46. A Small Kindness with Stacy McAnulty

It's fascinating how one small act of kindness has a big ripple effect.  Stacy's book, A Small Kindness, illustrates this concept so beautifully!  You're definitely going to want a copy!

Listen in as we dive into a few of her 35 published books!

You can learn more about Stacy and all she has to offer:

Website: www.stacymcanulty.com

Instagram: @stacymcanulty

Ready to join the Team Kind Humans Membership and learn from nonprofits and authors with your kids? Try it out for just $1! www.teamkindhumans.com/membership

Start your KindSchooling journey today! Head to www.teamkindhumans.com or follow me on Instagram @katie_doughty!

Transcript

Katie Doughty: 0:04

Hello, my friends welcome back to another episode of raising kind humans. I am flying high, I have to tell you how full My heart is right now. Because last week, we had our very first team kind of humans membership meeting. And this has been in the works for a while. And I've kind of been all over the place about exactly what I wanted to do and how I wanted to spend my time and how do I help families with community service for kids and getting them involved. And it finally all came together over the summer, it was almost like this bolt of lightning, that just felt like oh, okay, this is exactly what I need to be focusing on. And so to have our very first meeting, last week was so thrilling, and people are coming in and participating. And getting a lot out of this membership. And it's just thrilling, I can't believe it's actually happening. And I'd love for you to join us. So if you would like to hop on into the membership, I would be so thrilled. And right now you can join for just $1 If you want to check it out and just see what it's all about. We met with Alex's Lemonade Stand, which was really fun to get a an up close and personal view of what they are up to who Alex was and what her mission was. And still is being seen today. Because they are fulfilling those, that dream that she had of funding research for childhood cancer. And then soon we get to meet with Dr. Aria and learn from her about cancer research and what that looks like and where your money goes when you donate for cancer research. And we're going to do a science experiment with her too, which is so exciting. I just this brings me so much joy. So if you want to come join us, and then of course, the replays are available all the time. So after our initial meeting, if you can't make it live, you can always watch the replay. And then yeah, do the service projects with us. My favorite part and I've talked about this before, but my favorite part is the community. And that you can actually join the community kind of like a Facebook group, but not on Facebook, on my website in the membership, and kids can talk to each other families can talk to each other, we can cheer each other on, there will be challenges and prizes, and shout outs and information and more resources. And yes, I am just over the moon that this is happening and that we are growing. And so many cool things lined up. I've talked to many nonprofits, lots of children's book authors who are so excited to come in and talk with the kids and do projects with them. So it's going to be a really, really fun year. And I'd love to have you there. So team kind humans.com/membership Head on over there, you can try it for just $1 Come in, join us be part of the team. I would love, love, love to see you there. Um, today's episode is super cool. I got to interview Stacy McAnulty. She is a children's book author. And she has over 35 books published, which is such an accomplishment. And she does picture books and chapter books and novels and nonfiction. She has a background in STEM. And so a lot of them are science based, which is really cool. We have been reading Earth my first 5.4 billion years. That one is so cute. And then she has an entire series on different planets and places in the solar system, sun and Mars and moon and Pluto. And I think she's continuing that pattern and adding to that collection as well. But then she's got some really fun chapter books that I'm excited to get into the hands of my own chapter book reading kids, because they look super fun. So it was really fun to chat with her and dive into her process and learn more about her. We focus more on her book a small kindness. And I think you're gonna love it. It's great. And if you don't have a copy, go buy one, you need it on your bookshelf. It's beautiful. And it's a great way to have conversations with your kids about how just one simple little kindness makes all the difference. And then it travels and it keeps going. It's really just a gorgeous book. So the last thing I wanted to do was ask you if you feel so inclined, I would absolutely love it. If you would please, please leave a review for this podcast so that other people can find us and join in this Kindness Movement. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for being here. Thank you for letting me do this. Because it seriously fills me with so much joy and I can't believe that this is what I get to do. So thank you again for being here. And without further ado, please welcome Stacey. Hello, Stacy, welcome to the reading kind humans Podcast. I'm so excited that you're here today. Thank you for having me. Because it's going to be so fun. I've been reading your books for a while now I have used them with my preschoolers and my own kids. So I'm excited to dive into your process. So if you want to start out just introducing yourself a little bit, and then kind of tell us how did you get here to be an author for kids.

