And the Trees Talked Back by Frederick J. Burns - Children's Book - Meet Amanda, an extraordinary child with a unique gift — she can talk to trees.
Book Title: And the Trees Talked Back by Frederick J. Burns
Category: Children's Fiction (ages 3 to 7), 48 pages
Genre: Children's Book
Publisher: Frederick J. Burns
Release date: Nov 4, 2023
Content Rating: G. Suitable for everyone.
Meet Amanda, an extraordinary child with a unique gift — she can talk to trees.
Living in a quaint village with a mystical forest, Amanda's life takes an enchanting turn when she seeks out her inquisitive cat, Daisy. As the sun sets and the moonlight casts its glow, the duo embark on a thrilling night-time adventure.
As Amanda encounters ancient trees, she uncovers a world she never knew existed, where wisdom and acceptance coexist with fear and hatred. Amidst the rustling leaves and haunting shadows, she confronts the duality of nature, discovering the true meaning of good and evil. Her bonds with nature deepen and she learns to navigate the world where choices shape destinies.
And The Trees Talked Back is a heartwarming tale of wonder, friendship, and self-discover that will captivate readers of all ages.
Author Interview
Q 1. What inspired you to write this book?
A 1. One summer evening in 2020, I went for a walk. It was a route I had walked many times, but
on this occasion I noticed a tree that, to me, looked like an elephant with a
trunk held up, two tusks, an open mouth, and an eye. It was so unusual that I took a photo. A friend who knows I have some artistic
skills said I should draw the tree. I drew it and painted it. I liked the results and decided to search for
other trees with human-like faces. To my
surprise, I found many. At that point, I
thought I could incorporate the trees into a story.
Q 2. What was your process for illustrating the trees?
A 2. I wanted to use
pen and ink and washes of watercolor. I
used relatively large sheets, around 16 x 20 inches, of Arches 300lb cold
pressed watercolor paper. This is a thick durable paper with a lot of
texture. Perfect for tree bark.
I had the photos as reference, but drew the trees by hand first
using a H2 pencil, then filling in the face and bark details with waterproof black
pens from .01 to .05 in thickness. The
final step was to use a brush to add transparent washes of black ink or black watercolor for shading.
Q 3. Did you get writer’s block?
Q. 3. No, I am fortunate in that regard. I wasn’t sure where the story would go, so I wrote a scene at a time. I knew the scenes would be interactions between the child, Amanda and the different trees. The scenes consisted more of dialogue between two characters than of action. Therefore, I thought about what a child would say to a tree, and how might the tree respond. Some of the dialogue went through many revisions, but some, I thought, was right the first time.
Q 4. Have you written other books?
A 4. No this is my first book, and at age 63, I am definitely
not a child prodigy—more like a late bloomer, or perhaps I could be described
as a senior prodigy. If the book is well
received, then likely I will write other books.
I actually started another story prior to switching to write this
book. The other story was about a boy
who couldn’t spell his own name, which was loosely based on my own difficulties
spelling and reading in elementary school.
It makes fun of the English language.
Q 5. Do you have another profession besides writing and illustrating?
A 5. Yes, my other
profession is as an attorney, more specifically an assistant district attorney. I work in the courtroom reviewing cases,
negotiating with other attorneys, and making arguments to the judge about how
the case should proceed. There is a lot
of writing involved, but a very different kind of writing than in the
book.
Meet the Author:
Burns, always an artist on the inside, breaks through his trial attorney exterior at age 63, to write and illustrate his first children’s book, AND THE TREES TALKED BACK. Three years in the making, Burns strives to convey a world where commonalities are more important than differences, where empathy is more important than distain and where making friends is more important than creating enemies. With no formal art training, Burns enjoys working in and learning new mediums and styles. His art has won awards in juried competitions, been displayed on billboards, in government offices, the D’Amour Museum of Fine Art, and now graces the cover of Dave Brinnel's second CD, ALONE. His detailed illustrations of trees using pen and ink with washes of watercolor have been compared to the fantastical illustrations of Arthur Rackham and Maurice Sendak. Burns lives in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts with his wife, Heather and two dogs, where he is developing ideas for his next book.connect with author: website ~ instagram ~ goodreads
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