Children's book author Keisha Chenelle has returned to Inside South Florida with her second publication, "What Will Tyler Be?", continuing her mission to inspire young readers through stories based on her son Tyler's experiences.
The new book builds on the success of her first publication, "The Skin I'm In," which addressed self-acceptance and beauty standards for children dealing with skin conditions like eczema.
"What Will Tyler Be?" tackles a different but equally important topic: helping children understand that it's perfectly acceptable to explore different career paths and change their minds about their future aspirations.
"The main message is we want to make children know that it is okay to try different careers, it's okay to try different jobs, and it's okay to pivot," Keisha said.
Addressing pressure on young minds
The book challenges the common practice of pressuring children to have definitive answers about their future careers at a young age.
"So many times, we fixate ourselves on saying, 'hey, what do you want to be,' and just to have that answer right away," Keisha explained. "But I think even as adults, we don't even know what we truly want to be, you know, because we're still in the learning and growing phase."
The story follows Tyler as he explores various career possibilities, demonstrating that the journey of self-discovery is ongoing and natural.
"This book pretty much helps Tyler pivot," Keisha said. "As he's pivoting, he's trying to find his passion."
Real-life inspiration from Tyler
The book draws directly from Tyler's own changing interests and career aspirations, reflecting the natural evolution of a child's dreams.
"One day, Tyler told me he wanted to be a DJ, and then the next he wanted to be a basketball player," Keisha shared about her son's shifting interests.
As Tyler's mother and advocate, Keisha emphasizes the importance of supporting children's exploration of different possibilities.
"Being his mom and being an advocate for him, also just letting him know it's okay to try different things," she said.
Currently, Tyler has expressed interest in becoming a dermatologist, which connects meaningfully to the themes explored in both of his mother's books.
Educational tool for parents and teachers
Keisha brings professional expertise to her writing, having graduated from Florida International University with a degree in early childhood education and currently pursuing a master's program in leadership.
"I know, as educators, we always ask, 'What do you want to be? What do you want to be when you grow up?" Keisha noted. "And this book actually helps teachers and moms across to, like, let them know it's a different variety of jobs."
The book intentionally includes careers that are often overlooked but provide good financial stability, such as waste management and garbage truck drivers.
"I think some of those jobs are overlooked, but they make pretty good, decent money," Keisha said.
Connecting to previous work
"What Will Tyler Be?" maintains thematic connections to Keisha's first book, which focused on helping children with eczema feel beautiful and confident in their own skin.
"My most memorable moment was also basing it back to the first book, 'The Skin I'm In' from A to Z and it pretty much helps kids to understand that they're beautiful in their own way," Keisha explained.
The new book incorporates Tyler's eczema experience into the career exploration narrative, with his ultimate career choice relating to helping other children with skin conditions.
Availability and reach
"What Will Tyler Be?" is available through major retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as other book retailers nationwide.
Parents, teachers, and children can use the book as a conversation starter about the importance of keeping an open mind about future possibilities and supporting young people's natural tendency to explore different interests.
For more information, visit keishachenelle.com.
