Medea Kalantar Author Interview

Honeycake: Help, I Swallowed a Butterfly is a precious account of one girl’s misunderstanding of the idiom, “butterflies in your stomach.” What was the inspiration for this charming children story?

I wanted to write a book to teach children how to overcome anxiety, and I thought about the common saying “I have butterflies in my tummy” when people described that they were nervous. I thought this anecdote would be the perfect play on words to help children understand.

This book teaches readers how to practice meditation and mindfulness. Why do you feel these are important for kids to understand?

As a Reiki Master and Practitioner I teach my clients how to manage stress and anxiety, through deep breathing and daily meditation. I felt it was important to teach these tools at a young age. By introducing them to the world of self care, it will empower children to practice mindfulness and meditation and setting positive intentions for the day, so that they are able to meet life’s challenges head-on in a healthy and balanced way. By starting them at a young age, they will grow up to be more balanced, healthy, happy adults.

Life can be stressful at any age, but with the right tools and mindset, we can overcome any obstacle!

The art in this book is very cute and fitting. What was the art collaboration like on this book?

I was involved in every step of the art creation in this book. The imagines are a replica of actual photos of my daughter Shanaz doing meditation. Nala is the only fictional character is my books. I used the same illustrator that did my first book. Honeycake: A Family Of Spices. The illustrators name is I Cenizal and she is so talented.

What is the next book in the Honeycake series that you are working on?

Book 3; Honeycake – Special Magical Powers

(release date Christmas 2019)

This book is to teach young readers all about the special magical powers each of us have by showing compassion to others my doing random acts of kindness.

I believe if we do this on a daily basics we can shift the universe into a positive direction.

It’s so simple to change one persons life and brightening up their day by; opening a door, giving your seat on the bus or train, donating unused toys and clothes… etc.

But the best way is to smile. A smile can change someone’s day from bad to good.

Kindness is gift we all can afford to give because it doesn’t cost a thing, but can mean everything to one person.

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website

“Help I Swallowed A Butterfly” is the second book in the delightful Honeycake series. In this sequel, Nala gets stage fright at school. But with the help of her mom, Nala learns how to get rid of those pesky butterflies in her tummy. This charming book empowers young readers to practice mindfulness and meditation so that they are able to meet life’s challenges head-on in a healthy and balanced way. Help I Swallowed A Butterfly is clearly written and incredibly relatable, with step-by-step instructions and guided meditation exercises for young readers. This book is also a valuable resource for caregivers who want to provide a positive introduction for children to the world of self-care and managing those butterflies.

Life can be stressful at any age, but with the right tools and mindset, we can overcome any obstacle!