BOOK REVIEW
“I wanted to create stories in which every child could find themselves.”
Hugh and the Manatee, is the first in children’s book series written by Dr. Mary Helen Hensley.
Written in under 100-pages, the book is filled with eye-opening content and emotions that will pull on the reader’s heartstrings, while getting lost in the storytelling, along with creative illustrations by Max Gordon.
Referring back to Hugh’s childhood, it shows his true self of self being an extremely unique and loving child. His outfit was described as, “loud and fabulous as his personality,” that shows the pureness of his mothers love and admiration for her child.
The book is an interesting read discussing a lot of much needed conversational topics like pronouns, bullying, and LGBTQ, making it an educational read too.
There’s a lot going right for Hugh, but there’s also a lot that he should not be exposed to, like bullying as a child. Hugh’s main bullies in this book were Lolly Laposwki and Cindy Snead who were the worst of the worst, and the other boys would call him names. Although he has a lot of friends, especially being popular with the girls, he found the courage to explain to his mom that he did not like playing the same way as other boys did, instead preferred to dress up in the classroom than roll around in the dirt playing football with the other boys.
The story moves on to discuss how the girls were ignorant due to their limited understanding of experiences in their young lives. It’s a good representation of this situation that does occur for many. Hugh then takes it upon himself to educate them, in-turn, seeing the girls open up.
Once the Manatee is introduced, it takes another positive turn in the diverse and interesting read of the book. The Manatee was pink, and Hugh knew a lot about gentle giants. Going further into topics of LGBTQ in relation to the Manatee and fish, Hugh tells the girls as they don’t understand gender differences for mammals, “lucky for this species that the females never identified who they were or the value of their role by the body they were born into.”
Coming towards the end of the book, it’s a fascinating read as it allows the reader to follow the story along in their own imagination. Making the statement that there’s room for individual expressions of life, was a stand-out part of the book. Hugh is a vibrant character and is very open and aware of himself, the people around him, and when talking with Lolly and Cindy it’s respectful to educate them.
It’s an important book series created for pre-teen readers offering storylines and characters that breakdown stereotypical gender identities, thereby offering books in which all children can see themselves. Then closing out the book with a beautiful ending to allow those around us to change is the power of love, Dr. Mary Helen Hensley did a terrific job penning this first book for an upcoming series that will be highly anticipated.
Dr. Mary Helen Hensley is a meta-physcial healer, chiropractor, author, screen-writer, and international inspiration speaker. She lives and creates between Ireland and LA with her two daughters Jemma Skye and Jada Pacifica.
Words by Danielle Holian
INTERVIEW
Tell us a bit about your writing background.
I first published with Book Hub Publishing in 2009. ‘Promised’, the first in a trilogy that eventually became “Promised By Heaven”, was picked up by Simon and Schuster America/UK in 2015.
What, or who, inspired you to start writing?
My mother gave me my first diary as a child. I learned from a very young age to chronicle the events of my life, even if only a single sentence about something that happened during my day. Many years of journals became my first three books. My mother’s many years of journaling filled in any gaps and provided forgotten treasures, remembered through her perspective. I began writing my first book in 2007, when my girls were 3 and 5. With both showing signs of having ‘gifts’ like my own (communicating with those in spirit), I wanted to write my story so that they could see that they weren’t weird or alone and that our gifts were the treasure maps to a life full of adventure.
And what influenced your book?
Most of my books are based on my personal experiences. Real life is stranger than fiction.
How has your life in general influenced your work in general?
My life is influenced by my work on a daily basis. As a doctor working in the field of metaphysics, I am so privileged to be invited into the experiences, physical, emotional and spiritual of my patients. So many have been willing to allow me to share our interactions and healing sessions so that their experiences might positively influence the lives of others.
And how do you find the balance between writing about your own personal experiences and exploring topics that may not necessarily be autobiographical, but still speak to many people?
Other than the children’s and pre-teen fiction that I write in order to simplify complex metaphysical concepts such as chakras or the positive manipulation of frequency and light, the subject matter that I write about is all anecdotal and the musings of my personal experiences. I have found that writing children’s fiction that teaches inclusion and compassion in between books about healing cancers, working with suicide cases, speaking to the dead, etc…that keeps me balanced.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring writers?
I think there is an aspiring writer in us all. I encourage everyone I meet to put pen to paper, vlog, blog, use social media or thoughts scribbled on a napkin to document their own unique perspectives of life. It is through the eyes of many, that we get the most well rounded vision of the version of reality. To anyone who wants to write as a hobby or as a career, from the day that decision is made, call yourself a writer. Universal law shows us that thoughts become things, that the frequency of intention that we hold makes manifest that which we want to create. I am an author…the author of my own story.
Grab your copy of Hugh and the Manatee here.