02 Jun Tonnye Fletcher and MUSIC PLANTS HOPE plus a Giveaway
EL: I am so excited to welcome Tonnye Fletcher to the blog today. Her gorgeous (SLJ starred!) book, MUSIC PLANTS HOPE, beautifully illustrated by Natalia Bruno, is definitely a keeper! You know how people sometimes say that truth is stranger than fiction? Well, this incredible non-fiction book may fall into that category. We’ve heard that plants like music, but I was blown away by the story of an actual concert for plants. A theater filled with plants! Yes…you read that correctly. The story takes place during the Covid pandemic global shutdown when Spanish artist Eugenio Ampudia transformed Barcelona’s empty Liceu Theatre into a concert venue for 2,292 plants. Tonnye’s lyrical writing makes me feel like I am right there at the concert, and the illustrations of lush plants filling the theater seats will spark young readers’ imaginations and bring a smile to their faces. It certainly made me smile.
Welcome, Tonnye!And congratulations on this amazing book! Will you please tell us a little about yourself? 
TF: Well, I am a country girl from Southeastern North Carolina. I live an hour northeast of Myrtle Beach (although I rarely go.) My whole family lives together on a small family farm. We have 31 acres altogether. We don’t do major farming, but we have gardens and patches of this and that, including herbs and blueberries and sugar cane. My dad lives across the field, and my sister and her children are just around the corner. We have dinner together almost every Sunday, and we all gather at our house.
EL: I love that!
TF: I currently teach K-2 music at a primary school, which I love, and where I get lots of my ideas.
My big passion project is PBJamz – a video podcast/multimedia blog where I highlight picture books with musical hooks! I’ve done over 90 episodes since I started in February of 2022. We just celebrated our 4th year. I do two episodes a month that include an interview with a creative, a piece of music I pull that I think is a good fit for the book we’re featuring, a blurb/review of the book, links for the guest and often a giveaway of some kind. The creative (author, illustrator, musician, etc.) always shares some of their best writing tips, and I share a set of writing prompts (good for kids and adults), tips for using the book in the regular classroom and the music classroom, and also a Pinterest board with additional ideas and a YouTube playlist with pieces you could use alongside the book. The episodes are good for families, homeschool groups, daycares, and preschools, etc. It’s been great fun getting to make new kidlit friends, promote some lovely books, and share some great ideas for teachers. It’s a perfect intersection for me of reading, writing, teaching, and music. Those are four of my favorite things.
I am also a literacy advocate and serve as president of my local reading council, a council of the NC Reading Association.
EL: You’re a busy lady! What types of books did you enjoy when you were a child?
TF: I grew up on Little Golden Books, Rand McNally books, and Parents Magazine Press books like Miss Suzy, my early childhood favorite. When I started school as a first grader, the library was a wonder, and it was amazing to have so many books available to me. I think I must have been an odd duck (which won’t surprise anyone who knows me). As a first grader, the book I remember loving the most is The Cat Who Went to Heaven. In third grade my favorite book was The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and as a fourth grader, King of the Wind was my favorite. I also devoured a steady diet of Nancy Drew books in fourth grade. Of course, at home, our huge Webster’s Dictionary and our set of World Book Encyclopedias were also pleasure reading. 🙂
EL: Oh, Nancy Drew! I loved her. When and where did you first hear about the concert for the plants? Were you inspired to write about it immediately? It’s a perfect subject for you!
TF: The concert came across my feed in late June – right after it had happened. An agent posted on Twitter the link to the concert and said she’d like a picture book about that event. I watched the concert over and over, and yes! It felt like a perfect subject for me. As a music teacher/music lover who also loves nature, it was a great topic!
EL: Can you talk a little about your research for MUSIC PLANTS HOPE (I love the name, by the way)
TF: I’ve done lots of research all along the way for this book – before writing, during writing, and after. I’m still doing research as I look for the best ways to share this book with children and audiences of all ages. Before and during, I listened to the concert 100s of times, noting the various plants and taking notes of things I wanted to include. I read every article I could to make sure I had all the details right. I also visited the website for the Liceu, Eugenio Ampudia, and the UceLi String Quartet. After it was acquired, I went back and did deeper research, some of which will end up in a teachers’ guide. I also traveled to Spain, where I interviewed Eugenio, attended an opera and the Liceu, and went to Puccini’s hometown of Lucca. Not only did I get lots of great pictures, video, and memorabilia from that trip, I hope it will make for a richer, deeper experience when I share the book with audiences. I’ve used a lot of those experiences to share during my pre-launch “Back Matter Blitz” where I’ve shared snippets, tidbits, trivia, behind-the-scenes information, and more.
EL: The minute I read this book, I hoped that part of your research was going to Spain! I think the illustrations are perfect for your book. Did you get to communicate with your illustrator? When did you first see sketches?
TF: I got first sketches in April of 2025. Then, the cover and three interior spreads before my trip to Europe in June 2025. Then the full PDF ARC came in Jan of this year!
Natalia and I had no contact except that I followed her on IG. She followed me back and later realized I was the author. We had a few messages back and forth, but nothing prescriptive about the art. Once I had the full ARC, I reached out, and we have become friends. Natalia has been very gracious and generous in sharing about her process.
Her work is absolutely spectacular, and I am so blessed that they paired us. Her illustrations are perfect for this book. And she added so many precious little touches to the art that make me incredibly happy. She added a sub-story line, and fun little nature glimpses, which are kind of like little Easter eggs for kids to look for. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Natalia and her artwork!
EL: I agree that the illustrations are wonderful and complement your beautiful writing.
Tonnye, congratulations on this lovely book, and thanks for joining us today.
Find more about Tonnye at her website here . All the major pre-order links are there. It’s available at Bookshop, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon, as well as directly from the publisher (Reycraft) and possibly your local bookstore 🙂
Follow Tonnye at these social media sites.
TF: Thank you so much, Ellen! I appreciate the feature for MUSIC PLANTS HOPE.
EL: You are so welcome! Thank you for joining us!
And now it’s time for a
Tonnye is offering the winner choices. She’s happy to send a copy of MUSIC PLANTS HOPE, critique a picture book (up to 800 words, NO rhyme :-D), or do a virtual visit (for a school or an AMA). Just comment on this post to get in the running. Let me know if you share or are a subscriber to get an extra chance to win. Good luck!
Until next time,
Ellen
PS: On a personal note, I’m thrilled that the newest version (a reimagination of a reimagination!) of Don’t Eat the Bluebonnets, written by Ellen Rothberg and me, beautifully illustrated by Joel Cook, is available at these links! In order to get the newest version, please use these specific links. Or contact me!
Deborah Holt Williams
Posted at 06:50h, 02 JuneWhat a good life you lead, Tonnye! Congratulations on your book. It truly seems you were the perfect person to write it!
Della Ross Ferreri
Posted at 07:00h, 02 JuneWow, what a fascinating story! I can’t wait to read it. And congratulations on the starred review- that’s awesome!