3 Awards for My Fingerpaint Masterpiece!
Nicole Weaver, a fellow Readers’ Favorite winner, was kind enough to ask me for an interview. Thank you, Nicole, for this opportunity!
“Award winning children’s author, Sherrill S. Cannon is a true inspiration to me. She has made major contributions to the children’s book market. I am so happy I got a chance to learn more about her books through this interview. Thank you, Sherrill, for doing this this interview. I hope you continue to inspire young minds through your wonderful books.
Can you tell me about yourself?
I am a former teacher, mother of four and a grandmother of ten, and am also an Award-Winning Best-Selling Author! In less than five years, my books My Fingerpaint Masterpiece, Manner-Man, Gimme-Jimmy, The Magic Word, Peter and the Whimper-Whineys, and Santa’s Birthday Gift have received twenty-eight 2011-14 National and International awards. My newest, My Fingerpaint Masterpiece, has just won the Gold Medal for Children K-3 in the 2014 Readers Favorite International Awards, as well as an Illustration Award. It has also won a Pinnacle Achievement Award. My book Manner-Man has won 10 awards, most recently the prestigious CLIPPA (Principals’ Award) for K-2. All of them have been Readers’ Favorite medal winners. Most of my books try to teach something, like good manners and consideration for others. Once a teacher, always a teacher…All of my books are now part of a fundraiser for the anti-bullying campaign at imbullyfree.org. This site is imbullyfree and 50% of the cost of her books will go directly to the imbullyfree organization! Manner-Man is now the Superhero for the Bully Bear kids!! All of my books are also part of another fund-raising effort: for the Cure JM Foundation, to help find a cure for Juvenile Myositis, an incurable children’s disease. Since many children with CureJM are also bullied, it is a win-win for both causes! I am also the author of seven published and internationally performed plays for elementary school children, which have been produced in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom as well as Australia, Austria, Botswana, Cambodia, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Poland, Singapore, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates (so far). I am a resident of New Hope, PA and travel with my husband of 54 years throughout North America in our RV, sharing my books along the way!
What inspired you to become a writer?
I have always loved poetry, especially structured poetry with rhyme and meter, and wanted to share that love with children. I also wanted to be able to teach, as well as tell a story, so my books are really life-lessons disguised as fun stories!
How long did it take you to acquire the skills to become a writer?
I have been a “writer” since I was 4-years old, when my mother would write down my poems for me. I had quite a large collection, but unfortunately they have been lost.
How many books have you written?
I have six published children’s books, and am under contract for another in 2015. Details are in the bio earlier…
Some writers go on long walks; others keep a journal, write at a café, or listen to music. What do you do for inspiration and unleashing your creativity?
I spend most of my time marketing the books I already have… That takes creativity, too!
What are you working on now?
My new book to be released in 2015. Actually I’m just waiting for my illustrator to start working on it.”
About Nicole Weaver:
Nicole Weaver is the author of My Brother is My Best Friend, a cute story about twin boys, written in three languages! I’m sure this book will be enjoyed especially by children who are in multi-cultural families and who speak dual languages, but it is also wonderful for those who only speak one of these languages to learn about ways to tell the story in another language! What a talented author and a great idea! The twin boys are adorable, and the story illustrates the way that brothers bond as they enjoy the world around them.
I am thrilled to share the news that all three of my children’s books are winners in the 2011 Readers Favorites Awards. 
The Magic Word is a Gold Winner in Children – Concept
Santa’s Birthday Gift is a Silver Winner in Children – K-3rd Fable
Peter and the Whimper-Whineys is a Bronze Winner in Children – K-3rd Fable
Sherrill S. Cannon's Blog 