https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B28MYRNB
Ravens Roost looks like an exciting story. Can you tell us a little about it?
It’s a story about a nighttime adventure of a girl and a
frog. They face challenges and just when
the girl is about to give up, a wonderful thing happens.
Any plans to turn it into a series?
I will have more outdoor adventure picture books for kids,
the main character will change, but the frog will be in the next one. I really
enjoy sharing beautiful art and good intentions with kids.
What age group is the book for?
1-5, it is a read-aloud picture book meant for adults to
read to little ones.
How were the illustrations done in Ravens Roost?
I did my own watercolors with a tiny touch of colored pencil
here and there and digital paint to enhance the stars.
That’s an amazing cover.
Can you tell us a little about it?
I used the same method on the cover, watercolor. I wanted to show a human connecting and
admiring the natural world, in this case, it’s a raven that is the focus of the
human, and a friendly frog is on the girl’s knee.
What inspired you when writing Ravens Roost?
When I researched ravens, I was excited by what I learned;
there has been ample documentation of Common Ravens roosting in the western
portion of the United States, and much of this is cited in a paper titled,
“Observations of a Large Roost of Common Ravens” by Richard B. Stiehl of the
Cooper Ornithological Society. This fueled my desire to share this as a
children’s book.
What will readers get out of your book?
Permission to wonder, wander and connect with nature. I
expect the adults to guide such adventures, that’s why it’s a read-aloud
book. It is as much for the adults as it
is for the kids. I know when my daughter was little, this is exactly the kind
of book that would have been on our shelves.
What part of the book was the most fun to write?
The rhyming was fun to create, but the line that says, “You
would never have met us if you’d gone to bed!” was especially fun. I know it makes most people smile.
What inspired the idea for your book?
I created the
first version of this story, for young children attending a Waldorf school’s
summer camp in Alaska. The theme of the camp was corvids, and the
teachers were asked to present original creations in a way that the children
could imitate. I wrote “Ravens Roost,” as a poem, learned it by heart, and over
the course of two weeks, the children memorized it as well. At the celebration for the end of camp, the
campers were proud to recite it for their parents.
What do you like to do when not writing?
I love being outdoors and creating art. I’m a grandmother and I am a passive house
designer. I also have a horse who is my
friend and adventure buddy.
Where can readers find out more about your work?
My website
Amazon author page
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/MaggieBatesArt/
My Kirkus starred review
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/author/maggie-bates/
My Chaniticleer 5 star best book review
My Etsy shop
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MBatesart?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1273042985