Stacy McAnulty: 5:34

So I have a slightly unusual path to publication. Right now, I am very fortunate I'm in my 10th year as a published author, an author of 35 I think it'll be 35 by the end of this year, books for young readers, I do picture books, I do chapter books, I do novels, I also do a non fiction, longer works and for and picture books as well. But before becoming a writer, I was a mechanical engineer. So I that's what I went to school for. That's what I did for a living for nearly a decade. And so a lot of my books do have a stem element to them. If so, if you if anyone's go take a look at my website, Stacy mcanulty.com. You'll see I do have that stem love continues to be in those books.

Katie Doughty: 6:31

Definitely. Oh my gosh, I love that. So how did you go from being a mechanical engineer to being an author? What was that tipping point or that pivot moment that happened to you? Well, I think

Unknown: 6:42

I always liked the idea of being a writer. But unfortunately, in school, I was kind of thought of as a kid that wasn't good at writing, or a kid that wasn't strong in reading, I was naturally gifted if, if that's even a thing towards the math, and towards science, I was encouraged to do those things, which I do like, but I struggled to learn to read, I was always a bad speller, when it came to writing and made a lot of mistakes. So educators and my parents encouraged me to do the things I was good at. But I always loved stories. Even if I couldn't read them myself, I have an older sister, who would read them or educators who would read them to me parents who would read to me, so I loved story. So once I was an adult and had my degree in engineering and had some free time, I kind of explored the idea of writing. And it didn't go well. At first I didn't know enough, it was all trial by fire at then, you know, as the years go on, I became a mom. And then I started reading to my kids. And that's when the love really flourished. Again, I struggled as myself as a kid reading. So but as an adult, I could read and when I was reading to my kids every night, and I have three kids, I'd go to each bedroom and read to them. I just I fell in love. And I'm like I want to be part of this world. It took me years I estimate. My first daughter was born in 2001. I was first published in 2013. So 12 years, it took me to become a published author, it was not overnight by any means. But I think just reading to children, my children really cemented that that love of kidlit though I always loved stories.

Katie Doughty: 8:28

Yeah, I think there's this bond that happens when you have a child on your lap or a child in front of you. And you're sharing those stories with them. And those connections are made or those aha moments or when they just fall in love with a character or you just have something in common. I love that I taught elementary school and I just love the read aloud time. And sharing that time

Unknown: 8:51

juggle. And also doing that, you know, you you do fall in love with those characters in those stories in those books that you read over and over again. But you also find what doesn't work, right? You find like when the kids are like, you know, I don't I'm picking their nose and sitting upside down, or you've lost them. So there's something that this kind of eye opening about reading to two youngsters that that was I felt very instrumental in my own own work.

Katie Doughty: 9:20

I love that so much. And I think there's something so valuable about a picture book with a kid because, you know, you go back to some of the reading programs in classrooms and they're very segmented like you read a passage or you read a page or but you don't get the full story or they're not interested in it because it's not their you know, their level. Maybe their reading level doesn't match what they're interested in and then sharing those stories with them. That's when they come alive. And that's when they really do fall in love with reading. So reading aloud to kids is just so incredibly powerful and yet so simple.

Unknown: 9:54

Yes. And you hit on some of the things that I love talking about when I when I visit schools is I think picture books are meant logical, I think that's when we can get kids to fall in love with literature. And also I tell kids, that closing about picture books is like if I read you have a picture book and I put a bookmark it and said, Come back tomorrow, like the kids would attack me, they're expecting the whole thing at once they get the beginning, middle and end. We don't get that with chapter books, usually, certainly not with novels, we can't do that all in one sitting. But with a picture book, we get that satisfactory, satisfactory ending with every reading. So it's part of part of their magic, which I have a special place in my heart for picture books, and always will, even though my kids are well add a picture book ages,

Katie Doughty: 10:37

right, I already am fearful of when they're not really interested in picture books anymore, but my library will be filled with them. And it will continue to grow even as they're old. So I'll just save them for grandkids someday. It'll be in the library. So what was your very first book that you had published?

