Belinda Baloney Changes Her Mind - Story Time with the Author

Inside: The story behind Belinda Baloney Changes Her Mind and a read aloud with the author, Becca Carnahan.

What did you want to be when you grew up when you were a kid?

Am I right that it wasn’t just one thing? Of course! You were a kid and kids’ imaginations are amazing! I wanted to be an artist, a food decorator, a WNBA star, a store owner, a grocery clerk, and a gym teacher, and that’s just the half of it.

But somewhere along the way we start thinking that we need to pick one job, one career, one path.

Is that the true though? Do we really need to have it all figured out, or can we learn, grow, and change throughout our lives?

I strongly believe it’s the latter and that’s the whole message of my new children’s book, Belinda Baloney Changes Her Mind.

Who is Belinda Baloney?

Belinda Baloney Changes Her Mind, written by Becca Carnahan (that’s me!) and illustrated by Sarah Horan, is a story about a young girl trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. She has lots of big dreams, but can’t seem to pick just one.

An engineer, the President, a knitter of coats? A firefighter, a farmer, a sailor of boats! When Belinda starts to get worried that she doesn’t know how to pick just one job, her brother helps her learn an important lesson. Growing and learning can take a lifetime, and Belinda Baloney can change her mind!

This rhyming book filled with fun illustrations is perfect for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school-aged children. Kids will love exploring along with Belinda and be inspired to dream big dreams of their own.

Why Belinda Baloney?

As you’ll hear in the video below, Belinda Baloney’s name came from a silly story I was making up for my kids. The name popped up out of nowhere and it stuck!

The reason the character ended up in another story, this story, about trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up is because I’m a mom, a career coach, and a firm believer that the real question is “What do you want to be when you grow up NEXT?” It’s a big wide world out there and why do we need to limit ourselves to just one dream?

When parents have shared Belinda Changes Changes Her Mind with their kids I keep hearing the common refrain – “I needed to hear this as an adult too!” It’s never too late to change course in your life and explore new interests and learn new things, and that is so beautiful and inspiring!

Introducing the Team

If you’ve followed along on the blog then you already know me. But you may not know my sister-in-law, Sarah Horan, the talented artist who brought Belinda Baloney to life. Sarah is an occupational therapist living in Colorado. Like Belinda, Sarah’s career plans changed a lot throughout her life, but drawing and painting have always been a constant. I’m so lucky to have her in my life and watch her dream of illustrating a children’s book come true.

Another a big player in the production of Belinda Baloney was Katelyn Lizardi. Katelyn is an amazing graphic designer and she added the color to the images Sarah drew with pencil and paper. This was a skill Sarah and I tried our hand at, but we definitely needed to bring in the pros! Check out Katelyn’s website for prints, cards, and web design.

And for anyone considering writing a children’s book of their own, there are lots of ways you can go – traditional publishing, self-publishing, or somewhere in between. Our publisher Gatekeeper Press has been incredible and I can’t recommend them more highly.

Storytime!

Ready to hear Belinda Baloney Changes Her Mind?

Let’s dive right into the read aloud!

I hope you enjoyed meeting Belinda and Benji! (Benji doesn’t get enough credit for giving such great advice. You’ll get your own book someday, buddy.)

If you want to bring Belinda home, you can order a signed copy of the book here or find it at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Her official book birthday is October 22 but preorders are open right now!

Preorder Today!