All the right moves
Pulse editor
Sunday, June 21, 2009
By day, Katie Hart Smith is manager of community outreach for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and co-founder of Smartmoovz Inc., a company that promotes health and wellness for children.
But at night and on weekends, you’re apt to find her at home writing and illustrating children’s books.
Barry Williams/AJC Special
Katie Hart Smith has combined her passions for working with children and for drawing to write and illustrate children’s books. ‘As a nurse, I wanted the books to instill life lessons, as well as being whimsical and creative,’ she said.
Barry Williams/AJC Special
Illustrations from Katie Hart Smith’s books, ‘From the Heart’ and ‘Always from the Heart,’ hang on a studio wall in her Lawrenceville home.
“I’ve worked in children’s orthopedic health care for over 20 years. For me, it’s not a job, but a calling and a passion,” said Smith, RN, BSN, MBA. “But I’ve been drawing for much longer. It’s my creative outlet and a great way to decompress after a long day.”
Smith’s talent for illustration was spotted early.
“When I was in elementary school, a teacher played ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ [by Norwegian classical composer Edvard Grieg] and asked us to draw whatever we wanted. I drew the king, and it won a competition and was purchased by the Indianapolis Museum of Art.”
Later, Smith’s talent led her down a different road. The birth of her nieces, now 13 and 10, inspired Smith to write and illustrate children’s poems and stories.
“As I read books to my nieces, I was always looking for the take-away lesson. As a nurse, I wanted the books to instill life lessons, as well as being whimsical and creative,” Smith said.
Her stories teach lessons about inner beauty, the importance of friendship, the consequences of bragging and achieving success through self-confidence. She often uses animals as characters “because they transcend gender, ethnicity and cultural differences,” she said.
Smith’s father encouraged her to self-publish her work, which she did in the mid-90s. She donates the proceeds from sales to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
With her latest book, “Move Me. Move Me. 1-2-3,” Smith is trying to change how people read to young children.
“Most people think of reading to a child as a quiet-time activity,” she said. “They read before bed to get children to listen and settle down. But if you think outside the box, reading can be energizing.”
Smith’s inspiration to create a collection of poems and stories that encourage children to move, dance and interact with one each other came from watching “The Reading Lady” television series.
“She [host Karen Houghton] was reading ‘Shimmy Shimmy’ from my book, ‘From the Heart: A Compilation of Poetry for Children,’ which was based on a true event of my sister and her daughter making up a dance on a rainy afternoon,” Smith said.
“While reading, she stood up and began going through the motions described. When I saw her dancing, a light bulb went off. What if I wrote books for children to read on their feet?”
Smith credits Houghton for inspiring a new series of books that parents, caregivers and teachers can use to encourage children to exercise while using their imaginations.
“The Jiggly, Wiggly Jellyfish Jam” story in “Move Me. Move Me. 1-2-3” helps children pretend to be and to move like jellyfish, or to play musical instruments as if they were a starfish, a seahorse or a clam — all members of the Aqua Band.
From Smith’s orthopedic background, she knows that not all children can stand. With that in mind, she writes books that feature movements that also can be done while sitting.
“When I tell people about books that encourage kids to be active, everyone loves the idea and think it’s a natural,” Smith said. “But the sweetest feedback I get is hearing that kids really relate to my books. As a child advocate, that’s a great feeling.”
ON THE WEB
For information, go to Katie Hart Smith.