Unknown: 10:54

Way back when again, in 2013. The first one was called Dear Santa Saurus. And it is a picture book. And it's about a dinosaur that writes letters to Santa soars every month explaining all his misdeeds and while he and why he should still be on the nice list. That was out of print. So if you happen to find it at a used bookstore or something know that it's, it's rare. But it's yeah, it was, it was my first one, it was my first experience into publishing. And it was, it was, it was awesome. I joke with that first book that you publish, everybody, you know, buys it. My parents, of course, all bought it. And I get, you know, my kids had copies and I signed them bring kids that they can keep forever and stuff. But I think that my prom date bought one and posted it. Like everybody, the first book is magical. Everybody buys that when everybody comes to that first book launch and stuff. So there's several, even though it's out of out of print, and if I had to go back now, I would revise it, it is a very long picture book over 1000 words, but it will always be special because it was the first

Katie Doughty: 12:03

Yeah, it was the first Those are always the best. Well, then. So do you feel like the process for you has changed since that very first picture book to what you're writing now? Or do you feel like you kind of follow the same path each time.

Unknown: 12:21

I would like to say it's gotten easier, but that would be lying. Okay. Every book has its own struggles. And even though I'm very fortunate again, and by the end of the year, all 35 books published. That doesn't mean everything I write is worthy of being published as recently working on something and I it'll probably go nowhere. And I don't know, again, but I go to schools, and I talk to kids about this. And I like to point that out. Like, I've got 35 books published, I promise, I tell them, I promise you, I've written over 100 Wow, you know, it's and I tell I tell them, I'm like a baseball player, I get up to bat and I look at an idea coming pitched at me. And I don't know if that idea is going to be a home run or a strikeout I don't know if I'm going to swing and miss. But all I can do is try my best. So a new idea comes to me, and I'll have to play with it. And I'll have to write it and then I'll rewrite it. And I'll go through critique groups and and stuff. So that process is kind of the same still many revisions, many months going over over things. I'm a little bit wiser, maybe. And I can let go of things a little bit easier. Like yeah, this one's never gonna work. Other ideas are gonna come if I'm receptive to them. So I would gotten more mature that way where I'm willing to let things go, and maybe not hang on to them. But again, it's not necessarily easier or faster, to just maybe have a little bit more clarity in evaluating a manuscript.

Katie Doughty: 13:53

Yeah, that makes sense. Well, then I'm curious, because so the one I want to talk about is a small kindness. But let's talk about Earth First, because that's the one that I have been reading to preschoolers for several years now. And I love it. And it's just so cute and witty. And what I love about it is that you've personified Earth and I think that gives kids a way to connect to Earth in a different in a different meaning like a different way that they are more able to understand Oh, Earth might have feelings and I need to protect Earth because now I got it I got a peek into inside Earth's personality and Earth's mind and what are has been through? Was that your first one about planets? Yes,

Unknown: 14:41

so that was Earth my first 4.5 4 billion years was my first and in we call it the our universe theory. So we have planets and stars and satellites like the moon and that that collection so yeah, that was the first one. It was new and strange because I do call that nonfiction but like you point out Earth talks to So is it truly nonfiction, I have found that most bookstores and libraries do shelve it in non fiction, but there certainly can be an argument to be made that it's not the true nonfiction we perhaps grew up with. But that book I had not intended to necessarily write nonfiction or a book about her, they actually written a story originally about a pet rock. And the pet rock had been a pet to like all these different characters like a dinosaur and a woolly mammoth, and then a cable and on and on, until it was a pet to like a little girl now who would rather play with an iPad. And that was one of the stories where I struck out where it did not become did not get published. And but I realized, yeah, I really want to talk about a rock, I really want to talk about how long that rock had been here, and how we're kind of new to this planet. And I realized, you know, Earth could tell that story about being here and all that Earth has seen and experienced and changes and, and eventually we go on into our planet, which talks about the impact that us humans have, as well. So that kind of, again, a strikeout led to that Earth story. I was very fortunate that Earth connected with educators and parents, but most importantly, with kids, because I do think she has a funny voice. She is meant, again, the title is Earth my first 4.54 billionaires, she's meant to sound like a four and a half year old, like, That's the voice I'm trying to capture there. So I think it's relatable to kiddos. So with kids liking it, the publisher wanted to do more. And that's what I was able to go on and, and do Moon who's like Earth best friend and son wants to be a star. And we have Pluto. Now we have others, with Mars, and others coming out as well. So I'm very proud of that series. I love bringing my stem and my science to them. But I love bringing at the kids level and respecting their humor and their, what they're interested in.

