Mesh, Music and Monkey Mischief
In the Northern Rivers town of Uki, Tina Wilson and Matt Ottley are turning bath-time into big adventures. Their latest children’s picture book, The Messy Bath Monster, is a testament to what happens when imagination, patience, and a love of hand-crafted creativity collide.
For Tina, the creative journey isn’t just about the finished book—it’s about taking the time to immerse herself fully in the process. This focus on slowing down has become central not only to her storytelling but to her connection with her 80-year-old mother, Joan Wilson, who knits all of the characters and props. “Slowing down means leaving the pressures of the outside world behind and letting play, reflection, and imagination guide you,” Tina says. “It’s in that unhurried space that the best, most unexpected ideas come to life. Working with Mum has reminded me that storytelling is really about connection, each knitted character carries her touch, her memory, her care. It’s something you treasure long after
it’s finished.”
Matt’s perspective complements hers. He knows the publishing world often pressures artists to work fast and chase trends, but he believes creativity thrives when it’s given space to breathe. “Deadlines are excellence killers,” he laughs. “A work needs time away, months even, for the creator to step back, reflect and refine. That’s when it really becomes alive.” He credits Tina’s One Tentacle Publishing for giving them the freedom to create without compromise, producing work that’s both meaningful and playful.
The process itself is hands-on, messy, and wonderfully organic. Tina begins with a story idea, then photographs Monkey and his knitted friends across a variety of locations, building storyboards and shaping words around the images. Hidden surprises are tucked in for kids to discover. Music comes later, with Matt composing pieces that mirror the rhythm and whimsy of the narrative. This book is part of The Sound of Picture Books and includes a free music download, ask for a copy at your local book store. His eight-minute score for The Messy Bath Monster emerged slowly, ruminating while walking, lying in bed, or riding the train—then refined with performers during rehearsals, until every bow, pause, and flourish matched the story’s energy.
The idea for the book was over a decade in the making, but the true spark arrived during the COVID lockdown. “Monkey couldn’t travel anywhere physically, but he could go anywhere in his imagination,” Tina explains. From bath-time chaos to underwater kingdoms, pirate ships, and a massive whale, the bath becomes a playground for courage, curiosity, and adventure.
The Northern Rivers landscape feeds their imagination too. Local locations, from Brunswick Heads whale watching to underwater shots by Byron’s Craig Parry, find their way into the pages, making the world of Monkey’s adventures feel real and familiar.
In a world increasingly dominated by AI, Tina and Matt champion the human touch: the joy, mistakes, and connection that come from crafting something with your own hands. For Tina, watching her mum knit a character for Monkey is more than just practical, it’s inspiring, grounding, and deeply personal. Every stitch carries
meaning. And in the end, it’s the process, not just the finished book, that makes the adventure worthwhile.
