Bedtime Magic Revealed: Nicola A. Lewis Talks Tilda's Sweet Dreams and Goodnight

Nicola A. Lewis brings a touch of magic to bedtime with Tilda’s Sweet Dreams and Goodnight, a beautifully calming story designed to soothe young readers into a peaceful night's sleep. With dreamy illustrations, lyrical language, and a warm sense of wonder, Nicola captures the simple yet powerful magic of a goodnight story.

This is the second adventure for Tilda, and once again Nicola weaves themes of imagination, comfort, and reassurance into a journey that’s both heartfelt and visually enchanting. In this Q&A, Nicola shares the inspiration behind Tilda's latest adventure, her thoughts on writing for children, and the joys of creating stories that leave a lasting sense of comfort.

What inspired you to create Tilda’s Sweet Dreams and Goodnight?

I felt inspired to create Tilda's second adventure to be a bedtime story. We live in the country surrounded by so many animals, so I thought it would be wonderful to explore these animals with the readers and to have some fun discovering them. I also wanted to help with some fears children have of the dark and the nighttime and once again show Tilda's courage and quietness in these surroundings.

Tilda Finds Her Rainbow, Nicola A. Lewis

Tilda’s adventures have a wonderfully dreamy and calming quality. How important was it to you to create a bedtime story?

Tilda Finds Her rainbow is so full of energy and colour that I wanted to create a magical, dreamy journey that children could fall asleep to, having become lost in Tilda's calm and comforting nighttime world.

What do you love most about writing for young children?

It would be encouraging young children to get excited about reading, about characters and using their own imagination. I believe an imagination is a wonderful thing, and if I can share mine within my stories for the joy of others, then it makes me so happy.

Tilda’s world is filled with gentle magic and imagination. How did you approach building that dreamlike atmosphere?

I think because she is a tortoise, this helped create such a whimsical, dreamy ambience to each story. I find tortoises quite magical, as is the nighttime in the countryside. So these two factors really helped build the gentle, peaceful vibe of Tilda's Sweet Dreams and Goodnight.

How does it feel to return to Tilda's character for a second book?

Just wonderful, the story was in my head, and I just knew Tilda had to go on her next adventure. She has many more to come!

The illustrations are soft, warm, and beautifully detailed. How involved were you in shaping the visual style of the story?

I think the illustrator has done the most amazing job of bringing this story to life. It is really all credit to the illustrator for recognising the atmosphere of my manuscript and bringing it to life suitable for this setting.

What do you hope families and children will take away from reading Tilda’s Sweet Dreams and Goodnight together?

I hope it will help with any nighttime fears and that the thoughts of a mouse in his tree house with the warm glow of a lantern help overcome the darkness. I also hope that it is educational in that we must all respect animals in their habitat and not disturb them, especially when they are vulnerable and sleeping. I also would love for the book to promote chatter about what the animals may be dreaming of and to lead to being open about any dreams that are worrying or brilliantly wild!

Were there any special bedtime stories from your own childhood that influenced you as a writer?

Yes, I read The Faraway Tree over and over again at bedtime. It was a book that I will keep both on my bookshelf and in my heart always.

What has been the most enjoyable part of creating Tilda’s Sweet Dreams and Goodnight?

Every part of creating this book was enjoyable. From working with the editors to get the story as perfect as it could be to seeing my vision come to life in the illustrations and then to see the reaction of others when they saw the book for the first time was just awesome.

How can readers connect with you and learn more about Tilda’s Sweet Dreams and Goodnight?

Illustrations and all information about Tilda's Sweet Dreams and Goodnight can be found on my website, www.nicolaalewis.com. You can learn more about me as an author and Tilda's adventures on the site and also on Instagram @littleliteratureworld.