Katie Doughty: 17:05

Yes, well, I think there's so much here because a story like this captures their attention. I mean, the illustrations are phenomenal as well. They're so impressive and so cute. And they just support the story. You know, when Earth is talking about being a baby, and there's a picture of Earth with a pacifier. And she used to be a hot bath, and just so many cute little quips in there. But I think for kids and nonfiction, this is my favorite way to teach information because it's so engaging and they have something to connect to. And it's not dry nonfiction like this is how nonfiction for kids should be. And you can talk with your child about okay, this Earth really talk no, not with a voice, right. But we can look for her cues or whatever it is. Yeah. And so that can give the kids realize

Unknown: 17:55

that, you know, we're not on a planet with a mouth. They understand that. So I think that's why we get away with it calling it nonfiction because it is to inform and it is accurate.

Katie Doughty: 18:05

Yes. Yeah. What's your research process like to make sure that you have all of your facts correct, because I think that's something I shy away from in my writing is like, Oh, I don't want to get it wrong.

Unknown: 18:17

No, I get that in the first time doing that nonfiction, I did make some mistakes. It wasn't super great with some of my sources unnecessarily keeping track and double checking them. Now a lot of times for these books, I'm able to use NASA and Encyclopedia Britannica. And then if I have to go a little bit deeper Scientific American, and those those, I have my set sources. I also write older nonfiction I have saved the people halting human extinction, which has a lot of talk about human caused climate change in it, but also other things like you know, asteroid hitting us or super volcanoes. And that one was a lot of research. And I had to go a lot deeper with with that kind of book and talk to experts. And I think we have 35 pages 36 pages of sources for that one. That one we tried to and there might be mistakes in that book might be mistakes in even though our universe picture books because science is learning more all the time. So it's not necessarily or hopefully that I'm being inaccurate or the publishers being inaccurate. It's that we're learning more all the time. So if you pick up a book that was published in 2018, I think in son we say son has another if you get one of the early editions as his son has another 6 billion years left of fuel, and now new research is saying 5 billion. So if you think about the newer ones, we've corrected it and it says 5 billion so there are things like that, that that happen, but I do mostly internet research though I'm always picking up on books as well, I read a lot of nonfiction for fun.

Katie Doughty: 20:03

Yeah, yeah, I could see that in you. That would be interesting and fun for you. What are your older kids books? Like? Are they? Do they tell a story? Are they similar to you picture books where there's kind of like that gray area of nonfiction versus fiction? Or is it straight? nonfiction.

Unknown: 20:21

So the the older nonfiction, the save the people, and then we have one coming out September 5, where are the aliens? They are true nonfiction. I would say there's not a voice. However, what I do, which I think is a little different than a lot of the nonfiction intended for kids is I talk directly to the audience to talk directly to the reader, which I found happens a lot. And the Adult Nonfiction I read if you read a Mary Roach was in Philadelphia, she's talking directly to me. And I do a ton of school visits. I think just in between last January, and may I think I've visited 31 schools. So I get to talk to kids a lot. And I love talking, like talking to kids. And I try to use that same kind of voice when I'm in front of them that I use in the book. So for example, and where are the aliens? We start by asking the reader a question we ask, Are you a life beyond Earther? Or an only Earther? You know, nobody's wrong? We don't know yet. So you directly ask the reader that Do you believe that there's life intelligent life out there? Or do you not and you're not wrong, whatever you think, but we talk directly to the reader, which is, which is fun. The art and this is done by Nicole miles. And it is funny. So she has a lot of little funny sketches. And then also great sketches when we have to kind of illustrate a scientific idea that might be more complicated. So there's a lot of art in there, too, that that breaks it up that I think it makes it really digestible for it's a fourth, fifth sixth seventh graders is probably the ideal audience for those.

