Scotland’s Jane Mann writes first children’s book for grown-ups

Drawing on a life-long love of the mysteries of the natural and folkloric world, Jane Mann has released her first children’s book for group-ups.

Readers of Together in Electric Trees will dive into the hidden world of a small Scottish hill – home to faeries, ghosts, ancient trees and beasties.

As a child, Jane, who was born in Aberdeenshire, voraciously read anything she could find on nature, the unexplained, folklore and the supernatural. She has always believed we live in a magical world full of the miracles of nature.

The 55-year-old’s debut book is a heart-warming tale designed to make readers fall in love with the woodlands again. The story follows the adventures of a neurodivergent girl named Anna and her shy attempts to save the world, one tree at a time.

While Anna plants an apple tree by a haunted holy grove, we also follow Earthworm Jimmy and his band of beasties on an incredible, perilous journey across a construction site.

Devastated by the global destruction of nature for profit, Jane is on a mission to encourage a new generation of introverted “Eco-warriors” – young or simply young at heart – to take the initiative to help nature locally. She said: “Even a small act of kindness can mean life instead of death to a fellow creature.”

Jane’s unique, pun-laden style offers a whimsical entry into the world of rewilding. She said: “Scotland is said to be the world’s most haunted country.

“I wanted to explore our lost history and mixed religions through the medium of ghosts. Our history has been dark at times, and I wanted to lighten that mood with humour.”

“Written in an accessible style to accommodate neurodivergent readers, Together in Electric Trees is easy to read—but very difficult to put down.”

Jane mulled over a very basic idea for a book for a couple of years before taking the plunge. Having graduated from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen in early December 2024, Jane felt she should do something with her Degree in Media and began researching her book idea by Christmas.

After four months of research and planning the story line, she took another eight months to write. “It was as if it had been sitting there waiting to be written and I could not write quickly enough as it poured from my head faster than I could type,” said Jane. “It was the most fun thing I’ve ever done and I am already researching my next book,” she added.

The next book will focus on the twelve days of Yule, set on ‘Mither tap’, part of the Bennachie mountain range in Aberdeenshire, where we will see a return of some characters, and a host of new ones.

Together in Electric Trees is the first of many books to be published by UK-based Maple Publishers. The book is now available to purchase from worldwide major retailers, such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart and Indigo.