About

Like all stories, this one came together from various threads in my life. 

I was chatting with a friend’s daughter several years ago. Four-year-old Saskia’s birthday was coming up, and she told me she was going to receive what I heard as ‘A garden of presents’. I thought, what a wonderful gift! And I immediately imagined some kind of beautiful, almost magical field or garden. Saskia had in fact said, ‘A card and a present’ and I had misheard her.

Another friend has a farm and every year, one of their paddocks fills with wild daffodils – they think originally planted many generations ago. I have held an image of this untamed, spontaneous beauty, and the wonder it brings to the children in that family. Originally I imagined the garden of presents in the book as a field of either daffodils or sunflowers, but I love the way Anna imagined it more as a wild meadow, and I think that suits the story better!

A delight in my life are my own grandchildren, and this story is also inspired by their unique personalities, their own life pleasures, and the joy and meaning in our simple wanderings together. 

My grandson and I created a collage one day and he announced that the character was called Bad Princess Dinosaur - which I loved, and it felt like a synthesis of three-year-old Eddie's preoccupations at the time - fairytales (the archetypal characters, powerful stories and strong emotions!), dinosaurs, and concepts of ‘good' and ‘bad'. I showed this picture to Anna, and it immediately captured her imagination and she something to me about this being the beginning of our next collaboration. And the seed was sown!

The natural world is a vital part of my life and my creative process, so it also feels like the characters’ joy of the outdoors is a reflection of my own.

I hope you enjoy Eddie & Moo and the Garden of Presents.