Flora Mora isn’t your average eleven-year-old—she has a way with plants – but when she and her trusty sidekicks—Marsik the cat, Speedy the garden snail, and her leafy best friend Greeny—travel to the distant city of Grayland, they find a place drained of color, life, and even smiles. The plants are disappearing… but why? And who’s behind it?
With her green thumb, big heart, and a little help from her unusual crew, Flora is determined to uncover the mystery, bring back the blooms, and prove that even one girl can make a world of difference!
A thrilling adventure full of friendship, mystery, and the magic of nature—perfect for young explorers who believe in the power of plants!
A dialog between Illustrator Nastya Varlamova and Author Richard Oshen
NASTYA: I had a wonderful follower from LA — a talented person with a wealth of life experience. His name is Richard Oshen. Instagram is a magical place. Sometimes it connects you with someone and guides you through life, almost like parallel universes.
RICHARD: I was scrolling through Instagram one day and stopped on artwork that was creative, gentle, and kind. It was Nastya’s. I followed her immediately. We were both in the middle of big moves at the time — she was relocating, and I was leaving L.A. for a cabin in the mountains. When she resurfaced, her artwork had transformed. It was vibrant and full of color.
NASTYA: One day, while messaging, we joked that I’d be the perfect prototype for a character who saves plants, helped by her animal superheroes. We laughed it off.
RICHARD: Then I sent her the first draft of the manuscript.
NASTYA: It inspired me so much. I started creating characters, sketching pages, building a world. Once the first illustration was done, the motivation became even stronger.
RICHARD: At first I wanted Plant Girl to have superpowers — like The Flash or Spider-Man, but through the plant kingdom. Then as I saw what Nastya was drawing, my thinking shifted. Maybe Plant Girl’s real superpower is just being kind. The more I thought about it, the more I believed it.
Kindness is the ultimate superpower.
To learn more about Flora, click here to go to her website!