Katie Doughty: 21:53

Oh, perfect. I was just going to ask that question my daughter's 10 and a half. And I think she would eat that up. So I'm going to need to get my hands on some copies of those. Those sound really entertaining. I think I would enjoy that too. I love books like those two that or people say they're geared toward fourth, fifth sixth, but then I really liked them. So I think parents can enjoy those as well. Yes, for sure. So let's dive into a Small Kindness because this podcast is called Raising Cain humans. And this title just caught my attention. It's adorable. First of all, I absolutely fell in love with the way that the illustrator brought the color into the pictures. So could you speak a little bit about how where did this idea come from, and maybe a little bit about the process of getting it out into the world.

Unknown: 22:43

So this book, The Small Kindness is published by Running Press kids. And I had three other books with them. So I call those the other books, my definition books, so we have beautiful, and we have brave, and we have love. And in each of those books, I kind of give you my definition of the word so Stacy's definition of beautiful and so in beautiful. It's, it shows what I think it means for girls to be beautiful, but the words don't necessarily work with the art. So it'll say, a beautiful girl knows a has a smart style. And when we hear words like that beautiful girls a smart style, we might think of like a woman going into the office or something, you know that like this is how you dress to be professional, or this is the suit you need. But what the picture shows is girls doing science experiments, and another time it says you know, beautiful girls know all about makeup. Again, we're taking lipstick, eyeliner, that kind of thing. But the art and that one shows girls dressing up like pirates. Awesome. So it's kind of taking society's terms are beautiful, and it twists it. So the picture show girls being beautiful in their own right. And brave we use superhero like go so brave kid leads the team. And that might put an image in our head of like the Avengers and Captain America and Iron Man leading leading a team but in the book, they're leaving like a group of ducks to safety like across the woods bringing them back home. A beautiful Agnes very brave kid answers the call. You kind of think of Batman and the bat signal, you know, he's gotta go answer that call. But in the book, it's a picture of a neighbor with a cat and the tree and the kids come help out with that. So there's three again, there's beautiful, brave and love. And so I'm trying to define those words. By twisting what our society things love uses a lot of the Valentine's Day lingo you know, you need a fancy dinner or expensive gifts and it shows handmade gifts, and it shows a kid feeding their dog for the fancy dinner. So I'm kind of twisting all those things. The publisher and I were talking about what else can we do we really wanted to do a book about kindness. We know how that's talked about a lot in in preschool and kindergarten how important it is. And I started thinking about it. And I'm like, there is just no way to twist kindness, like the way I twisted, beautiful and brave and love. Kindness is always good. Like, it is always the right thing it is, there's no way to twist kindness around. So we had come up with a new way of talking about kindness. And what it came down to was when my daughter was in sixth grade A long time ago now, because she's in college, when she was in sixth grade, she was very nervous about going to middle school, and my husband would drop her off. And he would say, Just say hello to one kid today, one new kid, somebody you don't know. That's all you have to do, just make that step. And that was his advice. And I thought it was really good advice for a sixth grader. For four year olds, for adults, you know, just push, make that one little kind gesture, and see what happens. So that was kind of the idea. We knew we want to do a kindness book, we knew we can't twist kindness. And then this idea that kindness doesn't have to be huge, it can be small. And from there, it goes on. So that's what happened to the book, as you mentioned, with the art, it starts kind of in the sepia tones. And there's one child who you know, says hello, and that Hello, turns into high fives and helping and sharing until the end of the book, which is the end of the day. And everyone has been an hour drawn in color to demonstrate how the kindness spread throughout this class and throughout this school. So that's a long story. But I think it's a process of that, because sometimes we see a picture book and they're like, Wow, that's 60 words that How hard could that have been? Oh, it was years of thought and consideration that went into that. And I'm very, very proud of it. And I love Wendy's Wendy's art, she nailed it. She nailed it.

