Erin Dealey

Today is the Book Birthday of Planted with Love: Growing into a Family by Natasha Tripplett, Illus. Adriana Predoi  (WaterBrook / PRH)!

A heartfelt picture book about one child’s experience in foster care that reminds all kids that—just like a garden—love from the right source will help them bloom.

Natasha visited us on the blog last year to talk about her book, JUNETEENTH IS  (Illus, Daniel J. O’Brien Chronicle) and we are happy to have her back to celebrate PLANTED WITH LOVE.

Let’s ask some questions!

Q 1. What was the inspiration for Planted with Love? I’m guessing it grew out of your work as a licensed social worker. Or–?

Natasha Tripplett: In every book, there is a little piece of me. PLANTED WITH LOVE is no different. While I personally only spent a few months in foster care, my life’s encounters have woven in and out of it. Growing up, my family took in a child through the foster care system. My sister had experienced many of the same troubling feelings that Lamar – the character in the book felt. I wanted to honor her and other children who may feel physically and emotionally uprooted.

Natasha Tripplett: In my career as a social worker, I counseled children and families through adoptive and foster care placements. Much of my time was spent equipping families to address the feelings and needs of children who have experienced trauma. The tendency of many foster parents is to punish behaviors. That approach only alienates the child further. PLANTED WITH LOVE was written to show how negative behaviors are directly related to overwhelming feelings. All children need compassion, reassurance, and encouragement.   

Planting, Process, and Surprises

Q 2. I love the gentle gardening metaphor of this book: planted, nurtured, and growing into a family. Was that part of your manuscript from the beginning?

Natasha Tripplett: I love gardening and wish I had more time to spend with my hands in the dirt. I even love just spending time in the garden. When we go on vacation, I always look for a Botanical Garden to visit. It is where I feel at peace.

Natasha Tripplett: As I have tried to make sense of my own adoption experience, themes of not feeling rooted and finding it difficult to “bloom” have always been on my mind. When I decided to write about this topic, the garden was a natural metaphor for me to use. The line, “Am I an annual or perennial?” from the story was the first line that I wrote.

Q 3. What surprises did the illustrator Adriana Predoi bring to the book?

Natasha Tripplett: Adriana’s lush illustrations are full of life and emotion. Her garden and indoor houseplants make you want to spend time in this family home. To me, her artwork feels like the plants might whisper a secret to you as you walk past them. There is something magical about her artwork.

I also fell in love with the wardrobe of the foster mother in the book. The patterns and cuts of her clothing are delightful. I especially love her earrings and headscarves. The way that Adriana brought this story to life, gives me confidence in allowing Lamar to live and grow up in that home.

The Blue Pen

Q 4. In the book, there are subtle references to a blue pen. Can you share more about that?

Natasha Tripplett: Children who are separated from their families will often gravitate to an object that they associate with their family. For Lamar, this was a blue pen from his father. I imagine that the exchange was not significant, but it held significance for Lamar. It became an endowed object that represented Lamar’s connection to his family.

The ordinary pen is seen throughout the story in the artwork. Interestingly, I used to have a pen collection as a kid. My dad used to travel a lot for work, and he would bring me a pen from the different places he went. I imagine that they were quick purchases in the airport, but to me they meant the world. For Lamar, the pen from his dad was a treasure.

DOWNTOWN DOORS — coming soon!

Q 5. Are there more projects in the queue that you can share?

Natasha Tripplett: I have another book coming out from WaterBrook in September of this year called DOWNTOWN DOORS. I am really excited because the illustrator, Leah Giles, incorporated many Oakland California landmarks. She also used a collage-style for the artwork. Leah did a brilliant job.

(ED note: As an Oakland girl myself, I am very excited to hear about this!)

Natasha Tripplett: DOWNTOWN DOORS is meant to offer hope to children who may feel overwhelmed by observing the social issues of food and housing insecurities. It is becoming harder and harder to ignore the suffering of so many people. Children are observing our world, but they are not often included in the conversation of how to address it. DOWNTOWN DOORS follows a little boy who plays a role in becoming part of the solution.

Thank you, Natasha Tripplett for joining us on the blog today,

and Happiest of Book Birthdays to PLANTED WITH LOVE.

BONUS Book Pairing:

Teachers, Librarians, Foster Parents, and Social Workers– Consider pairing Natasha Tripplett’s PLANTED WITH LOVE with Lauren H. Kerstein’s HOME FOR A WHILE.

To learn more about Natasha and her books,

Visit her website: natashabooks.com

And follow her on social media:

FB: natasha.tripplett

Insta: natasha_stories

Next up on the blog, we chat with Betsy Bird about her new book,

POP GOES THE NURSERY RHYME,

illus. Andrea Tsurumi (Union Square Kids).