“The Weedy Garden: A Happy Habitat for Wild Friends” By Margaret Renkl, illustrated by Billy Renkl (Greenwillow Books, 40 pages, $19.99)
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Whether she’s writing a column for The New York Times or journal entries about the backyard critters she spies from her Nashville home, Margaret Renkl’s nature writing is full of warmth and heart, a beautiful entwining of how the natural world impacts our inner worlds. Renkl has authored several award-winning books for adults about nature and her love of the South. Now she’s entering the world of children’s literature with the release of her debut picture book illustrated by her brother, artist Billy Renkl.
With simple, poetic lines, The Weedy Garden: A Happy Habitat for Wild Friends invites young readers to imagine they’re the animals in a garden full of life, providing sustenance and a home to a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Billy Renkl’s vibrant, collage illustrations are like a magnifying glass, zooming in on the wonders of the weedy garden.
Q: Margaret, this is your first picture book for children. What inspired you to write for a younger audience?