Today I’m thrilled to welcome Tania McCartney who not only does amazing work encouraging reading and everything book related within the community in many ways, including founding the respected Kids Book Review, but she’s also extremely talented and a gorgeous friend. She doesn’t know this, but she is the only person alive who is allowed to call me Ali. In her latest book, Eco Warriors, the reader joins Banjo, Matilda and Ned on a magical adventure into the Australian native landscape via a series of historic, beautifully-rendered botanical paintings.
Can these eco-warriors help save our native flora from extinction? If you want to find out, you’ll have to buy the book!
Tania, can you tell us where the idea for Eco Warriors came from.
I had been perusing the National Library’s online Collection while researching for my first NLA book, Australian Story, and I came across a heap of stunning imagery from some of our earliest botanical artists. It struck me that so few Australians would get to see these images, most particularly our children. I kind of thought that was sad.
Being someone who loves multimedia picture books, I came up with a book idea that could incorporate these artworks. I wanted to insert a photographed child into these images, in a sort of a narrative adventure whereby the child enters the pages of a ‘botanical book’. When I told publisher Susan Hall about this, she loved the idea, but she suggested we look at ways we could incorporate an ecological message.
As is the way with the development of any book idea, Eco Warriors gradually morphed into a slightly different book, with three central characters who became the warriors on a mission to source the best ways to look after our native plants.
The book looks physically amazing. What part did you play in the production of the book?
A large part, which I was secretly thrilled about, as I adore book layout and design (and have done a lot of it with my previous books). I came up with the book concept, wrote the text, photographed the kids, cut them out and ‘inserted’ them into the botanical artworks.
I also sourced other NLA imagery from their digital collection and added it to the pages, where necessary, sometimes using parts of other artwork like butterflies and birds. Some iStock imagery was also used on pages such as the kangaroo paw spread.
I then laid out the pages in Adobe Illustrator, adding speech bubbles, text and other elements. When the book went to print-ready files, the lovely Amy Cullen from the NLA took care of finessing the pages and also creating the cover and addendum pages. These pages feature added extras like image information and the fun facts I had sourced.
What was it like to be so involved in the production process? Not a lot of authors get to experience that!
I feel so fortunate that the Library are willing to have my involvement. I love working with their team and it’s so exciting seeing the work come together. It helps that I live nearby! But I love how the team also trusts me to incorporate my vision. Of course, this book was a sum of the talents of many people! but it’s just a thrill to see your work come to fruition in a way that allows you to have a hand in it.
You have a series of ecological tips in the book. How important is it for kids to learn more about the preservation of our native flora?
It’s vital. During Book Week, I did several presentations on Eco Warriors and it was so exciting to hear the kids’ responses to the book and its eco tips. They have such creative thought processes, and it was fascinating listening to their ideas and sustainability suggestions—you can practically see the wheels turning in their heads when they answer questions or come up with ideas!
I think it’s all good and well having an understanding of green concepts and why we should protect our native flora and fauna and ecosystems from development and pollution, but kids also need practical ways to become involved. It’s so easy to see global environmental tasks as ‘too large’ to tackle on the home front, so I love that Eco Warriors explores the simple ways kids can make a difference.
Are you working on anything else for the National Library?
I am—I currently have two books in production with them. One is a picture book on the biography of the Australian child, entitled Australian Kids Through the Years. It was the most incredible book to research. It showcases two Aussie kids of varying ethnicity and background, from 1788 when our country’s only children were Aboriginal children, through settlement, the Gold Rush, Federation, war time and then through the decades of the 20th Century to now.
Each spread features children typical of that time—what they wore and ate, where they lived, what toys they played with, what books they read. But the most exciting thing about the book is that it’s being illustrated by the divine Andrew Joyner, who has brought such vibrancy to the book’s pages. It really looks incredible.
The second book I’m also very excited about—it’s a classic picture book narrative for the very young, on the life of Captain Cook, illustrated by talented author/illustrator and dear friend, Christina Booth. The story is a full narrative on Cook’s life and Christina has done an amazing job of the illustrations, setting the story on a school stage—as a school play. It’s looking brilliant.
Lastly, what do you hope Eco Warriors teaches kids?
My aim with this book—beyond its sustainability messaging—is to show kids how beautiful our native plants are. How they’re part of an entire ecosystem that supports animals, humans, climate, geography. I love that kids already get that latter concept—but we need them to really appreciate these plants—to see their beauty.
