cause/effect and the passage of time can be a tall order for a child of picture book age to fully grasp. And yet the structure you ended up with made the back-and-forth between the “before now” moments and the “back then” moments seamless and easy to follow. Can you talk about the process you went through that led you to the book’s final format? Was it a spark of genius, trial-and-error, or a mix of both?

 

CLICK TO ENLARGE © Text by Anne Wynter, Illustrations by Daniel Miyares

ANNE: It was a ton of trial and error! Heavy on the error. This was my hardest book by far. Here’s part of an early draft (which I found in an email to you – from when you taught me at the Writing Barn!) I worked through a lot of these early bad drafts with your help – thank you so much for your keen eye for lyricism and your wonderful feedback.

This is from one of the early drafts:   

Nell ties a knot. John swings and leaps.                 

Nell sews a quilt. John braves the storm

You can see it’s very flat! Regarding content, it’s not about a tree yet and the story is focused on just one of Nell’s descendants instead of multiple descendants. Structurally, each line describes the past first, then the present. Also, I gave an equal number of words to the past and the present.

Realizing that I should give the present more words (and a different rhythm), and that I should start with the present and end with the past in each section – those were each huge turning points in getting closer to the final draft. Once I decided to put the present first, I settled on starting each section with “Before.” But getting the rhythm down was tricky. Even after solving all those content and structure problems, I still had to work through a ton of drafts to settle into the perfect rhythm.

CLICK TO ENLARGE © Text by Anne Wynter, Illustrations by Daniel Miyares

DIANNE: In most cases, authors get to see bits and pieces of the illustrations as they move from initial sketches to final art, but there’s nothing like opening the book for the first time and holding the finished picture book – art and words – in your hands.

Do you have a favorite spread or an illustration that completely surprised or delighted you the first time you saw it in book form?

ANNE: I LOVE the cover Daniel Miyares created! I love it so much that I want to put it on a poster, bookmarks, notebook covers – everywhere.

It feels personal because in the book, kids do a variety of activities – climbing a tree, racing, baking, etc. But of all the actions in the book, finding the perfect spot to read feels closest to what I would’ve been doing as a child.

You mentioned that feeling of holding the finished book . . . I just love the texture of Nell Plants a Tree. I don’t know book design terminology but it has a matte feel which seems perfect for Daniel’s warm illustrations, the outdoor setting and the sense of comfort that I hope the story brings. The book also has a lovely under-the-cover element.

CLICK TO ENLARGE © Illustration by Daniel Miyares

DIANNE: What can readers look forward to next?

ANNE: I have a humorous picture book and two board books coming out – those haven’t been announced yet, so I can’t share many details. Jerome Pumphrey and I have a Juneteenth picture book coming out called SO MANY YEARS. And there’s a third upcoming picture book I can’t tell you about – but I will say this. I wrote it out in one single go – no drafts! That has never happened to me before and probably never will again. But given how many Nell Plants a Tree drafts I wrote, I think it all balances out!

I’m very excited about all of the upcoming books! And I’m working on longer books – chapter books and (hopefully, if I can conquer my fear and actually get down to work) a middle grade novel.

Dianne: I can’t wait to read your newest, Anne! We know each one will be a gem!!

 

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