I’m excited to share with you a new children’s book author, Marrielle Monte! Marrielle is a happy activist and an affirmation aficionado. Her passion for spreading happiness comes from several years of teaching hundreds of elementary school kids a happy dance on the International Day of Happiness. She shared with me a little bit about her new book, Magic Thinking for Kids!
What if reinforcing positive thoughts could change your whole mood—or even your life? The Amazon Best Seller, Magic Thinking for Kids, is an upbeat and adorably illustrated book that introduces the power of affirmations as “magic thinking.” It teaches kids that they have the power to change the way they feel by changing their thoughts. It also shows them how to incorporate affirmations into their daily life with the goal of helping them to feel good about themselves, so they can lead a happier life.
Belle: What was your inspiration for Magic Thinking for Kids?
Marrielle: I’m so glad you asked because it’s a fun story! A few years back I was introduced to the Happiness Movement and Positive Psychology that is sweeping the world. I also learned about the International Day of Happiness. This was right up my alley because when I was a child and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up I would say “Happy. I just want to be happy.”
Belle: That’s pretty insightful for a child!
Marrielle: I wanted to share happiness with everyone! I went to my son’s elementary school principle and introduced her to the International Day of Happiness and told her I’d love to put up a happy wall at school so the kids could be mindful of how they make others happy and what makes them happy. She loved the idea! After some convincing, she even allowed me to come teach the students a Happy Dance to celebrate the day!
That day was incredible! There wasn’t one bare inch of space left on our Happy wall! The kids had such a great time learning the dance too! After the dance I had them circle around me and explained that I don’t always wake up happy; that sometimes things get me down. I told them that when that happens I go to a mirror and look at myself and say, “I am awesome!”
A quiet giggle filled the room. I said, “I know it seems silly, but you know what? It feels great!” I encouraged them to try it. I led them through a few affirmations and they self-consciously followed along. Then I encouraged them to really get excited and have fun! Scream them out! Punch up in the air! The energy was electric! The smiles and laughter were huge and contagious!
This happened class after class all day long. One boy told me that this was the best day of his life! By the end of the day I realized that kids had no idea how powerful they are and that they can choose to be happy and change the way they feel. At that moment it hit me that I had to let them know. I started working on the book within days.
Belle: That is so amazing and powerful! What message do you hope kids will come away with after reading Magic Thinking for Kids?
Marrielle: After kiddos read Magic Thinking for Kids I want them to walk away knowing that their minds are powerful. I want them to know that they can choose to feel something different than they are currently feeling at the time, simply by changing their thoughts. They can choose to feel happy or brave or strong. I also want them to know that they are lovable. We have about 60,000 thoughts a day and up to 80% of those thoughts are negative and repeated daily. I believe if we, as parents, incorporate these simple practices into our kiddos lives at an early age it will help them be more mindful and invite them to choose more positive thoughts. We will be empowering our children to lead a happier life. I believe if we do this it can create an incredible ripple around the world.
Belle: I love that so much and agree 100%! What is your favorite thing about writing for children?
Marrielle: One of my favorite things about writing for children is knowing that I can have a positive impact on them. I enjoy contributing to their well being and happiness. I also love getting feedback from the parents and kids! When writing, you have an idea and you think it will do good things in the world and you don’t really know how it will land until you share it with them, so feedback really excites me.
Belle: What other projects are you currently working on?
Marrielle: Besides just wrapping a film project, I am currently working on my next few book ideas and have also been encouraged by parents to work on Magic Thinking style books for different age groups.
Belle: Best of luck to you on all your upcoming work, Marrielle! I love what you are doing.
Please visit Marrielle’s website to learn more about her book Magic Thinking For Kids. You can purchase her book in hardback or soft cover on her website or paperback on Amazon.com. If you purchase from her website you can get a signed copy!
Marrielle Monte is a happy activist and an affirmation aficionado. Her passion for spreading happiness comes from several years of teaching hundreds of elementary school kids a happy dance on the International Day of Happiness. Marrielle has a BFA in theatre and dance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and studied the Science of Well Being at Yale. She has a diverse performance resume including singing and dancing on Broadway and making people laugh at The Improv and The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. She works as an actor, owns a home-based business and is an active community volunteer. She lives in Denver with her husband, son, and several chickens. A fun fact about Marrielle is that she is the calm voice saying, “Please enjoy the music,” on every Verizon phone. Follow her at www.MarrielleMonte.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
