Q&A with Kelly Anne Manuel

 

 

 

Kelly Anne Manuel is the author of the children's picture book My Name Is Light. Her many other books include My Name Is Mountain.

 

Q: What inspired you to write My Name Is Light?

A: I was inspired to write My Name Is Light because we all have a light within us and it is very important for children to know this by feeling it in a nursery rhyme format.

 

I knew it was time to highlight the basic natural internal positivity that resides without any doubt and regardless of external experiences. My inspiration is born through my own light personality and I want to share it with children so they see it in themselves.

Q: Did this book begin as a poem?

A: My Name Is Light was born as a poem and then converted into nursery rhyme format that would be suitable as a children’s book. Rhyming is proven as a benefit for early childhood literacy and I fully embrace that avenue in all of my 31 books.

Q: What initially interested you about writing children's picture books?

A: I worked with children many years ago in the preschool arena. It taught me so much about early childhood development.

 

When the poetry came in March of 2022, I realized it was meant for children. I was able to find the most amazing illustrations to match my poetry and complete the full transformation into nursery rhyme.

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the story?

A: I hope children witness a model of healthy communication based on observation, curiosity and consideration for something they encounter as they navigate the world.

 

I also hope the idea that there is light inside them that can be used to guide their journey but also always shine through is absorbed, processed, and integrated.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I continue to write more nursery rhymes to be added to the four series and extend my catalog of 31 books that have already been converted to audio and video format.

 

I am curating a collection of poems for grownups that I hope to publish in 2024. I am also cataloging the art I create with paint.

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I am truly an uncommon author who only began writing at age 53. I feel this is my purpose and mission on the planet and pursue it with every cell of my being.

 

All my books are experiential, and piece of my soul and life journey. I so hope that they become a layer of support not only for children but any adult who also interacts with my work.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb