Interview with Kelly Anne Manuel is a children’s book author who has made an impressive 31 books published including the following book series: The Classics, The Essentials, The Rainbow’s End and My Name Is. Her works are modern-day nursery rhymes that have been enjoyed by readers of all ages, ranging from eight months to eighty years old. We had the opportunity to chat with Kelly about her experience of becoming a published children’s book author and what inspired her work.
Kelly Anne Manuel is an eternal optimist who has been called “the good kind of contagious”, Manuel has a unique voice that children respond to because of her own actively vibrant inner child. In addition to being a self-described “uncommon author” since she didn’t set out to write children’s books but happily took the path life intended for her, she is also a mother and an artist. Kelly Anne Manuel grew up on New York’s Long Island and earned a BA Degree in Telecommunications with a major in Marketing and minor in Spanish from Indiana University. Today she resides in Fort Mill, South Carolina with her beloved pup, Teddy Roosevelt.
Her books started off as poems in the early spring of 2022. I realized that they would be wonderful stories for children. She then utilized Canva and iStock subscriptions to create the thirty-one books that I self-published by the fall of 2022. All the books are modern-day nursery rhymes that have been enjoyed by a baby as young as eight months old to an adult in their eighties.
What is the PRIMARY benefit, above all others, that your potential reader will gain from reading this book? Primarily, my books are meant to entertain a youngster who is learning to read. Whilst being entertained the benefits of rhyming for literacy and language development are also present. Early Childhood Developmental categories of perception, emotion, cognition, interpersonal communication, and self/identity are all addressed in a way that the child can navigate based on their own life journey.
If you had to compare this book to any other book out there, which book would it be? I compare my books to the works of Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen. I find myself rereading his timeless works and feel a connection on many levels. “The Ugly Duckling,” “Thumbelina,” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” are a few that I would like to reference. Beyond the primary goal of entertainment, I believe Hans Christian Andersen’s Nursery Rhymes, Fairy Tales, stories, and art, all had multiple layers of meaning to be explored.
Hundreds of thousands of books come out every year. Why should someone buy THIS book? When any of my books are discovered by a reader, there is a sense that it should have been here all along. There is a familiarity that will ring true for all who interact with the books, and this is incredibly unique. The illustrations magically match the words of the nursery rhymes that I consider my hallmark. The books are poetry in motion, and amazingly, children know it.
Who is your target audience? My target audience is the Childhood Collective of 2022 which inspired the birth of the books. The world events of the past few years created a need for this literature, so I answered the call. My books are meant for all children on a global scale.
Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage? When I reflect on my childhood, I was a voracious reader who also loved to listen to music and Broadway plays. I distinctly recall repeatedly playing the soundtrack from the film entitled “Hans Christian Andersen” and memorizing its songs. Another album
that I wore out was David Bowie’s narration of Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf.” The Philadelphia Orchestra brought the story to life and contributed to my love of Classical music. I look back now, and wonder were some seeds planted then that just sprouted in 2022?
Tell us your most rewarding experience since publishing your work? My most rewarding experience was at my three-year-old great-nephew’s birthday party. I gave him the first fifteen books that were published to that date. He was quite taken with “The Catcher Dream,” tucked the book under his arm and went from lap to
lap for multiple readings. One of the words found in the book is “garbled.” To our surprise, he asked what it meant and I realized then that the books mattered. This was altogether an incredible experience.
How would you describe your writing style? My writing style is poetic, which is the basis for the modern-day nursery rhymes that I have published.
Are your characters pure fiction, or did you draw from people you know? My characters are fictional. However, they are creations born from my life story. Every character and book does lead back to an experience of mine.
Are you more of a character artist or a plot-driven writer? I bring characters to life through poetry in short story formats.
What do you hope to accomplish with your book other than selling it? I hope that my books provide not only entertainment but a layer of support for children that they can rely on through the course of daily life. They are timeless works that will hopefully become generational fixtures in book collections. A well-worn book of mine would be a very welcome sight.
How can our readers get in touch with you?
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/161946041-kelly-manuel
Where can our readers purchase your book? My books are available through many online purchasing options such as Balboa Press Bookstore, Barnes and Noble, Book-A-Million, Amazon, and Walmart. Additional E-book options are found on Google Play, Apple Books, and Kindle Store.
https://www.balboapress.com/en/search?query=kelly+anne+manuel
https://www.booksamillion.com/searchfilter=&id=8776122312231&query=Kelly+Anne+Manuel
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-catcher-dream-kelly-annemanuel/1141985088?ean=9798765232187
https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Boots-Rain-Paperback-9798765232200/1495426576
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kelly_Anne_Manuel_The_World_Small?id=dNGAEAAAQBAJ
Https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-boots-rain/id6443272964
Children’s Book
Date Published: 07/22/2022
Publisher: Balboa Press, a division of Hay House, Inc.
“The World Small” was born as a poem and remains so in this newly
minted Book Two of Kelly Anne Manuel’s Essentials Series. In this story the
Child is invited to experience their sleep time ritual with the comfort of
Nature nearby.
It is a remarkable combination of relaxation yet imagination igniting
prose. “The World Small” offers a standing invitation to the
Child. The Child will learn that no matter where they are on the planet,
Nature has common elements. She is always available for discovery and
wonder.
In the story Nature is personified as a unifying presence to our planet.
The simple words take on new meaning as the illustrations pair perfectly
with their presentation. The illustrations spark curiosity as they start
with a map and end with the evening sky. The story identifies common
elements such as the sky, sun, clouds and rainbows, to create continuity for
any number of environments.
Children who begin their sleep time ritual with “The World Small”
will benefit from the rhythm of the words and the message they send. The
message that how Children play and enjoy the world around them no matter
their geographic location is designed to awaken curiosity and stimulate
conversations on the topic. It is in Early Childhood that a Child’s view of
the world and their place in it is under major construction.
“The World Small” is a tool in a Caregiver’s toolbox to assist
with that healthy formation. The idea that we are united as a global
community with elements of Nature and human nature is an important message
that the author feels Children’s literature must reflect. The Child who
reads this book will be rewarded with unlimited travels into imagination and
how they would like to play once they arrive there.
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