Katie Doughty: 27:02

100% 100%? Well, I like what you said about people pick up a picture budget, like I was 60 words, I could be a children's book author. But that's I love interviewing authors, because there's always a unique story behind the story. And so it's really cool to see behind the scenes, and I love that your other books kind of led up to this. And then it didn't fit the pattern because kindness doesn't fit the mold, right? It's not the normal. And so I just I think this story is a great way for kids to visually see the passing of kindness because you can tell them right, like, well, if you're kind to someone else, and they're kind to somebody, and they're kind of somebody, you know, the it could be endless, but to see it, I think makes all the difference. And I love the way like you'd said it started CPS. But I also noticed, like the facial expressions on each child. So once the child turned colorful, they had a more happy expression. They were

Unknown: 27:57

touched by the kindness and you could see it is yeah, absolutely. They're on their face as well because some look sad or nervous. And and it's not just the kids that happens in the book that we have the teacher and we have a janitor also get get involved. It's a whole community. I love

Katie Doughty: 28:15

that too. Because for kids, sometimes they think they just need to be kind to other kids. But it is adults too. And adults will pass it back to the kids and I just love from beginning to end it touches every person and every character until it gets to the end of the day and everyone had a great day and everyone wins. It's one of those just heartwarming, adorable stories but what a way to illustrate the passing of kindness that there really is no end because now you can chat with your kids about what do you think happened when they went home? You know, what could they have done for their mom or their neighbor or their friend or you know a death stop at the end of the story?

Unknown: 28:57

I think it's it's great when I visit schools and stuff I'm like how are you kind or how will you be kind today and they they think of some you know little things I'm just gonna give my mom a hug and again, it doesn't have to be huge doesn't take a lot of time or money anything like that. So just having these little things that can have an impact and kids get it they are they're so smart they're so good right away and they see it so it's it's a fun book to discuss discuss what they're not always gives me chills when they when they come up with these ideas and the discussion afterwards it It's heartwarming

Katie Doughty: 29:35

and so powerful and kids I think we don't give them enough credit but their hearts are so huge and so open to this idea that I think books like this just need to be in their hands and be read to them because it makes all the difference. For sure. I love it. I love it so much. So what's in the works for you? You're continuing your Universe series is that what was called university or University of our universe? That's right, which I just I want all of the books on display in order. I think they're so cute. And I just love the idea of all this learning that happens in those books. So are you working on that series? Or do you have something else I know you said Mars is coming out soon,

Unknown: 30:18

Mars is out, and Pluto just came out. Okay, in May, the next one in that series is going to be our solar system. So in that one, each planet will kind of get its own spread. So it'll get a two page layout. So nobody will be left out anymore. What we hope to do all of them in individual books this way, everybody will get a spotlight for the moment. And then after that, it's going to be Venus. And then we're going to do stars, like a general star when we've done sun. But we'll do a general star one because what the James Webb Telescope is discovering and seeing is just amazing and beautiful. And we need to get, we need to highlight that. So that'll be coming up as well. So I'm very excited because I follow that like, on social media and I love seeing all the pictures all the time. I also have a new sexual picture book coming out in October called I Want 100 dogs, which I joke is my most autobiographical book yet, I am the mom of three Furry Babies, we were up to four during the pandemic, but we lost one and we realize four is a lot of Furry Babies. I'm actually there's one in this office with me right now. So you never know any moment there could be barking in this house. So that one I'm very excited about it's, you know, it's also a good book are counting because we go from 100 to 90 to 80. She keeps just changing her mind about how many dogs she wants. So it's fun. It's got this little county element and the dogs and that are adorable. So excited about that. And then doing some older stuff as well, some novels, I've got forever 12 coming out this fall, which I've ended novels since 2020. So that's, that's exciting as well. So yeah, lots lots in the works. I'm very fortunate. I've got the career of my dreams. And I get to do it all the time. So I feel very, very lucky.

Katie Doughty: 32:11

I'm so impressed. Because I know how much work writing is really working on all these different projects. And you know, having things going on at the same time is super impressive. So well done. That's amazing.

