LISTEN to today's conversation with Liz Manly!
Kids experience social and emotional learning as they connect with internal environment in Ahmed’s Journey
NEWPORT BEACH, CA – Be Still. Journey Inward. Know Yourself. We are emotions, feelings, and sensations. Breathe into all of you, ride along with Ahmed, and discover the most exciting journey in the world! You!
Ahmed's Journey unfolds through the eyes of a young boy named Ahmed. The book tells of the Camel Races, a tradition in Ahmed's country and in much of the Middle East.
While traveling to the Camel Races with his family and favorite camel, Jamal, Ahmed faces his fear of riding in the upcoming race. Watching Jamal calmly breathe, Ahmed finds his own breath, and in doing so he discovers he has a colorful array of emotions and feelings. By the end of the book, the reader learns that Ahmed is “grateful to be Ahmed.”
Award winning Author of Nothando’s Journey, Jill Apperson Manly, releases her second book deepening the themes of exploring thoughts, emotions and sensations. Manly uses international cultural festivals to educate the reader and teach the importance of self-love. Jill is a certified iRest® teacher and Somatic Yoga Therapist. She loves sharing yoga and meditation with children and adults, coaching girls' high school basketball, and being a mom to her four children. She lives with her husband and children in Newport Beach, CA.
“Ahmed's Journey:
A Story of Self-Discovery”
Jill Manly | Jan. 1, 2019 | Jabu Books Publishing
Hardcover | 978-0-9980220-0-0 | $16.95
Genre: Children’s picture book
An Interview with
Jill Manly
How important is it for kids to explore and know their own emotions? There is nothing more important. It is essential to learn and value who you are.
Do you think that emotional lessons can be integrated into school studies? Yes, Absolutely! Globally and in the U.S. we are seeing this done right now. My first book, Nothando’s Journey, is part of part of a SEL curricula created by Think Equal (www.thinkequal.com) currently in 147 schools across 15 countries. The pilot program is being evaluated by Yale Center for Emotional Learning. Kids live in present. There is no better time to discuss how a child is feeling then when it is occuring. Of course, you cannot disrupt the class to deal with each emotion so therefore, it is better to have a set time within a lesson, for example in social science, to include a SEL lesson.
How did your experience teaching and studying in Saudi Arabia affect the writing of Ahmed’s Journey?
My overseas teaching experiences with children gave me great joy. Picking stories from “far-away places” gives a different perspective and we all benefit by learning about others. It’s fun to think about riding a camel. Kids in America don’t get to do that. It is even more fun to think about racing one!
What aspects of yoga do you bring to writing children’s books? Yoga is seen in mainstream America as primarily a form of exercise, in my books, some of the deeper benefits of yoga or any mindful (peaceful) practice are explored.
How were the emotions and sensations that Ahmed experienced in the book reflections of your experiences traveling abroad or those of your own children? I hope my experiences do not create experiences for others. I hope they are only a springboard for a discussion of everyone’s self potential. There is SO MUCH in our kids and in ourselves that gets stuffed down or swallowed up or is undervalued. I hope my books encourage and support kids and adults to value who they are on the inside.
Why is it important for kids to experience cultures different from their own? We are more alike than different. As we see others, we see ourselves.
What is some advice you can give to parents who have children experiencing fear and anxiety like Ahmed? The Best advice is to have the conversation around these topics. Our children have lots of anxiety and being able to help them address their anxiety around their fears is very empowering. My website has additional resources both for the child and adult on this topic.
How is Ahmed’s Journey a continuation of your first book, Nothando’s Journey?It is takes kids and parents to another place in the world to learn about others and at the same time to learn about themselves.
Are you planning any other books in the same theme? We’ll see.
What aspects of yoga do you bring to writing children’s books? Yoga is seen in mainstream America as primarily a form of exercise, in my books, some of the deeper benefits of yoga or any mindful (peaceful) practice are explored.
How were the emotions and sensations that Ahmed experienced in the book reflections of your experiences traveling abroad or those of your own children? I hope my experiences do not create experiences for others. I hope they are only a springboard for a discussion of everyone’s self potential. There is SO MUCH in our kids and in ourselves that gets stuffed down or swallowed up or is undervalued. I hope my books encourage and support kids and adults to value who they are on the inside.
Why is it important for kids to experience cultures different from their own? We are more alike than different. As we see others, we see ourselves.
What is some advice you can give to parents who have children experiencing fear and anxiety like Ahmed? The Best advice is to have the conversation around these topics. Our children have lots of anxiety and being able to help them address their anxiety around their fears is very empowering. My website has additional resources both for the child and adult on this topic.
How is Ahmed’s Journey a continuation of your first book, Nothando’s Journey?It is takes kids and parents to another place in the world to learn about others and at the same time to learn about themselves.
Are you planning any other books in the same theme? We’ll see.
