PM Kids Books Author Interview – interview with Elena Amato, children’s book author and writer of PM Kids Books, books designed to ease kids’ fears at the doctors office.
Many children have an innate sense of fear when in a medical situation, e.g. a doctor’s office, dentist office, etc. And, many times parents are at a loss for how to help. Local author Elena Amato has written several children’s books for various scenarios to help parents calm their child’s fears. Each children’s book discusses a different health situation in which children are often anxious about. I interviewed Elena about her book series.
Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms – Are all of the books in your series health related? What kinds of topics do you write about?
PM Kids Books Author Elena Amato – Yes, all of my books cover a different health topic ranging from going to the Doctor’s office for a checkup in “Giovanni goes for a Checkup” to specific diseases such as in “Gigi Has Diabetes.” All characters in each of the books in the series are connected in some way. After reading any one book in the series, the child will be familiar with some of the characters when they read a second book. The books are great tools for parents to use because they explain what to expect in these situations. After reading the books, children will be less frightened to Visit the Dentist or Doctor’s office. In my book titled, “Home Sick Today,” the main character, Bella, is sad because she has to stay home sick from school. The book discusses ways to get healthy fast and how to keep germs away. All of the books are great for any child. With the high incidence of Diabetes today, every child knows or will know someone that has Diabetes. “Gigi has Diabetes,” helps to explain the disease at a child’s level.
Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms – How much did your profession inspire the content direction of your books, and for how long have you been writing?
PM Kids Books Author Elena Amato – My profession inspired my writing by providing me with valuable knowledge on each topic and making me aware of frequent questions children and parents often asked. Working in the medical field allowed me to realize the need for these types of books.
The decision to write my first book, “Gigi has Diabetes,” was inspired by a trip to Italy, where I met numerous children that suffered from uncontrolled DM type I. The parents in the town I was visiting shared their struggle to control their child’s diabetes and to better understand it. Once I realized the great need for education on this subject, I decided to write “Gigi has Diabetes,” which was first published in Italian and is called “Gigia ha il Diabete.”
I have always had a passion for reading and writing, but have been writing professionally for about 4 years.
Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms – What do you hope to achieve with your books?
PM Kids Books Author Elena Amato – My goal is to promote healthy living and disease management to children and parents. The best time to learn the importance of staying healthy is at a young age. It is a lot easier to stay healthy as you grow, versus to be unhealthy or have an uncontrolled disease and then struggle to reverse and fix the problem. I believe that knowledge is an amazing tool that can lead anyone to success.
Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms – Do you have plans for any more books in this series, or different books altogether?
PM Kids Books Author Elena Amato – I have several new titles planned and while each topic may differ, each book will promote healthy living and remain as part of the series.
By September 30, 2013 all of my books will be available for purchase in Italian and Spanish. I am currently working on 3 new books, one dealing with food allergies, another on visiting the hospital for a surgery, and another on having to visit the Emergency Room. I am still working on the titles of each of these books. The book titles will be released soon on www.PMKidsBooks.com and all 3 will be published by the end of 2013.
Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms – Did you grow up in Michigan?
PM Kids Books Author Elena Amato – Yes, I was born in Warren, MI and grew up in Oakland County. My family is first generation Italian immigrants, and my parents and siblings were born in Italy. My family moved to Michigan just before I was born. I travel to Italy frequently and the Italians are always eager to hear about my life living in Michigan. Italians are fascinated about the U.S. lifestyle. I enjoy writing the books in English, Italian, and now Spanish.