Unknown: 32:26

It keeps me away from writer's block. Because if I'm like stuck on this picture book, I can go work on this novel or if I'm stuck on the novel, I can do nonfiction research. So it by having different things going on, I feel like I can fill my data easily with with work without necessarily just staring out the window, though we all know staring out the window time two can be valuable because we need time for our imaginations to kind of percolate.

Katie Doughty: 32:53

You're right. It really can. Do you ever feel like having so many things going on? Do you ever feel like you can't quite turn it off? Are you able to walk away and kind of just be for a while? Or is it kind of something that's constantly in your mind?

Unknown: 33:08

I'm not good at walking away, I'll admit. And, like I love to have a notebook with me. So even when we go on vacation, and if I don't bring my computer, I still have a notebook. And I genuinely love what I do. So one of those times where I say that when I'm trying to walk away, it's usually working on something that's maybe not necessarily on deadline. So there's some idea that I'm playing with, or I just want to make a list or I want to play with a title you know, so I do have kind of downtime. But creativity is is a gift and I don't want to waste it. So I feel like it's it's with me a lot. I do enjoy my walks, I do morning walks and things like that, where it's I don't have a notebook. That isn't maybe my brain gets a little bit more of a break. But you will find me talking to myself, my kids make fun of me because I'm always

Katie Doughty: 33:55

that's how you get into coming up with words. I love that. I love though when you're, you're kind of in the zone and then something sparks and you're like, oh, obviously that's the direction I need to go now. And it's such a universal Yes. I love it so much. It's such a thrilling moment where like, this is my new path. Awesome. Thank you.

Unknown: 34:16

Absolutely. And that does happen often on the walk or in the shower.

Katie Doughty: 34:20

Right when you don't have a notebook. Oh my gosh, this has been so fun. It's so exciting. Tell us where we can find everything. So I have so many teacher friends that would dive into all of your work and possibly, hopefully maybe someday come to Seattle and do some school visits. That would be amazing. And

Unknown: 34:40

I was in Vancouver last year so I was

Katie Doughty: 34:44

very close. Yeah, so where can we find all your information?

Unknown: 34:47

So if you can spell my name right, you can usually find me which is not the easiest name to spell. But Stacy mcanulty.com is my website and on there you got all my socials. My daughter jokes that my there's too much stuff on my website, but I just keep throwing it all on there. But I've got educator guides, there's there's an empathy guide for the miscalculations of lightning rod that I know a lot of educators have liked. There's sheets, you can coloring sheets, all that stuff is on there. And again, links to my socials, you know whether with Twitter still around, you know, I do make some videos I have. So you can get to my YouTube from there as well. So you can see, I don't think I've actually read a Small Kindness on the YouTube channel, I have read Earth, I think ocean, there's different ones on there. So you can have me read to your to your youngster, and love that as well. So again, if you just spell my name, right, people always mix up the sea and a MC a ulty, you will find me and the website is a good launch page to find anything you could possibly be looking for, such as my daughter's,

Katie Doughty: 36:00

I don't think you can ever have too much right? You can sift through and find what works for you. So that's really neat that you have all that available, especially for educators I know is a former teacher, I was always looking for these kinds of gems to bring into the classroom. And I really appreciate that you offer your books on YouTube, too, because I know sometimes it's it's difficult with the rights of your book and all of that. But yeah,

Unknown: 36:23

technically, I don't know if I'm supposed to. Often, oftentimes, the publisher has actually asked me to do it for like world read aloud day, Earth Day and stuff. And I just leave them up there. If they asked me to take them down. I would, but nobody seems to be yet at this point. So I like being able to share that,

Katie Doughty: 36:45

though. It's your gift, right? Like you've put your heart and soul into this. So being able to share it with as many people as possible

Unknown: 36:50

is the goal. Yes.

Katie Doughty: 36:53

I love it. Oh my gosh, this has been so fun and so enjoyable to get a little behind the scenes peek into your world and I cannot wait to get my hands on all of your books. I'm gonna have to go find all of them. Thank you. Thank you for being here.

Unknown: 37:09

Oh, thanks for having me. This was fun.