January is National House Plant Appreciation Month, a perfect time to reflect on the joys and comforts that having living plants in our homes can provide. It’s been suggested that the presence of house plants in an indoor space can reduce stress, improve air quality, and even increase work productivity and improve grades. In Valeria Wicker’s new picture book Grown With Love, the plants grown by the main character Oliver are helpful in more… unusual ways. We had the chance to sit down with Valeria and learn more about Oliver’s green thumb and the incredible flora it produces.
About Valeria Wicker
Valeria Wicker is the author-illustrator of The Ugly Doodles, Grown with Love, and The Knight Snacker, as well as the illustrator for the graphic novel The Runaway’s Diary written by James Patterson. She was born and raised in Italy and graduated with a degree in fashion design from IPS Virginia Woolf, an Italian art institute. She immigrated to the United States when she was twenty years old. When she’s not illustrating, she spends time gardening, woodcarving, making pottery, restoring old furniture, and spending time on her latest personal project: turning her backyard woods into a fairy-filled woodland forest.
Thank you for chatting with us, Valeria! Let’s talk about your new book.
Tell us a little more about Oliver and his amazing plants in Grown With Love. What are some of the unique things that they can do?
Oliver is a little scientist whose selfless heart led him to follow his call to help others by creating problem-solving super-plants. His plant creations can shape-shift and aid people according to their needs. For instance, Oliver’s plants can serve as shelter for bad weather conditions; they take the form of structures to contain pets and even help around the house with chores.
Oliver and his plants seem to meet their greatest challenge with Mrs. Kroftombottom, however. Are you a green thumb like Oliver or a black thumb like Mrs. K?
I would say green thumb, especially after learning so many incredible details about plants’ life. It helped me see them in a different light. Plants are intelligent and they even have a memory. There’s so much research about what makes a plant thrive; surprisingly, it doesn’t only have to do with watering, fertilizing, etc. As crazy as it sounds, plants that are loved and talked to seem to do better than others. Now that I know the “secret sauce,” I am a much better gardener.
What inspired you to create the story of Grown With Love?
The inspiration for Grown With Love was a combination of interest in STEM topics and a trip to a local plant nursery with a friend. She insisted we go because what made this nursery special was the fact it was owned by a chemist couple that grafted their own plants. The concept of a picture book based on that was simply irresistible.
Describe your creative process as both author and illustrator of a book. What comes first: the art or the words?
At the beginning of my career, I found it easier to create illustrations and later build a story around them. However, once I’ve learned the many components that go into crafting a compelling story, it became second nature to just write while simultaneously imagining the artwork. So, technically, the answer is both.
Can you share an instance where an unexpected source inspired one of your illustrations?
Plants are a subject I never expected to become a source of inspiration. As a children’s illustrator, my subjects of choice are typically those that can be given human-like features.
It’s always fun to ask children’s book creators what their favorite children’s books were when they were young. What’s a book from your childhood that you still think about?
I wish I could say I had a better recollection of reading picture books as a child. Culturally speaking, I don’t think there was a market for them in Italy back then. Our reading material was always based on classic Italian literature modified accordingly per age group. Children’s fiction and stories were included in our textbooks. However, it’s never too late to have a favorite, even if it’s during adulthood. The Strega Nona series by Tomie dePaola is my all-time favorite. Perhaps because the artwork and superstition tales take me back to my childhood places.
Finally, in honor of Grown With Love, if you could have one of Oliver’s extra-helpful plants, what would it be named and what would it do?
It would be the “Remember-me-always,” a plant whose scent has memory-boosting properties. It could aid so many of us, ha! This particular plant was actually part of the early versions of the manuscript.
A huge thank you to Valeria for sharing her work and her time with us! Be sure to find her online at valeriawicker.com, or follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Lastly, don’t forget to add Grown With Love to your family’s reading list.
To see more of our picture book favorites, check out our picks for the Best Picture Books of 2024.
To see all of our recommendations for mini bookworms, check out our bookshelf on Bookshop.
