Julia Peculiar’s Garden of Chaos: Amy Wilson Talks Toadstool Tribulations

Julia Peculiar and the Toadstool Tribulations is the latest madcap misadventure from Amy Wilson - a wonderfully quirky and laugh-out-loud picture book written entirely in rhyme.

Starring the unflappable Miss Julia Peculiar, a talking toad, and a patch of deeply offended toadstools, this story is bursting with silliness, rhythm, and a message about manners and harmony hidden beneath the chaos. From flying frogs to inverted umbrella-shaped toadstools and a gnome-powered finale, Amy’s playful storytelling is perfect for children with wild imaginations and a soft spot for mischief.

We asked Amy to tell us more about the inspiration behind Julia’s garden full of trouble, her love of rhyme, and the importance of kindness - even when dealing with impolite amphibians!

Julia Peculiar is such a memorable character - wonderfully proper, but completely surrounded by chaos! What inspired her creation?

Julia is me, living my dream: a quirky cottage home on the outskirts of somewhere beautiful with a magical garden that has a mind of its own. I can't think of a better way to spend my days. She was created and written in my own magical garden, under an overgrown blossom tree that I loved. My daughter came up with the name, and I created her home and her garden and her adventures through the nature I was lucky to have in my own garden at the time.

The whole story is written in playful rhyme. Do you find writing in verse comes naturally to you, or is it a fun challenge?

Our favourite household bedtime stories, the ones I've recited and enjoyed hundreds of times at bedtimes with my own children, are all written in rhyme, and that's why I write exclusively in that style. It is just so much fun to make an idea fit into a strict syllable structure and find just the right words to have it rhyme perfectly. I wouldn't say it comes naturally; the structure and story are all there from the start. The rhyme is the challenge!

The title alone, Julia Peculiar and the Toadstool Tribulations, sets the tone perfectly. How did you land on it, and do you tend to start with a title or the story idea first?

This particular installment of Julia's adventures all bloomed from simply wanting a story involving toadstools. They are one of my favourite displays in nature, so bold and seasonal. Definitely a key feature of any enchanted garden. So, the title came first, followed by the first line of the story, and then it just sort of unfolded, as if by magic.

There’s a real theatrical rhythm and humour in the storytelling. Do you imagine your stories being read aloud as you write them?

Oh, yes! Each line has to read right before I move on to the next. Because they are so traditional in style, the read-aloud factor is incredibly important.

The bickering toads and toadstools are full of personality! Do you have a favourite line or moment in the book?

I do... it would be this: "They are STOOLS made for TOADS, it's in the name why don't you know? Almost certainly what nature has intended. For their smooth and squishy heads would be the perfect place to rest, if they didn't get so violently offended!" I am very much looking forward to sharing this particular scene. I can imagine the grumpy toad reciting it himself.

While the book is full of mayhem, there’s a subtle message about manners, boundaries and respect. Was that important for you to include?

Yes, all of Julia's adventures (and every other bedtime story I've written, in fact) have a meaningful message behind them. I believe that storytelling is one of the best ways we can teach children about the world and themselves, an opportunity every day to deliver positive and beneficial messages directly to the seat of their imaginations. Most of all, I like the way in which Julia's team of garden gnomes are always there to help her out when she can do no more by herself. This, I hope, will carry a message of perpetual safety, of always having protection and guidance in their own adventures, whatever they may be.

Do you have any favourite funny books or authors who inspire your writing style?

I like the cheeky undertone of Beatrix Potter's books. In each one it feels like the animals are getting one over on the people, and I can't help but feel that Beatrix Potter held a lot more love and respect for the wildlife in her garden than she did other people. 

What does your creative process look like - do ideas come to you quickly, or do they take shape slowly over time?

The ideas and imagery come fairly quickly, then I have to flesh them out with a structure and rhyme. I tend to have an idea of exactly what happens in what order and then I mold it into a working story. 

Where can readers follow your journey and find out more about Julia’s world (and any other peculiar tales you may have in the future)?

I have a website where I offer all kinds of downloadable activities relating to Julia's world. I have colouring pages, home-education worksheets, competitions and details about my in-person sessions (www.amywilsonreads.co.uk). You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram under the handle Amy Wilson Author and Story-Teller.