When people appreciate, they care. And if every kid cared, the longevity of our native flora would stand a very good chance indeed. To have kids become more hands-on with our country’s plants, to want to nurture them and plant them—that would be ideal. Then the future of our native flora would be quite literally—and not just figuratively—in their hands.
Thank you so much for visiting us, Tania!
Eco Warriors to the Rescue!
(National Library Publishing, Aug 2013, $17.99, firm cover, 9780642277800)
BOOK LAUNCH DETAILS
Join Tania McCartney and her three real-life eco warriors—Banjo (Riley), Ned (Andrew) and Matilda (Claire)—as they launch Eco Warriors to the Rescue! at Canberra’s National Arboretum Gift Shop, Saturday 5 October 2013, at 11am.
BLOG TOUR
Sunday 1 September
Tania McCartney’s Blog
Boomerang Books Blog
Pass It On
jackiehoskingpio.wordpress.com/school-magazine
Angela Sunde
Monday 2 September
Kids Book Review
Sheryl Gwyther’s Blog
The Book Chook
Books for Little Hands
booksforlittlehands.blogspot.com.au
Children’s Books Daily
Alison Reynolds
Tuesday 3 September
My Little Bookcase
DeeScribe
deescribewriting.wordpress.com
BuzzWords
Elaine Ouston Blog
Soup Blog
Tania, So lovely to have visit and learn the story of the journey of Eco Warriors.
It is a fabulous book.
Alison
Chris, Eco Warriors is a beautiful book. I really admire Tania’s skill in doing so much of the production.
Such an encouraging story, Peter – until I read that now the sheep are gone and the area is overgrown. So discouraging, although we can only hope things will change again for the better.
One of the things that I really like about Tania’s book is that being an eco-warrior seems doable.
Thanks for visiting.
Alison
Thanks so much, Peter – I hope you love the book. And I was fascinated to read your story… goes to show how much proactivity and passion play in life, let alone education. There are so many kids out there who know so little about our native flora. I hope this book, in some small way, changes that.
Thanks, lovely Kaye!
Dim – the workshops I’ve already done for Eco Warriors have been just that! Really full of discussion and some fantastic (and sometimes wild!) ideas from kids. Has been brilliant.
I knew you would love this book and its messaging, darling Sheryl! xx
Dear ALI! Thank you for hosting me and all your beautiful, supportive comments. Touring with Eco Warriors has been such a heart-warming experience. xx
Aw, Chris, thanks so much–I hope you love it!
Congratulations on this gorgeous new book, Tania. Thank you to both you and Alison for sharing its fascinating development and concept. Eco Warriors is definitely on my list of books to buy.
🙂
Chris
Isn’t it a physically beautiful book, Kaye!
And such a wonderful idea. Getting the eco warrior message across without being hectoring.
Many thanks for your interview and replies, Alison and Tania. I’ll certainly seek out this book (my qualifications are in British terrestrial and aquatic ecology). Congratulations on its publication.
In the UK, our local council had a residential training facility where school children were taught conservation theory and practical management techniques. Close to my former home, a farmer gave up keeping sheep and granted a 99 year lease for one pound Sterling for a small 5Ha paddock to be managed for the preservation of the ground orchids and chalk downland flora. A school with interested and trained staff became responsible for developing a management plan, guide book, wardening and maintenance. This worked well until there was a staff change, and without sheep, mowing and weeding the area had become overgrown when I last visited. The long grass and extra shrubs suggested that the populations of bee orchids would have suffered and may now even be lost completely. There is an enormous amount of valuable work that children and schools can do, if they wish to be involved.
Hmmm. Maybe the school also feared litigation if a child hurt themself with a sharp hedging tool, pick axe, secateurs, lighting a bonfire…
Thanks for this great interview Tania and Alison. The book looks like such a treasure trove of beauty and good messages. Looking forward to reading it.
I agree, Dimity! It would be perfect for discussion. A great concept!
She (ryl) 🙂 I loved learning how an accidental discovery of the botanical prints resulted in this gorgeous book!
I imagine this will be a wonderful platform of discussion between kids, teachers and Tania for school workshops from here to eternity! Brilliant.
This is a VERY interesting post, Tania and Ali(son) 🙂 I love reading about how authors go about researching and writing their books especially one like this that is so close to my heart – protection of our beautiful land and all it’s natural wonder.