A rogue toad inspired a Sunshine author’s heartwarming celebration of individuality, acceptance, and kindness.
Kelly Brodie-Brown hopes picture book The Style Secrets of Gareth McGreen leaves readers feeling “a little bit braver, a little bit bolder in how they want to present themselves to the world.”
Gareth landed on bookshop shelves in August after leaping into her imagination during a holiday, a toad staring up at her from a puddle.
“Toads tend to get a bad rap in stories,” she said.
“I thought, what if this little guy was a super suave style icon!?”
The tale of a stylish amphibian crafting dazzling outfits for animals of all sorts soon took shape.
A shy young possum teaches Gareth to look past the fabric and frills to discover the real secret to feeling fabulous.
Kelly’s daughter, Astrid, 6, listened to many iterations of Gareth as Kelly painstakingly crafted her idea into a succinct, rhythmic, and lyrical story.
“Finding my way into picture books came from reading to Astrid,” she said.
“It’s a lovely way to teach children – entertaining them, and hopefully making them laugh.
“The heart of this book is the big celebration of diversity and the spirit of individuality.
“What makes the world an interesting place is that we’re all different.
“It’s about finding your own style and finding your way of expressing yourself.”
Kelly would love to write a second Gareth story, but for now, she has two new picture books due for release next year.
